Map of Brunei | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

top of page


Background: The Sultanate of Brunei's heyday occurred 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. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas fields the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in the less developed countries. The same family has now ruled in Brunei for over six centuries.


top of page


Location: Southeastern Asia bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia

Geographic coordinates: 4 30 N 114 40 E

Map reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Total: 5,770 km²
Land: 5,270 km²
Water: 500 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Delaware

Land boundaries
Total: 381 km
Border countries: (1) Malaysia 381 km

Coastline: 161 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 NM or to median line
Territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: tropical; hot humid rainy

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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m

Natural resources: petroleum natural gas timber

Land use
Arable land: 1%
Permanent crops: 1%
Permanent pastures: 1%
Forests and woodland: 85%
Other: 12% (1993 est.)

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


top of page


Population: 343,653 (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: 2.11% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Bruneian
Adjective: Bruneian

Ethnic groups: Malay 67% Chinese 15% indigenous 6% other 12%

Languages: Malay (official) English Chinese

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 30.77% (male 53,977; female 51,772)
15-64 years: 66.52% (male 121,601; female 107,007)
65 years and over: 2.71% (male 4,449; female 4,847) (2001 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.11% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 20.45 births/1000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 3.38 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 4.07 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia
International agreements party to: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 1.14 male/female
65 years and over: 0.92 male/female
Total population: 1.1 male/female (2001 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 14.4 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.82 years
Male: 71.45 years
Female: 76.31 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.44 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: less than 100 (1999 est.)
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 88.2%
Male: 92.6%
Female: 83.4% (1995 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


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

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); note - 1 January 1984 was the date of independence from the UK 23 February 1984 was the date of independence from British protection

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
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); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government
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

Legislative branch
Elections: last held in March 1962
Note: in 1970 the Council was changed to an appointive body by decree of the monarch; an elected Legislative Council is being considered as part of constitutional reform, but elections are unlikely for several years

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 ARF 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
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Pengiran Anak Dato Haji PUTEH Ibni Mohammad Alam
In the us chancery: 3,520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 342-0159
In the us fax: [1] (202) 342-0158
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Sylvia Gaye STANFIELD
From the us embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan
From the us mailing address: PSC 470 (BSB), FPO AP 96,507
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


top of page


Economy overview: This small wealthy economy is a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship government regulation and welfare measures and village tradition. Exports of crude oil and natural gas account 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 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 a further widening of the economic base beyond oil and gas.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 3% (2000 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $17,600 (2000 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 5%
Industry: 46%
Services: 49% (1996 est.)

Agriculture products: rice vegetables fruits chickens water buffalo

Industries: petroleum petroleum refining liquefied natural gas construction

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

Labor force
Note: temporary residents make up 41% of labor force (1991)
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
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $2.5 billion
Expenditures: $2.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.35 billion (1997 est.)

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: $2.55 billion (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: crude oil natural gas refined products
Partners: Japan 42% US 17% South Korea 14% Thailand 3% (1999)

Imports: $1.3 billion (c.i.f. 1999 est.)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment manufactured goods food chemicals
Partners: Singapore 34% UK 15% Malaysia 15% US 5% (1999)

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 per US dollar - 1.7365 (January 2001) 1.7240 (2000) 1.6950 (1999) 1.6736 (1998) 1.4848 (1997) 1.4100 (1996); note - the Bruneian dollar is at par with the Singapore dollar


top of page


Electricity
Production: 2.445 billion kWh (1999)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1999)
Consumption: 2.274 billion kWh (1999)
Exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Imports: 0 kWh (1999)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Main lines in use: 79,000 (1996)
Mobile cellular: 43,524 (1996)

Telephone system
General assessment: service throughout country is excellent; international service good to Europe, US, and East Asia
Domestic: every service available
International: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); digital submarine cable links to Malaysia, Singapore, and Philippines (2001)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .bn
Service providers isps: 2 (2000)
Users: 28,000 (2001)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


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


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2000 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Heliports: 3 (2000 est.)

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

Railways
Total: 13 km (private line)
Narrow gauge: 13 km 0.610-m gauge

Roadways

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

Merchant marine
Total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 348,476 GRT/340,635 DWT
Ships by type: liquefied gas 7 (2000 est.)

Ports and terminals


top of page


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