Brunei

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;
• the eastern part, the Temburong district, is an exclave and is almost an enclave within Malaysia

noun:

Bruneian(s)

adjective:

Bruneian

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

0.9 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.95 male(s)/female

total population:

0.96 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

improved:

total: 100% of population

unimproved:

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

conventional long form:

Brunei Darussalam

conventional short form:

Brunei

local long form:

Negara Brunei Darussalam

local short form:

Brunei

etymology:

derivation of the name is unclear; according to legend, MUHAMMAD SHAH, who would become the first sultan of Brunei, upon discovering what would become Brunei exclaimed "Baru nah," which roughly translates as "there" or "that's it"

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)

etymology:

• named in 1970 after Sultan Omar Ali SAIFUDDIEN III (1914-1986; "The Father of Independence") who adopted the title of "Seri Begawan" (approximate meaning "honored lord") upon his abdication in 1967;
• "bandar" in Malay means "town" or "city";
• the capital had previously been called Bandar Brunei (Brunei Town)

• National Day, 23 February (1984);
• note - 1 January 1984 was the date of independence from the UK, 23 February 1984 was the date of independence from British protection;
• the Sultan's birthday, 15 June

history:

• drafted 1954 to 1959, signed 29 September 1959;
• note - some constitutional provisions suspended since 1962 under a State of Emergency, others suspended since independence in 1984

amendments:

• proposed by the monarch;
• passage requires submission to the Privy Council for Legislative Council review and finalization takes place by proclamation;
• the monarch can accept or reject changes to the original proposal provided by the Legislative Council;
• amended several times

• mixed legal system based on English common law and Islamic law;
• note - in April 2019, the full sharia penal codes came into force and apply to Muslims and non-Muslims in parallel with present common law codes

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

the father must be a citizen of Brunei

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

12 years

chief of state:

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

head of government:

Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967)

cabinet:

• Council of Ministers appointed and presided over by the monarch;
• note - 4 additional advisory councils appointed by the monarch are the Religious Council, Privy Council for constitutional issues, Council of Succession, and Legislative Council

elections/appointments:

none; the monarchy is hereditary

description:

unicameral Legislative Council or Majlis Mesyuarat Negara Brunei (36 seats; members appointed by the sultan including 3 ex-officio members - the speaker and first and second secretaries; members appointed for 5-year terms)

elections:

appointed by the sultan

election results:

NA; composition - men 33, women 3, percent of women 8.3%

highest courts:

• Supreme Court (consists of the Court of Appeal and the High Court, each with a chief justice and 2 judges);
• Sharia Court (consists the Court of Appeals and the High Court);
• note - Brunei has a dual judicial system of secular and sharia (religious) courts;
• the Judicial Committee of Privy Council (in London) serves as the final appellate court for civil cases only

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court judges appointed by the monarch to serve until age 65, and older if approved by the monarch;
• Sharia Court judges appointed by the monarch for life

subordinate courts:

• Intermediate Court;
• Magistrates' Courts;
• Juvenile Court;
• small claims courts;
• lower sharia courts

chief of mission:

Ambassador Serbini ALI (since 28 January 2016)

chancery:

3520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 237-1838

FAX:

[1] (202) 885-0560

consulate(s):

New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Emily M. FLECKNER (since 20 August 2020)

telephone:

[673] 238-4616

embassy:

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

mailing address:

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

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 Pengiran 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

• state-controlled Radio Television Brunei (RTB) operates 5 channels;
• 3 Malaysian TV stations are available;
• foreign TV broadcasts are available via satellite 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

number of registered air carriers:

1 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 10

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

1,234,455 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

129.35 million mt-km (2018)

total:

2,976 km (2014)

paved:

2,559 km (2014)

unpaved:

417 km (2014)

major seaport(s):

Muara

oil terminal(s):

Lumut, Seria

LNG terminal(s) (export):

Lumut

• the Royal Brunei Armed Forces imports nearly all of its military equipment and weapons systems;
• the top suppliers since 2010 are France, Germany, and the US (2019 est.)

• 17 years of age for voluntary military service;
• non-Malays are ineligible to serve;
• recruits from the army, navy, and air force all undergo 43-week initial training (2019)

• Brunei has a long-standing defense relationship with the United Kingdom and hosts a British Army garrison, which includes a Gurkha battalion and a jungle warfare school;
• there is also a long-term Singaporean military presence (2019)

• 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

stateless persons:

• 20,863 (2019);
• note - thousands of stateless persons, often ethnic Chinese, are permanent residents and their families have lived in Brunei for generations;
• obtaining citizenship is difficult and requires individuals to pass rigorous tests on Malay culture, customs, and language;
• stateless residents receive an International Certificate of Identity, which enables them to travel overseas;
• the government is considering changing the law prohibiting non-Bruneians, including stateless permanent residents, from owning land