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.

Map reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Total area total: 5,770 km²
Land: 5,270 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Delaware

Land boundaries: total 381 km, Malysia 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

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, timber

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

Irrigated land: 10 km² (1989 est.)

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

Population: 292,266 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 2.63% (1995 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)

Age structure
0-14 years: 34% (female 48,458; male 50,624)
15-64 years: 62% (female 85,581; male 95,955)
65 years and over: 4% (female 5,172; male 6,476) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.63% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 25.83 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 5.07 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 5.49 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Environment
Current issues: NA
Current issues natural hazards: typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are very rare
Current issues international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

Infant mortality rate: 24.7 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.24 years
Male: 69.65 years
Female: 72.91 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.41 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1991)
Total population: 88%
Male: 92%
Female: 82%

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

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

Suffrage: none

Executive branch
Chief of state and head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji HASSANAL Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah (since 5 October 1967)
Cabinet: Council of Cabinet Ministers; composed chiefly of members of the royal family

Legislative branch: unicameral
Legislative Council Majlis Masyuarat Megeri: elections last held in March 1962; in 1970 the Council was changed to an appointive body by decree of the sultan; an elected legislative Council is being considered as part of constitution reform, but elections are unlikely for several years

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

International organization participation: APEC, ASEAN, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, ICAO, IDB, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Haji JAYA bin Abdul Latif
In the us chancery: Watergate, Suite 300, 3rd floor, 2,600 Virginia Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,037
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 342-0159
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 342-0158
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Theresa A. TULL
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

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 40% of GDP. Per capita GDP 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 growth rate: -4% (1993 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $16,000 (1993 est.)

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: 12.9% (1987; accounts for 41.6% of GDP (1990), includes mining, quarrying, and manufacturing

Labor force: 119,000 (1993 est.); note - includes members of the Army
By occupation government: 47.5%
By occupation productionofoil naturalgas services and construction: 41.9%
By occupation agriculture forestry and fishing: 3.8% (1986)
Note: 33% of labor force is foreign (1988)

Unemployment rate: 5% (1993 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $1.5 billion
Expenditures: $1.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $255 million (1990 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
Commodoties: crude oil, liquefied natural gas, petroleum products
Partners: Japan 52%, South Korea 10%, UK 9%, Thailand 7%, Singapore 6% (1991)

Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.)
Commodoties: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals
Partners: Singapore 34%, UK 23%, US 10%, Japan 8%, Malaysia 7%, Switzerland 4% (1991)

Debt external: $0

Exchange rates: Bruneian dollars (B$) per US$1 - 1.4524 (January 1995), 1.5274 (1994), 1.6158 (1993), 1.6290 (1992), 1.7276 (1991), 1.8125 (1990; note - the Bruneian dollar is at par with the Singapore dollar

Electricity
Capacity: 380,000 kW
Production: 1.2 billion kWh
Production consumption per capita: 3,971 kWh (1993)

Telephone system: 33,000 telephones (1987); service throughout country is adequate for present needs; international service good to adjacent Malaysia
Local: NA
Intercity: NA
International: INTELSAT (NA Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) earth stations

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $312 million, 6.2% of GDP (1994)

Airports: 5
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1

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

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

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

Disputes international: may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient that divides the country; all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa Reef, but has not publicly claimed the island