Map of Brunei | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | 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: Southeastern Asia bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia

Geographic coordinates: 4 30 N 114 40 E

Map reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Comparative: slightly smaller than Delaware

Land boundaries

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: petroleum natural gas timber

Land use

Irrigated land: 10 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: typhoons earthquakes and severe flooding are very rare

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: 336,376 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 2.17% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Malay 62% Chinese 15% indigenous 6% other 17%

Languages: Malay (official) English Chinese

Religions: Muslim (official) 67% Buddhist 13% Christian 10% indigenous beliefs and other 10%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.17% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 20.81 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 3.39 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 4.25 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 14.84 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 2.47 children born/woman (2000 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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

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 English common law; for Muslims Islamic Shari'a law supersedes civil law in a number of areas

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: none

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council or Majlis Masyuarat Megeri (a privy council that serves only in a consultative capacity; NA seats; members appointed by the monarch)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court chief justice and judges are sworn in by the monarch for three-year terms

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)

International organization participation: APEC ASEAN C CCC ESCAP G-77 IBRD ICAO ICRM IDB IFRCS IMF IMO Inmarsat Intelsat Interpol IOC ISO (correspondent) ITU NAM OIC OPCW UN UNCTAD UPU WHO WIPO WMO WTrO

Diplomatic representation

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: This small wealthy 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 over 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 food and housing. The government has shown progress in its basic policy of diversifying the economy away from oil and gas. Brunei's leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in the world economy will undermine internal social cohesion although it has taken steps to become a more prominent player by serving as chairman for the 2000 APEC (Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum. Growth in 1999 is estimated at 2.5% due to higher oil prices in the second half.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2.5% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $17,400 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: rice cassava (tapioca) bananas; water buffalo

Industries: petroleum petroleum refining liquefied natural gas construction

Industrial production growth rate: 4% (1997 est.)

Labor force: 144,000 (1995 est.); note - includes foreign workers and military personnel
By occupation: government 48% production of oil natural gas services and construction 42% agriculture forestry and fishing 10% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 4.9% (1995 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1% (1999 est.)

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: $2.04 billion (f.o.b. 1998 est.)
Commodities: crude oil liquefied natural gas petroleum products
Partners: Japan 51% UK 14% US 10% Singapore 8% Thailand 3% (1998)

Imports: $1.38 billion (c.i.f. 1998 est.)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment manufactured goods food chemicals
Partners: Singapore 32% UK 17% Malaysia 12% France 12% US 5% (1998)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $0

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Bruneian dollars (B$) per US$1 - 1.6733 (January 2000) 1.6950 (1999) 1.6736 (1998) 1.4848 (1997) 1.4100 (1996) 1.4174 (1995); note - the Bruneian dollar is at par with the Singapore dollar


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Electricity
Production: 2.56 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 2.381 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 68,000 (1995)
Mobile cellular: 57,000 (1998)

Telephone system: service throughout country is excellent; international service good to Europe US and East Asia

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: 1 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $343 million (FY98)
Percent of gdp: 5.1% (FY98)

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 (1999 est.)

Heliports: 3 (1999 est.)

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 m

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: possibly involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China Malaysia Philippines Taiwan and Vietnam; in 1984 Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands but has not publicly claimed the island

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs