Brunei

Although greatly reduced in size since its heyday of the 16th century, the Sultanate of Brunei sits atop extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in the less developed countries.

party to:

Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

• 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

0-14 years:

31% (male 53,812; female 51,628)

15-64 years:

66% (male 118,207; female 103,819)

65 years and over:

3% (male 4,317; female 4,593) (2000 est.)

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.14 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.94 male(s)/female

total population:

1.1 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

noun:

Bruneian(s)

adjective:

Bruneian

conventional long form:

Negara Brunei Darussalam

conventional short form:

Brunei

• Brunei Solidarity National Party or PPKB in Malay [Haji Mohd HATTA bin Haji Zainal Abidin, president];
• the PPKB is the only legal political party in Brunei;
• it was registered in 1985, but became largely inactive after 1988, it was revived in 1995 and again in 1998;
• it has less than 200 registered party members;
• other parties include Brunei People's Party or PRB (banned in 1962) and Brunei National Democratic Party (registered in May 1965, deregistered by the Brunei Government in 1988)

chief of mission:

Ambassador Pengiran Anak Dato Haji PUTEH Ibni Mohammad Alam

chancery:

3520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 342-0159

FAX:

[1] (202) 342-0158

chief of mission:

Ambassador Sylvia Gaye STANFIELD

embassy:

Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan

mailing address:

PSC 470 (BSB), FPO AP 96507

telephone:

[673] (2) 229670

FAX:

[673] (2) 225293

• 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

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

• Bruneian dollars (B$) per US$1 - 1.6733 (January 2000), 1.6950 (1999), 1.6736 (1998), 1.4848 (1997), 1.4100 (1996), 1.4174 (1995);
• note - the Bruneian dollar is at par with the Singapore dollar

total:

13 km (private line)

narrow gauge:

13 km 0.610-m gauge

total:

1,150 km

paved:

399 km

unpaved:

751 km (1996 est.)

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

total:

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

ships by type:

liquified gas 7 (1999 est.)

• 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 [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]