Brunei |
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Geography |
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia
Geographic coordinates: 4 30 N, 114 40 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 5,770 sq km
land: 5,270 sq km
water: 500 sq km
Areacomparative: slightly smaller than Delaware
Land boundaries:
total: 381 km
border countries: Malaysia 381 km
Coastline: 161 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median line
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy
Terrain: flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, timber
Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 1%
forests and woodland: 85%
other: 12% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are very rare
Environmentcurrent issues: seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia
Environmentinternational agreements:
party to: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographynote: close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by Malaysia; almost an enclave of Malaysia
People |
Population: 315,292 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 33% (male 53,219; female 50,906)
15-64 years: 63% (male 103,949; female 93,370)
65 years and over: 4% (male 7,569; female 6,279) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.44% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 24.92 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 5.17 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 4.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.21 male(s)/female (1998
est.)
Infant mortality rate: 23.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.69 years
male: 70.17 years
female: 73.29 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.35 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Bruneian(s)
adjective: Bruneian
Ethnic groups: Malay 64%, Chinese 20%, other 16%
Religions: Muslim (official) 63%, Buddhism 14%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs and other 15% (1981)
Languages: Malay (official), English, Chinese
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 88.2%
male: 92.6%
female: 83.4% (1995 est.)
Government |
Country name:
conventional long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam
conventional short form: Brunei
Data code: BX
Government type: constitutional sultanate
National capital: Bandar Seri Begawan
Administrative divisions: 4 districts (daerah-daerah, singulardaerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong
Independence: 1 January 1984 (from UK)
National holiday: National Day, 23 February (1984)
Constitution: 29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984)
Legal system: based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Shari'a law supersedes civil law in a number of areas
Suffrage: none
Executive branch:
chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji HASSANAL Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah (since 5 October 1967); notethe sultan is both the
chief of state and head of government
head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji HASSANAL Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah (since 5 October
1967); notethe sultan is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Cabinet Ministers appointed and presided over by the sultan; deals with executive matters
note: there is also a Religious Council (members appointed by the sultan) that advises on religious matters, a Privy Council (members appointed by the sultan) that deals with
constitutional matters, and the Council of Succession (members appointed by the sultan) that determines the succession to the throne if the need arises
elections: none; the sultan is a
traditional Islamic monarch
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Council or Majlis Masyuarat Megeri (a privy council that serves only in a consultative capacity; NA seats; members appointed by the sultan)
elections: last held
in March 1962
note: in 1970 the Council was changed to an appointive body by decree of the sultan; an elected Legislative Council is being considered as part of constitutional reform, but
elections are unlikely for several years
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chief justice and judges are sworn in by the sultan for three-year terms
Political parties and leaders: Brunei United National Party (inactive), Anak HASANUDDIN, chairman; Brunei National Solidarity Party (the first legal political party and now banned), Mohamad HATTA bin Maji Zainal Abidin, secretary general; Brunei Peoples Party (banned), Sheik A. M. AZAHARI, leader; Brunei National Democratic Party or BNDP (deregistered), Haji Abdul LATIF bin Abdul Hamad, president
International organization participation: APEC, ASEAN, C, CCC, ESCAP, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Pengiran Anak Dato Haji PUTEH Ibni Mohammad Alam
chancery: Watergate, Suite 300, 3rd floor, 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 342-0159
FAX: [1] (202) 342-0158
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Glen Robert RASE
embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan
mailing address: American Embassy Box B,
Bandar Seri Begawan, APO AP 96440
telephone: [673] (2) 229670
FAX: [673] (2) 225293
Flag description: yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top, almost double width) and black starting from the upper hoist side; the national emblem in red is superimposed at the center; the emblem includes a swallow-tailed flag on top of a winged column within an upturned crescent above a scroll and flanked by two upraised hands
Economy |
Economyoverview: This small, wealthy economy is a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation and welfare measures, and village tradition. It is almost totally supported by exports of crude oil and natural gas, with revenues from the petroleum sector accounting for perhaps half of GDP. Per capita GDP is far above most other Third World countries, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and subsidizes food and housing. The government is beginning to show progress on its basic policy of diversifying the economy away from oil and gas. Brunei's leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in the world economy will undermine internal social cohesion.
GDP: purchasing power parity$5.4 billion (1997 est.)
GDPreal growth rate: 3.5% (1997 est.)
GDPper capita: purchasing power parity$18,000 (1997 est.)
GDPcomposition by sector:
agriculture: 5%
industry: 46%
services: 49% (1996 est.)
Inflation rateconsumer price index: 2% (1997 est.)
Labor force:
total: 144,000 (1995 est.); noteincludes foreign workers and military personnel
by occupation: government 48%, production of oil, natural gas, services, and
construction 42%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 4%, other 6% (1986 est.)
note: temporary residents make up 41% of labor force (1991)
Unemployment rate: 4.8% (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $2.5 billion
expenditures: $2.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $768 million (1995 est.)
Industries: petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction
Industrial production growth rate: 4% (1997 est.)
Electricitycapacity: 646,000 kW (1997 est.)
Electricityproduction: 1.26 billion kWh (1995)
Electricityconsumption per capita: 4,311 kWh (1995)
Agricultureproducts: rice, cassava (tapioca), bananas; water buffalo
Exports:
total value: $2.62 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: crude oil, liquefied natural gas, petroleum products
partners: ASEAN 31%, Japan 27%, South Korea
26%, UK, Taiwan (1996 est.)
Imports:
total value: $2.65 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
commodities: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals
partners: Singapore 29%, UK
19%, US 13%, Malaysia 9%, Japan 5% (1994 est.)
Debtexternal: $0
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 Bruneian dollar (B$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Bruneian dollars (B$) per US$11.7533 (January 1998), 1.4848 (1997), 1.4100 (1996), 1.4174 (1995), 1.5274 (1994), 1.6158 (1993); notethe Bruneian dollar is at par with the Singapore dollar
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications |
Telephones: 90,000 (1997 est.)
Telephone system:
service throughout country is excellent; international service good to Europe, US, and East Asia
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth stations2 Intelsat (1
Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios: 284,000 (1995 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1984 est.)
Televisions: 173,000 (1995 est.)
Transportation |
Railways:
total: 13 km (private line)
narrow gauge: 13 km 0.610-m gauge
Highways:
total: 1,150 km
paved: 399 km
unpaved: 751 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 209 km; navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m
Pipelines: crude oil 135 km; petroleum products 418 km; natural gas 920 km
Ports and harbors: Bandar Seri Begawan, Kuala Belait, Muara, Seria, Tutong
Merchant marine:
total: 7 liquefied gas tankers (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 348,476 GRT/340,635 DWT (1997 est.)
Airports: 2 (1997 est.)
Airportswith paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airportswith unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Heliports: 3 (1997 est.)
Military |
Military branches: Land Forces, Navy, Air Force, Royal Brunei Police
Military manpowermilitary age: 18 years of age
Military manpoweravailability:
males age 15-49: 87,048 (1998 est.)
Military manpowerfit for military service:
males: 50,408 (1998 est.)
Military manpowerreaching military age annually:
males: 3,126 (1998 est.)
Military expendituresdollar figure: $312 million (1994)
Military expenditurespercent of GDP: 6.2% (1994)
Transnational Issues |
Disputesinternational: may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient that divides the country; possibly involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands, but has not publicly claimed the island