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 within Malaysia

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.12 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.91 male(s)/female

total population:

1.09 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

noun:

Bruneian(s)

adjective:

Bruneian

conventional long form:

Negara Brunei Darussalam

conventional short form:

Brunei

local long form:

Negara Brunei Darussalam

local short form:

Brunei

name:

Bandar Seri Begawan

geographic coordinates:

4 52 S, 114 55 E

time difference:

UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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)

• Supreme Court - chief justice and judges are sworn in by monarch for three-year terms;
• Judicial Committee of Privy Council in London is final court of appeal for civil cases;
• Shariah courts deal with Islamic laws (2006)

• Brunei Solidarity National Party (PPKB) [Haji Mohd HATTA bin Haji Zainal Abidin];
• National Development Party (NDP) [YASSIN Affendi];
• People's Awareness Party (PAKAR) [Awang Haji MAIDIN bin Haji Ahmad]

note: parties are small and have limited activity (2005)

chief of mission:

Ambassador Pengiran Anak Dato PUTEH

chancery:

3520 International Court NW #300, 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, BS8811

mailing address:

PSC 470 (BSB), FPO AP 96507; P.O. Box 2991, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8675, Negara Brunei Darussalam

telephone:

[673] 222-0384

FAX:

[673] 222-5293

• 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

agriculture:

2.9%

industry:

61.1%

services:

36% (2003 est.)

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:

2,338 km

unpaved:

187 km (2000)

total:

8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 465,937 GRT/413,393 DWT

by type:

liquefied gas 8

foreign-owned:

8 (UK 8) (2006)

males age 18-49:

103,885

females age 18-49:

93,024 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49:

85,045

females age 18-49:

77,436 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49:

3,478

females age 18-49:

3,342 (2005 est.)

• 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