2002 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2002 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
Background
The Sultanate of Brunei's heyday occurred between the 15th and 17th centuries, when its control extended over coastal areas of northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Brunei subsequently entered a period of decline brought on by internal strife over royal succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate; independence was achieved in 1984. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in the less developed countries. The same family has now ruled Brunei for over six centuries.
Geography
Area
total: 5,770 sq km water: 500 sq km land: 5,270 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Delaware
Climate
tropical; hot, humid, rainy
Coastline
161 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m
Environment - current issues
seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia
Environment - international agreements
party to: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographic coordinates
4 30 N, 114 40 E
Irrigated land
10 sq km (1998 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 381 km border countries: Malaysia 381 km
Land use
arable land: 1% permanent crops: 1% other: 98% (1998 est.)
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 hazards
typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are very rare
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, timber
Terrain
flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 30.2% (male 54,038; female 51,833) 15-64 years: 67% (male 125,051; female 110,257) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 4,609; female 5,110) (2002 est.)
Birth rate
20.06 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate
3.38 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Ethnic groups
Malay 67%, Chinese 15%, indigenous 6%, other 12%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
0.2% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
less than 100 (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate
13.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Languages
Malay (official), English, Chinese
Life expectancy at birth
76.56 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 88.2% male: 92.6% female: 83.4% (1995 est.)
Nationality
noun: Bruneian(s) adjective: Bruneian
Net migration rate
3.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Population
350,898 (July 2002 est.)
Population growth rate
2.06% (2002 est.)
Religions
Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs and other 10%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Government
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)
Country name
conventional long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam conventional short form: Brunei
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Sylvia Gaye STANFIELD embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan mailing address: PSC 470 (BSB), FPO AP 96507 telephone: [673] (2) 229670 FAX: [673] (2) 225293
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador PUTEH ibni Mohammad Alam FAX: [1] (202) 885-0560 telephone: [1] (202) 237-1838 chancery: 3520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
Executive branch
chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Cabinet Ministers appointed and presided over by the monarch; deals with executive matters; note - there is also a Religious Council (members appointed by the monarch) that advises on religious matters, a Privy Council (members appointed by the monarch) that deals with constitutional matters, and the Council of Succession (members appointed by the monarch) that determines the succession to the throne if the need arises elections: Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council or Majlis Masyuarat Megeri (a privy council that serves only in a consultative capacity; NA seats; members last held in March 1962 note: monarch; an elected Legislative Council is being considered as part of constitutional reform, but elections are unlikely for several years
Flag description
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
Government type
constitutional sultanate
Independence
1 January 1984 (from UK)
International organization participation
APEC, ARF, ASEAN, C, CCC, ESCAP, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (chief justice and judges are sworn in by the monarch for three-year terms)
Legal system
based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Shari'a law supersedes civil law in a number of areas
National holiday
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
Political parties and leaders
Brunei Solidarity National Party or PPKB in Malay [Haji Mohd HATTA bin Haji Zainal Abidin, president]; the PPKB is the only legal political party in Brunei; it was registered in 1985, but became largely inactive after 1988, it was revived in 1995 and again in 1998; it has less than 200 registered party members; other parties include Brunei People's Party or PRB (banned in 1962) and Brunei National Democratic Party (registered in May 1965, deregistered by the Brunei Government in 1988)
Political pressure groups and leaders
NA
Suffrage
none
Economy
Agriculture - products
rice, vegetables, fruits, chickens, water buffalo
Budget
revenues: $2.5 billion expenditures: $2.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.35 billion (1997 est.)
Currency
Bruneian dollar (BND)
Currency code
BND
Debt - external
$0
Economic aid - recipient
$4.3 million (1995)
Economy - overview
This small, wealthy economy is a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures, and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas production account for nearly half of GDP. Per capita GDP is far above most other Third World countries, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and subsidizes rice and housing. Brunei's leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in the world economy will undermine internal social cohesion although it became a more prominent player by serving as chairman for the 2000 APEC (Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum. Plans for the future include upgrading the labor force, reducing unemployment, strengthening the banking and tourist sectors, and, in general, further widening the economic base beyond oil and gas.
Electricity - consumption
2.065 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - production
2.22 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Exchange rates
Bruneian dollars per US dollar - 1.8388 (January 2002), 1.8917 (2001), 1.7240 (2000), 1.6950 (1999), 1.6736 (1998), 1.4848 (1997); note - the Bruneian dollar is at par with the Singapore dollar
Exports
$3 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities
crude oil, natural gas, refined products
Exports - partners
Japan 42%, US 17%, South Korea 14%, Thailand 3% (1999)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity - $6.2 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 5% industry: 45% services: 50% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $18,000 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
3% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$1.4 billion (c.i.f., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals
Imports - partners
Singapore 34%, UK 15%, Malaysia 15%, US 5% (1999)
Industrial production growth rate
4% (1997 est.)
Industries
petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1% (1999 est.)
Labor force
143,400 (1999 est.); note - includes foreign workers and military personnel note: temporary residents make up 41% of labor force (1991)
Labor force - by occupation
government 48%, production of oil, natural gas, services, and construction 42%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 10% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
10% (2001 est.)
Communications
Internet country code
.bn
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
2 (2000)
Internet users
28,000 (2001)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 3, FM 10, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios
329,000 (1998)
Telephone system
general assessment: service throughout country is excellent; international service good to Europe, US, and East Asia domestic: every service available international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); digital submarine cable links to Malaysia, Singapore, and Philippines (2001)
Telephones - main lines in use
79,000 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular
43,524 (1996)
Television broadcast stations
2 (1997)
Televisions
201,900 (1998)
Transportation
Airports
2 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2001)
Heliports
3 (2001)
Highways
total: 1,712 km paved: 1,284 km unpaved: 428 km (1996)
Merchant marine
total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 348,476 GRT/340,635 DWT ships by type: liquefied gas 7 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: United Kingdom 7 (2002 est.)
Pipelines
crude oil 135 km; petroleum products 418 km; natural gas 920 km
Ports and harbors
Bandar Seri Begawan, Kuala Belait, Muara, Seria, Tutong
Railways
total: 13 km (private line) narrow gauge: 13 km 0.610-m gauge (2001 est.)
Waterways
209 km; navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m
Military and Security
Military expenditures - dollar figure
$343 million (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
5.1% (FY98)
Military manpower - availability
males age 15-49: 108,921 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service
males age 15-49: 62,864 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age
18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually
males: 3,005 (2002 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
Brunei established an exclusive economic fishing zone encompassing Louisa Reef in southern Spratly Islands in 1984, but makes no public territorial claim to the offshore reefs
Illicit drugs
drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled substances are serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death penalty This page was last updated on 1 January 2002 Burundi