Brunei

party to:

Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, 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

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.13 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.9 male(s)/female

total population:

1.09 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

noun:

Bruneian(s)

adjective:

Bruneian

conventional long form:

Negara Brunei Darussalam

conventional short form:

Brunei

chief of state:

Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government:

Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government

cabinet:

• Council of Cabinet Ministers appointed and presided over by the monarch;
• deals with executive matters;
• note - there is also a Religious Council (members appointed by the monarch) that advises on religious matters, a Privy Council (members appointed by the monarch) that deals with constitutional matters, and the Council of Succession (members appointed by the monarch) that determines the succession to the throne if the need arises

elections:

none; the monarch is hereditary

• Legislative Council met on 25 September 2004 for first time in 20 years with 21 members appointed by the Sultan;
• passed constitutional amendments calling for a 45-seat council with 15 elected members;
• Sultan dissolved council on 1 September 2005 and appointed a new council with 29 members as of 2 September 2005

elections:

last held in March 1962 (date of next election NA)

• National Development Party (NDP) [Yassin AFFENDI];
• National Unity Party of Brunei (PPKB) [leader NA];
• People's Awareness Party (PAKAR) [leader NA]

note: parties are small and inactive (2005)

chief of mission:

Ambassador Pengiran Anak Dato PUTEH

chancery:

3520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 237-1838

FAX:

[1] (202) 885-0560

chief of mission:

Ambassador Emil SKODON

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

general assessment:

service throughout the country is excellent; international service is good to East Asia, Europe, and the US

domestic:

every service available

international:

• country code - 673;
• satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean);
• digital submarine cable links to Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore (2001)

total:

2,525 km

paved:

2,525 km

unpaved:

0 km (2000)

total:

8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 465,937 GRT/413,393 DWT

by type:

liquefied gas 8

foreign-owned:

8 (United Kingdom 8) (2005)

• in 2003 Brunei and Malaysia ceased gas and oil exploration in their disputed offshore and deepwater seabeds and negotiations have stalemated prompting consideration of international legal adjudication;
• Malaysia's land boundary with Brunei around Limbang is in dispute;
• Brunei established an exclusive economic fishing zone encompassing Louisa Reef in southern Spratly Islands in 1984 but makes no public territorial claim to the offshore reefs;
• the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions in the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants