Map of Brunei | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | 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: Southeast Asia, on the northern coast of Borneo almost completely surrounded by Malaysia

Geographic coordinates

Map reference:

Area
Total: 5,770 km²
Land: 5,270 km²

Land boundaries: total 381 km, Malysia 381 km

Coastline: 161 km
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Maritime claims

Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy

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

Elevation

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, timber

Land use
Permanent crops: 1%
Meadows and pastures: 1%
Forest and woodland: 79%
Other: 18%

Irrigated land: 10 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 276,984 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 2.77% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Bruneian(s)
Adjective: Bruneian

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

Languages: Malay (official), English, Chinese

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

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.77% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 26.55 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 5.02 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: 6.15 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 25.7 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.94 years
Male: 69.27 years
Female: 72.65 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.45 children born/woman (1993 est.)

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: age 15 and over can read and write (1981)
Total population: 77%
Male: 85%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam
Conventional short form: Brunei

Government type: constitutional sultanate

Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 January 1984 (from UK)

National holiday: 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: sultan, prime minister, Council of Cabinet Ministers

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (Majlis Masyuarat Megeri)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: APEC, ASEAN, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, ICAO, IDB, IMO, INTERPOL,

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed KASSIM bin Haji Mohamed Daud
In the us chancery: 2,600 Virginia Avenue NW, Suite 3,000, Washington, DC 20,037
In the us telephone: (202) 342-0159
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Donald Burnham ENSENAT
From the us embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan
From the us mailing address: American Embassy Box B, APO AP 96,440
From the us telephone: 673 (2) 229-670
From the us fax: 673 (2) 225-293

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 50% of GDP. Per capita GDP of $8,800 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: 1% (1990 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

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, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 12.9% (1987; accounts for 52.4% of GDP

Labor force: 89,000 (includes members of the Army)
By occupation government: 47.5%
By occupation production of oil natural gas services and construction: 41.9%
By occupation agriculture forestry and fishing: 3.8% (1986)
Note: 33% of labor force is foreign (1988)

Unemployment rate: 3.7% (1989)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $1.3 billion; expenditures $1.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $255 million (1989 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

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: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
Commodoties: crude oil, liquefied natural gas, petroleum products
Partners: Japan 53%, UK 12%, South Korea 9%, Thailand 7%, Singapore 5% (1990)

Imports: $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.)
Partners: Singapore 35%, UK 26%, Switzerland 9%, US 9%, Japan 5% (1990)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Bruneian dollars (B$) per US$1 - 1.6531 (January 1993), 1.6290 (1992), 1.7276 (1991), 1.8125 (1990), 1.9503 (1989), 2.0124 (1988; note - the Bruneian dollar is at par with the Singapore dollar


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 310,000 kW capacity; 890 million kWh produced, 3,300 kWh per capita (1990)

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $300 million, 9% of GDP (1990)

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
Usable: 2
With permanentsurface runways: 1 with runway over 3,659 m: 1 with runway 2,440-3,659 m: 0 with runway 1,220-2,439 m: 1

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 135 km; petroleum 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:

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs