Brunei

total:

0.09

per capita:

243 cu m/yr (1994)

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, 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

noun:

Bruneian(s)

adjective:

Bruneian

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.95 male(s)/female

total population:

1 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

conventional long form:

Brunei Darussalam

conventional short form:

Brunei

local long form:

Negara Brunei Darussalam

local short form:

Brunei

name:

Bandar Seri Begawan

geographic coordinates:

4 53 N, 114 56 E

time difference:

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

• the Sultan appointed a Legislative Council with 29 members in September 2005;
• he increased the size of the council to 33 members in June 2011;
• the council meets annually in March

elections:

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

note: the Legislative Council met on 25 September 2004 for first time in 20 years with 21 members appointed by the Sultan; it passed constitutional amendments calling for a 45-seat council with 15 elected members; no timeframe for an election was announced

• 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;
• Sharia courts deal with Islamic laws (2006)

chief of mission:

Ambassador Yusoff Abd HAMID

chancery:

3520 International Court NW #300, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 237-1838

FAX:

[1] (202) 885-0560

chief of mission:

Ambassador Daniel L. SHIELDS III

embassy:

Simpang 336-52-16-9, Jalan Kebangsaan, Bandar Seri Begawan, BC4115

mailing address:

Unit 4280, Box 40, FPO AP 96507; P.O. Box 2991, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8675, Negara Brunei Darussalam

telephone:

[673] 238-4616

FAX:

[673] 238-4604

• 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;
• yellow is the color of royalty and symbolizes the sultanate;
• the white and black bands denote Brunei's chief ministers;
• the emblem includes five main components: a swallow-tailed flag, the royal umbrella representing the monarchy, the wings of four feathers symbolizing justice, tranquility, prosperity, and peace, the two upraised hands signifying the government's pledge to preserve and promote the welfare of the people, and the crescent moon denoting Islam, the state religion;
• the state motto "Always render service with God's guidance" appears in yellow Arabic script on the crescent;
• a ribbon below the crescent reads "Brunei, the Abode of Peace"

name:

"Allah Peliharakan Sultan" (God Bless His Majesty)

lyrics/music:

Pengiran Haji Mohamed YUSUF bin Abdul Rahim/Awang Haji BESAR bin Sagap

note: adopted 1951

agriculture:

4.2%

industry:

62.8%

services:

33% (2008 est.)

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

general assessment:

service throughout the country is good; international service is good to Southeast Asia, Middle East, Western Europe, and the US

domestic:

every service available

international:

• country code - 673;
• landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe;
• the Asia-America Gateway submarine cable network, scheduled for completion by late 2008, will provide new links to Asia and the US;
• satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) (2011)

• state-controlled Radio Television Brunei (RTB) operates 4 channels;
• 3 Malaysian TV stations are available;
• foreign TV broadcasts are available via satellite and cable systems;
• RTB operates 5 radio networks and broadcasts on multiple frequencies;
• British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) provides radio broadcasts on 2 FM stations;
• some radio broadcast stations from Malaysia are available via repeaters (2009)

total:

3,029 km

country comparison to the world: 166

paved:

2,425 km

unpaved:

604 km (2010)

• 18 years of age (est.) for voluntary military service;
• non-Malays are ineligible to serve;
• recruits from the army, navy, and air force all undergo 43-week initial training (2012)

males age 16-49:

112,688

females age 16-49:

117,536 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

95,141

females age 16-49:

99,386 (2010 est.)

male:

3,572

female:

3,465 (2010 est.)

• per Letters of Exchange signed in 2009, Malaysia in 2010 ceded two hydrocarbon concession blocks to Brunei in exchange for Brunei's sultan dropping claims to the Limbang corridor, which divides Brunei;
• nonetheless, Brunei claims a maritime boundary extending as far as a median with Vietnam, thus asserting an implicit claim to Louisa Reef