Brunei

Negara Brunei Darussalam

constitutional sultanateIndependence 1 January 1984 (from UK)

Brunei as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 81 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 sq km

LocationSoutheastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and

Populationas each edition published it

292,266 people July 1995 est. · 372,108 in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.63% 1995 est. · 2.77% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 26.4 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

71.24 years 1995 est. · 70.94 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

3.41 children per woman 1995 est. · 2.9 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

24.7 deaths per 1,000 live births 1995 est. · 10 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$16,000 1993 est. · $8,800 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

-4% 1993 est. · 1% in 1993

Geography

Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and | Malaysia

14 fields

Land useshare of 5,770 sq km

meadows and pastures 1%forest and woodland 79%other 18%arable land 1% in all · permanent crops 1% in all · irrigated 10 sq km (1989 est.)

Area

5,770sq km

land area: 5,270 sq kmcomparative area: slightly larger than Delaware

Coastline

161km

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median lineterritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

381km

total · Malysia 381 km

Location

Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia

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

Terrain

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

Environment

current issues:: NA
natural hazards:: typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are very rare
international agreements:: party to - Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

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

15 fields

Population

292,266

(July 1995 est.)growth rate: 2.63% (1995 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1995 est.)

Birth

25.83Death

5.07Net migration

5.49

Male · female(1995 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years71.24

69.65 · 72.91

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy88%

92% · 82%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1991)

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

119,000

(1993 est.); note - includes members of the Armyby 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)

Age structure

0-14 years:: 34% (female 48,458; male 50,624)
15-64 years:: 62% (female 85,581; male 95,955)
65 years and over:: 4% (female 5,172; male 6,476) (July 1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate

24.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.41 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Bruneian(s)
adjective:: Bruneian

Languages

Malay (official), English, Chinese

Government

Constitutional sultanate

21 fields

Names

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

Digraph

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)

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 Islamic law

Suffrage

none

Executive branch

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)
cabinet:: Council of Cabinet Ministers; composed chiefly of members of the royal family

Legislative branch

unicameral

Legislative Council (Majlis Masyuarat Megeri)

elections last held in March 1962;
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 constitution reform, but elections are unlikely for several years

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

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

Member of

APEC, ASEAN, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, ICAO, IDB, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Haji JAYA bin Abdul Latif
chancery:: Watergate, Suite 300, 3rd floor, 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone:: [1] (202) 342-0159

FAX

[1] (202) 342-0158

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Theresa A. TULL
embassy:: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan
mailing address:: American Embassy Box B, APO AP 96440
telephone:: [673] (2) 229670

FAX

[673] (2) 225293

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

$16,000

(1993 est.)

Real growth rate

-4%

(1993 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 12.9% (1987); accounts for 41.6% of GDP (1990), includes mining, quarrying, and manufacturing

Inflation, consumer prices

2.5%

(1993 est.)

Unemployment rate

(1993 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$1.5 billionExpenditures

$1.5 billion (1990 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $255 million

Installed generating capacity, 380,000 kW

Electricity production

1.2 billionElectricity consumption per capita

3,971 (1993)

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 40% of GDP. Per capita GDP 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 - purchasing power parity - $4.43 billion (1993 est.)

Exports

$2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities:: crude oil, liquefied natural gas, petroleum products
partners:: Japan 52%, South Korea 10%, UK 9%, Thailand 7%, Singapore 6% (1991)

Imports

$1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.)

commodities:: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals
partners:: Singapore 34%, UK 23%, US 10%, Japan 8%, Malaysia 7%, Switzerland 4% (1991)

External debt

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

recipient: 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 - 1.4524 (January 1995), 1.5274 (1994), 1.6158 (1993), 1.6290 (1992), 1.7276 (1991), 1.8125 (1990);
note - the Bruneian dollar is at par with the Singapore dollar

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

7 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 5 in all

over 3,047 m

under 914 m

914 to 1,523 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

1,090Railroads

13Inland waterways

209

Highways: paved: bituminous 370 km (with another 52 km under construction) · unpaved: gravel or earth 720 km · Railroads: narrow gauge: 13 km 0.610-m gauge · Inland waterways: ; navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 meters