Background: The Sultanate of Brunei's influence peaked 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. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six centuries. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas fields the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in Asia.

Geographic coordinates: 4 30 N 114 40 E

Map reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Total: 5,765 km²
Rank: 172
Land: 5,265 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
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median line

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 1850 m

Natural resources: petroleum natural gas timber

Land use
Arable land: 2.08%
Permanent crops: 0.87%
Other: 97.05% (2005)

Irrigated land: 10 km² (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 8.5 km³ (1999)

Natural hazards: typhoons earthquakes and severe flooding are 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 within Malaysia

Population: 388,190 (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 175
Growth rate: 1.759% (2009 est.)
Growth rate rank: 76
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Bruneian
Adjective: Bruneian

Ethnic groups: Malay 66.3% Chinese 11.2% indigenous 3.4% other 19.1% (2004 est.)

Languages: Malay (official) English Chinese

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 26.6%
15-64 years: 70.1% (male 135,640/female 136,292)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 6,199/female 6,636) (2009 est.)

Median age
Total: 27.8 years
Male: 27.7 years
Female: 27.8 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.759% (2009 est.)
Rank: 76

Birth rate: 18.2 births/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 112

Death rate: 3.29 deaths/1000 population (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 216

Net migration rate: 2.69 migrant(s)/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 32

Urbanization
Urban population: 75% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 2.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 12.27 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 144
Male: 14.68 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 9.75 deaths/1000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.74 years
Rank: 74
Male: 73.52 years
Female: 78.07 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.91 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Rank: 142

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2003 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 142
People living with hivaids: fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 156
Deaths: fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
Deaths rank: 125

Education expenditures: 5.2% of GDP (2000)
Rank: 59

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 92.7%
Male: 95.2%
Female: 90.2% (2001 census)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 14 years
Male: 14 years
Female: 14 years (2006)

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

Government type: constitutional sultanate

Capital
Name: Bandar Seri Begawan
Geographic coordinates: 4 53 N 114 56 E
Time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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

Independence: 1 January 1984 (from the 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 Sharia law supersedes civil law in a number of areas; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age for village elections; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah ; 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)
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: The Sultan appointed a council with 29 members as of 2 September 2005; the council has met in March of each year since then
Elections: last held in March 1962 (date of next election NA)
Note: The Legislative Council met on 25 September 2004 for first time in 20 years with 21 members appointed by the Sultan; it passed constitutional amendments calling for a 45-seat council with 15 elected members

Judicial branch: Supreme Court - chief justice and judges are sworn in by monarch for three-year terms; Judicial Committee of Privy Council in London is final court of appeal for civil cases; Sharia courts deal with Islamic laws (2006)

Political parties and leaders: National Development Party or NDP [YASSIN Affendi]
Note: Brunei National Solidarity Party or PPKB [Abdul LATIF bin Chuchu] and People's Awareness Party or PAKAR [Awang Haji MAIDIN bin Haji Ahmad] were deregistered; parties are small and have limited activity

International organization participation: ADB APEC APT ARF ASEAN C EAS G-77 IBRD ICAO ICRM IDB IFRCS ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC ISO (correspondent) ITSO ITU NAM OIC OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires Angela SHIM
In the us chancery: 3,520 International Court NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 237-1838
In the us fax: [1] (202) 885-0560
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador William E. TODD
From the us embassy: Third Floor Teck Guan Plaza Jalan Sultan Bandar Seri Begawan BS8,811
From the us mailing address: PSC 470 (BSB) FPO AP 96,507; P.O. Box 2,991 Bandar Seri Begawan BS8,675 Negara Brunei Darussalam
From the us telephone: [673] 222-0384
From the us fax: [673] 222-5,293

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: Brunei has a small well-to-do economy that encompasses a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship government regulation welfare measures and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas production account for just over half of GDP and more than 90% of exports. Per capita GDP is among the highest in Asia and substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and free education through the university level and subsidizes rice and housing. Brunei's leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration into the world economy will undermine internal social cohesion. Plans for the future include upgrading the labor force reducing unemployment strengthening the banking and tourist sectors increasing agricultural production and in general further widening the economic base beyond oil and gas.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 123
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 211

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 9
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.7%
Industry: 75%
Services: 25% (2005 est.)

Agriculture products: rice vegetables fruits; chickens water buffalo cattle goats eggs

Industries: petroleum petroleum refining liquefied natural gas construction

Industrial production growth rate: 1.8% (2006 est.)
Rank: 109

Labor force: 188,800 (2008 est.)
Rank: 166
By occupation agriculture: 4.5%
By occupation industry: 63.1%
By occupation services: 32.4% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate: 4% (2006)
Rank: 44

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $6.889 billion
Expenditures: $4 billion (2008 est.)

Inflation rate consumer prices: 0.3% (2007 est.)
Rank: 5

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 5.5% (February 2009)
Rank: 139

Stock of domestic credit: $2.38 billion (31 December 2007)
Rank: 104

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: $7.101 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 27

Exports: $6.767 billion (2006)
Rank: 93
Commodities: crude oil natural gas garments
Partners: Japan 40.8% Indonesia 21.6% South Korea 15.4% Australia 10% (2008)

Imports: $2 billion (2006 est.)
Rank: 148
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment manufactured goods food chemicals
Partners: Singapore 36.5% Malaysia 19% Japan 7.7% China 5.5% Thailand 5% US 4.7% UK 4.7% (2008)

Debt external: $0 (2005)
Rank: 202

Exchange rates: Bruneian dollars (BND) per US dollar - NA (2007) 1.5886 (2006) 1.6644 (2005) 1.6902 (2004) 1.7422 (2003)

Electricity
Production: 3.091 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 124
Consumption: 2.926 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 128
Exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 13.4 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 36
Consumption: 4.2 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 65
Exports: 9.2 billion m³ (2008)
Exports rank: 22
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 199
Proven reserves: 390.8 billion m³ (1 January 2009 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 34

Telephones
Main lines in use: 76,600 (2008)
Main lines in use rank: 151
Mobile cellular: 376,000 (2008)
Mobile cellular rank: 162

Telephone system
General assessment: service throughout the country is excellent; international service is good to Southeast Asia Middle East Western Europe and the US
Domestic: every service available
International: country code - 673; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Asia the Middle East and Europe; the Asia-America Gateway submarine cable network scheduled for completion by late 2008 will provide new links to Asia and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) (2007)

Internet
Country code: .bn
Hosts: 14,978 (2009)
Hosts rank: 108
Users: 217,000 (2008)
Users rank: 133

Military expenditures: 4.5% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 24

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (est.) for voluntary military service; non-Malays are ineligible to serve (2007)

Airports: 2 (2009)
Rank: 210
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2009)

Heliports: 3 (2009)

Pipelines: gas 37 km; oil 18 km (2008)

Roadways
Total: 3,650 km
Rank: 159
Paved: 2,819 km
Unpaved: 831 km (2005)

Waterways: 209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m) (2008)
Rank: 97

Merchant marine
Total: 8
Rank: 119
By type: liquefied gas 8
Foreign owned: 1 (UK 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals: Lumut Muara Seria

Disputes international: Brunei and Malaysia agreed in September 2008 to resolve their offshore and deepwater seabed dispute resume hydrocarbon exploration and renounce any territorial claims on land; Brunei established an exclusive economic fishing zone encompassing Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands in 1984 but makes no public territorial claim to the offshore reefs; the 2002 'Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea' has eased tensions in the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally binding 'code of conduct' desired by several of the disputants

Illicit drugs: drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled substances are serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death penalty