2008 Edition

Background

The Sultanate of Brunei's influence peaked 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. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six centuries. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in Asia.

Area

total: 5,770 sq km land: 5,270 sq km water: 500 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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.09 per capita: 243 cu m/yr (1994)

Geographic coordinates

4 30 N, 114 40 E

Geography - note

close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by Malaysia; almost an enclave within Malaysia

Irrigated land

10 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 381 km border countries: Malaysia 381 km

Land use

arable land: 2.08% permanent crops: 0.87% other: 97.05% (2005)

Location

Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

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

Natural hazards

typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, timber

Terrain

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

Total renewable water resources

8.5 cu km (1999)

Age structure

0-14 years: 27.2% (male 53,400/female 50,333) 15-64 years: 69.6% (male 132,895/female 132,391) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 5,927/female 6,425) (2008 est.)

Birth rate

18.39 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate

3.28 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Education expenditures

5.2% of GDP (2000)

Ethnic groups

Malay 66.3%, Chinese 11.2%, indigenous 3.4%, other 19.1% (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 12.69 deaths/1,000 live births male: 15.19 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Languages

Malay (official), English, Chinese

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 75.52 years male: 73.32 years female: 77.83 years (2008 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 92.7% male: 95.2% female: 90.2% (2001 census)

Median age

total: 27.5 years male: 27.5 years female: 27.5 years (2008 est.)

Nationality

noun: Bruneian(s) adjective: Bruneian

Net migration rate

2.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Population

381,371 (July 2008 est.)

Population growth rate

1.785% (2008 est.)

Religions

Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, other (includes indigenous beliefs) 10%

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 14 years male: 14 years female: 14 years (2006)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.94 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

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)

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador William E. TODD embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan, BS8811 mailing address: PSC 470 (BSB), FPO AP 96507; P.O. Box 2991, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8675, Negara Brunei Darussalam telephone: [673] 222-0384

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Angela SHIM chancery: 3520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 237-1838

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) 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: none; the monarch is hereditary

FAX

[1] (202) 885-0560

[673] 222-5293

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

ADB, APEC, APT, ARF, ASEAN, C, EAS, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court - chief justice and judges are sworn in by monarch for three-year terms; Judicial Committee of Privy Council in London is final court of appeal for civil cases; Sharia courts deal with Islamic laws (2006)

Legal system

based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Sharia law supersedes civil law in a number of areas; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

Legislative Council met on 25 September 2004 for first time in 20 years with 21 members appointed by the Sultan; passed constitutional amendments calling for a 45-seat council with 15 elected members; Sultan dissolved council on 1 September 2005 and appointed a new council with 29 members as of 2 September 2005; council met in March 2006 and in March 2007 elections: last held in March 1962 (date of next election NA)

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

National Development Party or NDP [YASSIN Affendi] note: Brunei National Solidarity Party or PPKB [Abdul LATIF bin Chuchu] and People's Awareness Party or PAKAR [Awang Haji MAIDIN bin Haji Ahmad] were deregistered; parties are small and have limited activity

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age for village elections; universal

Agriculture - products

rice, vegetables, fruits; chickens, water buffalo, cattle, goats, eggs

Budget

revenues: $3.765 billion expenditures: $4.815 billion (2004 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

5.5% (31 December 2007)

Currency (code)

Bruneian dollar (BND)

Currency code

BND

Current account balance

$7.101 billion (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$0 (2005)

Economic aid - recipient

$770,000 (2004)

Economy - overview

Brunei has a small well-to-do economy that encompasses a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures, and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas production account for just over half of GDP and more than 90% of exports. Per capita GDP is among the highest in Asia, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and free education through the university level and subsidizes rice and housing. Brunei's leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in the world economy will undermine internal social cohesion. 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

2.924 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production

3.1 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exchange rates

Bruneian dollars (BND) per US dollar - NA (2007), 1.5886 (2006), 1.6644 (2005), 1.6902 (2004), 1.7422 (2003)

Exports

$6.767 billion f.o.b. (2006)

Exports - commodities

crude oil, natural gas, refined products, clothing

Exports - partners

Japan 32.8%, Indonesia 24.4%, Australia 13.4%, South Korea 12.2%, US 5.5% (2007)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 0.9% industry: 71.6% services: 27.5% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$51,000 (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

0.4% (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$12.39 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$19.64 billion (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$2 billion c.i.f. (2006)

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals

Imports - partners

UK 46.4%, Singapore 19.5%, Malaysia 11.3% (2007)

Industrial production growth rate

1.8% (2005 est.)

Industries

petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.4% (2007 est.)

Labor force

180,400 (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 2.9% industry: 61.1% services: 36% (2003 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Natural gas - consumption

3.99 billion cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - exports

9.4 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - production

13.8 billion cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

390.8 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Oil - consumption

13,200 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports

200,000 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports

304 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - production

180,500 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

1.1 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Stock of domestic credit

$2.38 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

$2.674 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money

$4.258 billion (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate

4% (2006)

Internet country code

.bn

Internet hosts

14,950 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

2 (2000)

Internet users

199,532 (2007)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 2 (transmitting on 18 different frequencies), shortwave 0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) station transmits two FM signals with English and Nepali service) (2006)

Radios

329,000 (1998)

Telephone system

general assessment: service throughout the country is excellent; international service is good to Southeast Asia, Middle East, Western Europe, and the US domestic: every service available international: country code - 673; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; the Asia-America Gateway submarine cable network, scheduled for completion by late 2008, will provide new links to Asia and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) (2007)

Telephones - main lines in use

79,200 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular

339,800 (2007)

Television broadcast stations

4 (includes 2 UHF stations broadcasting a subscription service) (2006)

Televisions

201,900 (1998)

Airports

2 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)

Heliports

3 (2007)

Merchant marine

total: 8 by type: liquefied gas 8 foreign-owned: 1 (UK 1) (2008)

Pipelines

gas 672 km; oil 463 km (2007)

Ports and terminals

Lumut, Muara, Seria

Roadways

total: 3,650 km paved: 2,819 km unpaved: 831 km (2005)

Waterways

209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m) (2007)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 108,356 females age 16-49: 110,153 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 91,297 females age 16-49: 93,228 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 3,223 female: 3,182 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures

4.5% of GDP (2006)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age (est.) for voluntary military service; non-Malays are ineligible to serve (2007)

Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF)

Royal Brunei Land Forces, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei) (2008)

Disputes - international

Brunei and Malaysia agreed in September 2008 to resolve their offshore and deepwater seabed dispute, resume hydrocarbon exploration, and renounce any territorial claims on land; Brunei established an exclusive economic fishing zone encompassing Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands in 1984, but makes no public territorial claim to the offshore reefs; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions in the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants

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 18 December, 2008