Brunei

constitutional sultanateIndependence 1 January 1984 (from UK)

Brunei as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 69 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalBandar Seri Begawan

Area5,770 km2

Populationas each edition published it

397,777 people July 1991 · 372,108 in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 2.77% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 26.4 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 70.94 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.9 children per woman 1991 · 2.9 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

10 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 10 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $8,800 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 1% in 1993

Geography

11 fields

Total area

5,770km2

land area: 5,270 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than Delaware

Land boundary

381km with Malaysia

Coastline

161 km Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Disputes

may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient that divides the country

Terrain

flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west

Land use

arable land 1%;
permanent crops 1%;
meadows and pastures 1%;
forest and woodland 79%;
other 18%;
includes irrigated NEGL%

Environment

typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare

Note

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

14 fields

Population

397,777

(July 1991), growth rate 6.3% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

22Death

4Net migration

Ethnic divisions

Malay 64%Chinese 20%other 16%

Religion(1981)

Muslim (official) 63%Buddhism 14%Christian 8%indigenous beliefs and other 15% (1981)

Literacy

77%

(male 85%, female 69%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981)

Labor force

89,000 (includes members of the Army);
33% of labor force is foreign (1988);
government 47.5%;
production of oil, natural gas, services, and construction 41.9%;
agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3.8% (1986)

Government

Constitutional sultanate

16 fields

Administrative divisions

4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular--daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong

Constitution

29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984)

Executive branch

sultan, prime minister, Council of Cabinet Ministers

Legislative branch

unicameral Legislative Council (Majlis Masyuarat Megeri)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court Chief of State and Head of Government--Sultan and Prime Minister Sir Muda HASSANAL BOLKIAH Muizzaddin Waddaulah (since 5 October 1967) Brunei United National Party (inactive), Anak HASANUDDIN, chairman;
Brunei National Democratic Party (the first legal political party and now banned), leader NA

Suffrage

none Legislative Council--last held in March 1962; in 1970 the Council was changed to an appointive body by decree of the sultan and no elections are planned

Member of

APEC, ASEAN, C, ESCAP, ICAO, IDB, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Dato Paduka Haji Mohamed SUNI bin Haji Idris;
Chancery at 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037;
telephone (202) 342-0159;
US--Ambassador Christopher H. PHILLIPS;
Embassy at Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan (mailing address is P. O. Box 2991, Bandar Seri Begawan and Box B, APO San Francisco, 96528);
telephone [673] (2) 229-670

Flag

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

The economy is a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation and welfare measures, and village tradition.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$3.3billion

per capita $9,600; real growth rate 2.7% (1989 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

1.3%

(1989 est.)

Unemployment

2.5%

shortage of skilled labor (1989 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$1.2 billionExpenditures

$1.4 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $230 million (1988 est.)

The 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 more than 50% of GDP. Per capita GDP of $9,600 is among the highest in the Third World, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and subsidizes food and housing.

Exports

$1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--crude oil, liquefied natural gas, petroleum products;
partners--Japan 60%, Thailand 10%, Singapore 4% (1988)

Imports

$1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities--machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals;
partners--Singapore 36%, UK 26%, Switzerland 7%, US 7%, Japan 6% (1988)

External debt

none

Industrial production

growth rate 12.9% (1987); accounts for 52.4% of GDP

Electricity

310,000 kW capacity; 890 million kWh produced, 2,400 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries

petroleum, liquefied natural gas, construction

Agriculture

imports about 80% of its food needs; principal crops and livestock include rice, cassava, bananas, buffaloes, and pigs

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $20.6 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $143.7 million

Currency

Bruneian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Bruneian dollar (B$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Bruneian dollars (B$) per US$1--1.7454 (January 1991), 1.8125 (1990), 1.9503 (1989), 2.0124 (1988), 2.1060 (1987), 2.1774 (1986), 2.2002 (1985);
note--the Bruneian dollar is at par with the Singapore dollar

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

9 fields

Airports, 2 total, 2 usable

permanent-surface runways

1runway over 3,659 m

1runway 1,406 m

Networkskm

Highways

1,090Inland waterways

209

Highways: ; 370 km paved (bituminous treated) and another 52 km under construction, 720 km gravel or unimproved · Inland waterways: ; navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 meters