World Facts

conventional long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam
Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan
Type of Government: constitutional sultanate-
Administrative Divisions: 4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong
Age Structure: 0-14 years: 28.6% (male 54,342/female 52,084)
Agriculture: rice, vegetables, fruits, chickens, water buffalo
Airports: 2 (2004 est.)
With Paved Runways: total: 1
With Unpaved Runways:
Area: total: 5,770 sq km. slightly smaller than Delaware
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 the developing world.
Birth rate: 19.01 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget: revenues: $4.9 billion
Coastline: 161 km-
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy
Communications:
Constitution: 29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984)
Currency: Bruneian dollar (BND)-
Current account balance:
Death rate: 3.42 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external: $0
Dependency status: -
Dependent areas:
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Emil SKODON
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Pengiran Anak Dato PUTEH
Disputes - international: in 2003 Brunei and Malaysia ceased gas and oil exploration in their disputed offshore and deepwater seabeds and negotiations have stalemated prompting consideration of international legal adjudication; Malaysia's land boundary with Brunei around Limbang is in dispute; 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; 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-
Distribution of family income: -
Economic aid - donor:
Economic aid - recipient: NA $4.3 million (1995)
Economy - overview: This small, well-to-do economy encompasses 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 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, 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:
Electricity - exports:
Electricity - imports:
Electricity - production:
Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
Environment - current issues: seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia
Environment - International Agreements: party to: Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
Ethnic groups: Malay 67%, Chinese 15%, indigenous 6%, other 12%
Exchange rates: Bruneian dollars per US dollar - NA (2005), 1.6902 (2004), 1.7422 (2003), 1.7906 (2002), 1.7917 (2001)
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
Exports: $4.514 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - partners: Japan 38.1%, South Korea 14%, Australia 11.2%, US 8.6%, Thailand 7.9%, Indonesia 5.9%, China 4.5% (2004)
Fiscal year: calendar year
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
GDP (official exchange rate): NA
GDP (purchasing power parity): $6.842 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $23,600 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.2% (2003 est.)
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 of Malaysia-
Government - note:
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: less than 200 (2003 est.)-
Heliports:
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA
Illicit drugs: drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled substances are serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death penalty
Imports: $1.641 billion c.i.f. (2004 est.)
Imports - partners: Singapore 32.7%, Malaysia 21.2%, UK 8.3%, Japan 7.2% (2004)
Independence: 1 January 1984 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate: 5% (2002 est.)
Industries: petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction
Infant mortality rate: total: 12.61 deaths/1,000 live births
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.3% (2003 est.)
International organization participation: APEC, APT, ARF, ASEAN, C, EAS, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Internet country code: .bn
Internet hosts: 6,409 (2003)
Internet users: 35,000 (2002)-
Investment (gross fixed):
Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (chief justice and judges are sworn in by the monarch for three-year terms)
Labor force: 158,000
Labor force - by occupation:
Land boundaries: total: 381 km
Land use: arable land: 0.57%
Languages: Malay (official), English, Chinese
Legal system: based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Shari'a law supersedes civil law in a number of areas
Legislative branch:
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.8 years
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia-
Major infectious diseases:
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 103,885 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: approx. 85,045 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males: 3,478 (2005 est.)
Map references: Southeast Asia
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
Median age: total: 27.04 years
Merchant marine: total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 465,937 GRT/413,393 DWT-
Military - note:
Military branches: Royal Brunei Armed Forces: Royal Brunei Land Forces, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $290.7 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 5.1% (2004)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (est.) (2004)
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
Nationality: noun: Bruneian(s)-
Natural gas - consumption: -
Natural gas - exports: -
Natural gas - imports:
Natural gas - production:
Natural gas - proved reserves: 315 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Natural hazards: typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, timber
Net migration rate: 3.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: 12,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: 199,000 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - imports: NA (2003)
Oil - production: 196,400 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - proved reserves: 1.255 billion bbl (1 January 2002)-
People - note: -
Political parties and leaders: National Development Party (NDP) [YASSIN Affendi]; National Unity Party of Brunei (PPKB) [Haji Mohd HATTA bin Haji Zainal Abidin]; People's Awareness Party (PAKAR) [Awang Haji MAIDIN bin Haji Ahmad]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
Population: 372,361 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA
Population growth rate: 1.9% (2005 est.)
Ports and terminals: Lumut, Muara, Seria-
Public debt:
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 10, shortwave 0 (1998)-
Railways: -
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
Religions: Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs and other 10%-
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Roadways: total: 1,150 km
Sex ratio:
Suffrage: none
Telephone system: general assessment: service throughout the country is excellent; international service is good to East Asia, Europe, and the US
Telephones - main lines in use: 90,000 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 137,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997)
Terrain: flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west
Total fertility rate: 2.3 children born/woman (2005 est.)-
Transportation - note:
Unemployment rate: 3.2% (2002 est.)-
Waterways: