1994 Edition

Administrative divisions

4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong

Agriculture

imports about 80% of its food needs; principal crops and livestock include rice, cassava, bananas, buffaloes, and pigs

Airports

total: 2 usable: 2 with permanent-surface runways: 1 with runway over 3,659 m: 1 with runway 2,440-3,659 m: with runway 1,220-2,439 m: 1

Area

total area: 5,770 sq km land area: 5,270 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Delaware

Birth rate

26.18 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Branches

Land Force, Navy, Air Force, Royal Brunei Police

Budget

revenues: $1.3 billion expenditures: $1.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $255 million (1989 est.)

Capital

Bandar Seri Begawan

Climate

tropical; hot, humid, rainy

Coastline

161 km

Constitution

29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984)

Currency

1 Bruneian dollar (B$) = 100 cents

Death rate

5.04 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $300 million, 9% of GDP (1990)

Digraph

BX

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador JAYA bin Abdul Latif chancery: 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: (202) 342-0159

Economic aid

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $20.6 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $153 million

Electricity

capacity: 310,000 kW production: 890 million kWh consumption per capita: 3,300 kWh (1990)

Environment

current issues: NA international agreements: party to - Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea natural hazards: typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare

Ethnic divisions

Malay 64%, Chinese 20%, other 16%

Exchange rates

Bruneian dollars (B$) per US$1 - 1.6032 (January 1994), 1.6158 (1993), 1.6290 (1992), 1.7276 (1991), 1.8125 (1990), 1.9503 (1989); note - the Bruneian dollar is at par with the Singapore dollar

Executive branch

chief of state and head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji HASSANAL Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah (since 5 October 1967) cabinet: Council of Cabinet Ministers; composed chiefly of members of the royal family

Exports

$2.3 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: crude oil, liquefied natural gas, petroleum products partners: Japan 53%, UK 12%, South Korea 9%, Thailand 7%, Singapore 5% (1990)

External debt

$0

FAX

(202) 342-0158

[673] (2) 225-293

Fiscal year

calendar year

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

Highways

total: 1,090 km paved: bituminous 370 km (with another 52 km under construction) unpaved: gravel or earth 720 km

Imports

$2 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals partners: Singapore 35%, UK 26%, Switzerland 9%, US 9%, Japan 5% (1990)

Independence

1 January 1984 (from UK)

Industrial production

growth rate 12.9% (1987); accounts for 52.4% of GDP

Industries

petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction

Infant mortality rate

25.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2% (1993 est.)

Inland waterways

209 km; navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 meters

International disputes

may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient that divides the country; all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa Reef, but has not publicly claimed the island

Irrigated land

10 sq km (1989 est.)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Labor force

89,000 (includes members of the Army) by occupation: government 47.5%, production of oil, natural gas, services, and construction 41.9%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3.8% (1986) note: 33% of labor force is foreign (1988)

Land boundaries

total 381 km, Malysia 381 km

Land use

arable land: 1% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 1% forest and woodland: 79% other: 18%

Languages

Malay (official), English, Chinese

Legal system

based on Islamic law

Legislative branch

unicameral

Legislative Council (Majlis Masyuarat Megeri)

elections last held in March 1962; in 1970 the Council was changed to an appointive body by decree of the sultan; an elected legislative Council is being considered as part of constitution reform, but elections are unlikely for several years

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 71.1 years male: 69.46 years female: 72.78 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1981) total population: 77% male: 85% female: 69%

Location

Southeastern Asia, on the northern coast of Borneo almost completely surrounded by Malaysia

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 79,486; fit for military service 46,258; reach military age (18) annually 2,756 (1994 est.)

Map references

Asia, Oceania, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Member of

APEC, ASEAN, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, ICAO, IDB, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, UNTAC, WHO, WMO

Merchant marine

7 liquefied gas carriers (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 348,476 GRT/340,635 DWT

Names

conventional long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam conventional short form: Brunei

National holiday

National Day 23 February (1984)

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $2.5 billion (1991 est.)

National product per capita

$9,000 (1991 est.)

National product real growth rate

1% (1991)

Nationality

noun: Bruneian(s) adjective: Bruneian

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, timber

Net migration rate

5.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

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

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 50% of GDP. Per capita GDP 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.

Pipelines

crude oil 135 km; petroleum products 418 km; natural gas 920 km

Political parties and leaders

Brunei United National Party (inactive), Anak HASANUDDIN, chairman; Brunei National Democratic Party (the first legal political party and now banned), leader NA

Population

284,653 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

2.7% (1994 est.)

Ports

Kuala Belait, Muara

Railroads

13 km 0.610-meter narrow-gauge private line

Religions

Muslim (official) 63%, Buddhism 14%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs and other 15% (1981)

Suffrage

none

Telecommunications

service throughout country is adequate for present needs; international service good to adjacent Malaysia; radiobroadcast coverage good; 33,000 telephones (1987); broadcast stations - 4 AM/FM, 1 TV; 74,000 radio receivers (1987); satellite earth stations - 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT

Terrain

flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west

Total fertility rate

3.43 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Type

constitutional sultanate

Unemployment rate

3.7% (1989)

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Theresa A. TULL embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan mailing address: American Embassy Box B, APO AP 96440 telephone: [673] (2) 229-670