1995 Edition

Area

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

Climate

tropical; hot, humid, rainy

Coastline

161 km

Environment

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

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.)

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%

Location

Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median line territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

petroleum, 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

Age structure

0-14 years: 34% (female 48,458; male 50,624) 15-64 years: 62% (female 85,581; male 95,955) 65 years and over: 4% (female 5,172; male 6,476) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate

25.83 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate

5.07 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Malay 64%, Chinese 20%, other 16%

Infant mortality rate

24.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Labor force

119,000 (1993 est.); note - 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)

Languages

Malay (official), English, Chinese

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 71.24 years male: 69.65 years female: 72.91 years (1995 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1991) total population: 88% male: 92% female: 82%

Nationality

noun: Bruneian(s) adjective: Bruneian

Net migration rate

5.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Population

292,266 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate

2.63% (1995 est.)

Religions

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

Total fertility rate

3.41 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Bandar Seri Begawan

Constitution

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

Digraph

BX

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Haji JAYA bin Abdul Latif chancery: Watergate, Suite 300, 3rd floor, 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 342-0159

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

FAX

[1] (202) 342-0158

[673] (2) 225293

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

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

Member of

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

Names

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

National holiday

National Day 23 February (1984)

Political parties and leaders

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

Suffrage

none

Type

constitutional sultanate

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) 229670

Agriculture

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

Budget

revenues: $1.5 billion expenditures: $1.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $255 million (1990 est.)

Currency

1 Bruneian dollar (B$) = 100 cents

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: 380,000 kW production: 1.2 billion kWh consumption per capita: 3,971 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

Bruneian dollars (B$) per US$1 - 1.4524 (January 1995), 1.5274 (1994), 1.6158 (1993), 1.6290 (1992), 1.7276 (1991), 1.8125 (1990); note - the Bruneian dollar is at par with the Singapore dollar

Exports

$2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: crude oil, liquefied natural gas, petroleum products partners: Japan 52%, South Korea 10%, UK 9%, Thailand 7%, Singapore 6% (1991)

External debt

$0

Fiscal year

calendar year

Imports

$1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals partners: Singapore 34%, UK 23%, US 10%, Japan 8%, Malaysia 7%, Switzerland 4% (1991)

Industrial production

growth rate 12.9% (1987); accounts for 41.6% of GDP (1990), includes mining, quarrying, and manufacturing

Industries

petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.5% (1993 est.)

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $4.43 billion (1993 est.)

National product per capita

$16,000 (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate

-4% (1993 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 40% 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.

Unemployment rate

5% (1993 est.)

Radio

broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 4, shortwave 0 radios: 74,000 (1987) note: radiobroadcast coverage good

Telephone system

33,000 telephones (1987); service throughout country is adequate for present needs; international service good to adjacent Malaysia local: NA intercity: NA international: INTELSAT (NA Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) earth stations

Television

broadcast stations: 1 televisions: NA

Airports

total: 5 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 3 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1

Highways

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

Inland waterways

209 km; navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 meters

Merchant marine

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

Pipelines

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

Ports

Bandar Seri Begawar, Kuala Belait, Muara, Seria, Tutong

Railroads

total: 13 km private line narrow gauge: 13 km 0.610-m gauge

Branches

Land Forces, Navy, Air Force, Royal Brunei Police

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $312 million, 6.2% of GDP (1994) ________________________________________________________________________ BULGARIA

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 81,560; males fit for military service 47,403; males reach military age (18) annually 2,835 (1995 est.)