1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical; hot, humid, rainy
Coastline
161 km
Comparative area
slightly larger than Delaware
Disputes
may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient that divides the country
Environment
typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare
Exclusive fishing zone
200 nm;
Land boundary
381 km with Malaysia
Land use
1% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 79% forest and woodland; 18% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Natural resources
crude oil, natural gas, timber
Note
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
Terrain
flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
5,770 km2; land area: 5,270 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
23 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
4 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
64% Malay, 20% Chinese, 16% other
Infant mortality rate
10 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
89,000 (includes members of the Army); 33% of labor force is foreign (1988); 50.4% production of oil, natural gas, and construction; 47.6% trade, services, and other; 2.0% agriculture, forestry, and fishing (1984)
Language
Malay (official), English, and Chinese
Life expectancy at birth
74 years male, 77 years female (1990)
Literacy
45%
Nationality
noun--Bruneian(s); adjective--Bruneian
Net migration rate
52 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
2% of labor force
Population
372,108 (July 1990), growth rate 7.1% (1990)
Religion
60% Muslim (official); 8% Christian; 32% Buddhist and indigenous beliefs
Total fertility rate
2.9 children born/woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular--daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong
Capital
Bandar Seri Begawan
Communists
probably none
Constitution
29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984)
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Dato Paduka Haji MOHAMED SUNI bin Haji Idris; Chancery at 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 342-0159; US--Ambassador Christopher H. PHILLIPS; Embassy at Teck Guan Plaza (corner of Jalan McArthur), Bandar Seri Begawan (mailing address is P. O. Box 2991, Bandar Seri Begawan); telephone [673] (2) 29670
Elections
Legislative Council--last held in March 1962; in 1970 the Council was changed to an appointive body by decree of the sultan and no elections are planned
Executive branch
sultan, prime minister, Council of Cabinet Ministers
Flag
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
Independence
1 January 1984 (from UK)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Leaders
Chief of State and Head of Government--Sultan and Prime Minister Sir Muda HASSANAL BOLKIAH Muizzaddin Waddaulah (since 5 October 1967)
Legal system
based on Islamic law
Legislative branch
unicameral Legislative Council
Long-form name
Negara Brunei Darussalam
Member of
ASEAN, ESCAP (associate member), IMO, INTERPOL, OIC, UN
National holiday
National Day, 23 February (1984)
Political parties and leaders
Brunei National United Party (inactive), Anak Hasanuddin, chairman; Brunei National Democratic Party (the first legal political party and now banned) Abdul Latif bin Abdul Hamid, chairman
Suffrage
none
Type
constitutional sultanate
Economy
Agriculture
imports about 80% of its food needs; principal crops and livestock include rice, cassava, bananas, buffaloes, and pigs
Aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $20.6 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $143.7 million
Budget
revenues $1.2 billion (1987); expenditures $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1989 est.)
Currency
Bruneian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Bruneian dollar (B$) = 100 cents
Electricity
310,000 kW capacity; 890 million kWh produced, 2,580 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Bruneian dollars (B$) per US$1--1.8895 (January 1990), 1.9503 (1989), 2.0124 (1988), 2.1060 (1987), 2.1774 (1986), 2.2002 (1985); note--the Bruneian dollar is at par with the Singapore dollar
Exports
$2.07 billion (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--crude oil, liquefied natural gas, petroleum products; partners--Japan 55% (1986)
External debt
none
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$3.3 billion, per capita $9,600; real growth rate 2.5% (1989 est.)
Imports
$800 million (c.i.f., 1987); commodities--machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; food, beverages, tobacco; consumer goods; partners--Singapore 31%, US 20%, Japan 6% (1986)
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
petroleum, liquefied natural gas, construction
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.5% (1989 est.)
Overview
The economy is a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation and welfare measures, and village tradition. It is almost totally supported by exports of crude oil and natural gas, with revenues from the petroleum sector accounting for more than 70% of GDP. Per capita GDP of $9,600 is among the highest in the Third World, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and subsidizes food and housing.
Unemployment
2.5%, shortage of skilled labor (1989 est.)
Communications
Airports
2 total, 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runway over 3,659 m; 1 with runway 1,406 m
Civil air
4 major transport aircraft (3 Boeing 757-200, 1 Boeing 737-200)
Highways
1,090 km total; 370 km paved (bituminous treated) and another 52 km under construction, 720 km gravel or unimproved
Inland waterways
209 km; navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 meters
Merchant marine
7 liquefied gas carriers (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 348,476 GRT/340,635 DWT
Pipelines
crude oil, 135 km; refined products, 418 km; natural gas, 920 km
Ports
Kuala Belait, Muara
Railroads
13 km 0.610-meter narrow-gauge private line
Telecommunications
service throughout country is adequate for present needs; international service good to adjacent Malaysia; radiobroadcast coverage good; 33,000 telephones (1987); stations--4 AM/FM, 1 TV; 74,000 radio receivers (1987); satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
Military and Security
Branches
Royal Brunei Armed Forces, including air wing, navy, and ground forces; British Gurkha Battalion; Royal Brunei Police; Gurkha Reserve Unit
Defense expenditures
$197.6 million, 17% of central government budget
Military manpower
males 15-49, 104,398; 60,242 fit for military service; 3,106 reach military age (18) annually