Brunei

Negara Brunei Darussalam

constitutional sultanateIndependence 1 January 1984 (from UK)

Brunei as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 77 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

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CapitalBandar Seri Begawan
Area5,770 km2 land area:
LocationSoutheast Asia, on the northern coast of Borneo almost completely surrounded
1993

Every edition of Brunei

Populationas each edition published it
276,984 people July 1993 est. · 372,108 in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.77% 1993 est. · 1.37% in 2025
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 26.4 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
70.94 years 1993 est. · 78.9 yrs in 2025
Fertility ratechildren per woman
3.45 children per woman 1993 est. · 2.9 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
25.7 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 10 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$8,800 1990 est. · $79,200 in 2025
GDP real growth% a year
1% 1990 est. · 4.2% in 2025

Geography

Southeast Asia, on the northern coast of Borneo almost completely surrounded | by Malaysia

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Land use

meadows and pastures 1%forest and woodland 79%other 18%arable land 1% in all · permanent crops 1% in all · irrigated 10 km2 (1989 est.)
Coastline
161km
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm
Land boundaries
381km
total · Malysia 381 km

Location

Southeast Asia, on the northern coast of Borneo almost completely surrounded by Malaysia

Map references

Asia, Oceania, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area

total area:
5,770 km2 land area: 5,270 km2
comparative area:
slightly larger than Delaware

International disputes

  • may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient that divides the country;
  • all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam;
  • parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines;
  • in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa Reef, but has not publicly claimed the island

Climate

tropical; hot, humid, rainy

Terrain

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

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, timber

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
276,984
(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 2.77% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth
26.55Death
5.02Net migration
6.15

Male · female(1993 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years70.94
69.27 · 72.65
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy77%
85% · 69%
MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1981)

Ethnic divisions

Malay 64%Chinese 20%other 16%

Religions(1981)

Muslim (official) 63%Buddhism 14%Christian 8%indigenous beliefs and other 15% (1981)
Labor force
89,000
(includes members of the Army)by occupation: government 47.5%, production of oil, natural gas, services, and construction 41.9%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3.8% (1986)note: 33% of labor force is foreign (1988)

Infant mortality rate

25.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.45 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Bruneian(s)
adjective:
Bruneian

Languages

Malay (official), English, Chinese

Government

Constitutional sultanate

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Names

conventional long form:
Negara Brunei Darussalam
conventional short form:
Brunei

Type

constitutional sultanate

Capital

Bandar Seri Begawan

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

1 January 1984 (from UK)

Constitution

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

National holiday

23 February (1984)

Political parties and leaders

  • Brunei United National Party (inactive), Anak HASANUDDIN, chairman;
  • Brunei National Democratic Party (the first legal political party and now banned), leader NA

Elections

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

Executive branch

sultan, prime minister, Council of Cabinet Ministers

Legislative branch

unicameral Legislative Council (Majlis Masyuarat Megeri)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government: Sultan and Prime Minister His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji HASSANAL Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah (since 5 October 1967)

Member of

APEC, ASEAN, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, ICAO, IDB, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Mohamed KASSIM bin Haji Mohamed Daud
chancery:
2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Suite 3000, Washington, DC 20037
telephone:
(202) 342-0159

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:
Ambassador Donald Burnham ENSENAT
embassy:
Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan
mailing address:
American Embassy Box B, APO AP 96440
telephone:
[673] (2) 229-670
FAX:
[673] (2) 225-293

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.

18 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$8,800
(1990 est.)
Real growth rate
1%
(1990 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 12.9% (1987); accounts for 52.4% of GDP

Budget

Revenues
$1.3 billionExpenditures
$1.5 billion
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $255 million (1989 est.)

Overview

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 $8,800 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.

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $3.5 billion (1990 est.)

Exports

$2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)

commodities:
crude oil, liquefied natural gas, petroleum products
partners:
Japan 53%, UK 12%, South Korea 9%, Thailand 7%, Singapore 5% (1990)

Imports

$1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.)

commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals
partners:
Singapore 35%, UK 26%, Switzerland 9%, US 9%, Japan 5% (1990)

Electricity

310,000 kW capacity; 890 million kWh produced, 3,300 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries

petroleum, petroleum refining, 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 (1970-89), $153 million

Currency

1 Bruneian dollar (B$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

  • Bruneian dollars (B$) per US$1 - 1.6531 (January 1993), 1.6290 (1992), 1.7276 (1991), 1.8125 (1990), 1.9503 (1989), 2.0124 (1988);
  • note - the Bruneian dollar is at par with the Singapore dollar

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

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

Railroads

13 km 0.610-meter narrow-gauge private line

Highways

1,090 km total; 370 km paved (bituminous treated) and another 52 km under construction, 720 km gravel or unimproved

Inland waterways

209 km; navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 meters

Pipelines

  • crude oil 135 km;
  • petroleum products 418 km;
  • natural gas 920 km

Ports

Kuala Belait, Muara

Merchant marine

7 liquefied gas carriers (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 348,476 GRT/340,635 DWT

Airports

total:
2
usable:
2
with permanent-surface runways:
1
with runway over 3,659 m:
1
with runway 2,440-3,659 m:
0
with runway 1,220-2,439 m:
1

Telecommunications

  • service throughout country is adequate for present needs;
  • international service good to adjacent Malaysia;
  • radiobroadcast coverage good;
  • 33,000 telephones (1987);
  • broadcast stations - 4 AM/FM, 1 TV;
  • 74,000 radio receivers (1987);
  • satellite earth stations - 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT

Defense Forces

Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, Royal Brunei Police

3 fields

Branches

Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, Royal Brunei Police

Manpower availability

  • males age 15-49 77,407;
  • fit for military service 45,112;
  • reach military age (18) annually 2,676 (1993 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $300 million, 9% of GDP (1990)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Brunei.” The World Factbook 1993. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/brunei/1993.

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