Map of Brunei | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Although greatly reduced in size since its heyday of the 16th century the Sultanate of Brunei sits atop extensive petroleum and natural gas fields the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in the less developed countries.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries: 381 km with Malaysia

Coastline: 161 km

Maritime claims

Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy

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

Elevation

Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, timber

Land use: 1% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 79% forest and woodland; 18% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

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


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Population: 372,108 (July 1990), growth rate 7.1% (1990)

Nationality: noun--Bruneian(s; adjective--Bruneian

Ethnic groups: 64% Malay, 20% Chinese, 16% other

Languages: Malay (official), English, and Chinese

Religions: 60% Muslim (official; 8% Christian; 32% Buddhist and indigenous beliefs

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 23 births/1000 population (1990)

Death rate: 4 deaths/1000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 52 migrants/1000 population (1990)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 77 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born/woman (1990)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 45%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam

Government type: constitutional sultanate

Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan

Administrative divisions: 4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular--daerah; Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 January 1984 (from UK)

National holiday: National Day, 23 February (1984)

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

Legal system: based on Islamic law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: none

Executive branch: Chief of State and Head of Government--Sultan and Prime Minister Sir Muda HASSANAL BOLKIAH Muizzaddin Waddaulah (since 5 October 1967)

Legislative branch: Royal Brunei Armed Forces, including air wing, navy, and ground forces; British Gurkha Battalion; Royal Brunei Police; Gurkha Reserve Unit

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ASEAN, ESCAP (associate member), IMO, INTERPOL, OIC, UN

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Dato Paduka Haji MOHAMED SUNI bin Haji Idris; Chancery at 2,600 Virginia Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,037; telephone (202) 342-0159; US--Ambassador Christopher H. PHILLIPS; Embassy at Teck Guan Plaza (corner of Jalan McArthur), Bandar Seri Begawan (mailing address is P. O. Box 2,991, Bandar Seri Begawan; telephone p673o (2) 29,670

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy 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 70% of GDP. Per capita GDP of $9,600 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

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

Industries: petroleum, liquefied natural gas, construction

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 89,000 (includes members of the Army; 33% of labor force is foreign (1988; 50.4% production of oil, natural gas, and construction; 47.6% trade, services, and other; 2.0% agriculture, forestry, and fishing (1984)

Unemployment rate: 2.5%, shortage of skilled labor (1989 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $1.2 billion (1987; expenditures $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1989 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $2.07 billion (f.o.b., 1987)
Commodities: crude oil, liquefied natural gas, petroleum products
Partners: Japan 55% (1986)

Imports: $800 million (c.i.f., 1987)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; food, beverages, tobacco; consumer goods
Partners: Singapore 31%, US 20%, Japan 6% (1986)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: none

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Bruneian dollars (B$) per US$1--1.8895 (January 1990), 1.9503 (1989), 2.0124 (1988), 2.1060 (1987), 2.1774 (1986), 2.2002 (1985; note--the Bruneian dollar is at par with the Singapore dollar


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Electricity
Capacity: 310,000 kW capacity; 890 million kWh produced, 2,580 kWh per capita (1989)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: $197.6 million, 17% of central government budget (FY86)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runway over 3,659 m; 1 with runway 1,406 m

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil, 135 km; refined products, 418 km; natural gas, 920 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 209 km; navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 meters

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

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient that divides the country

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs