BRUNEI

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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
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
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia
Geographic coordinates: 4 30 N, 114 40 E
Area: total: 5,765 sq km land: 5,265 sq km water: 500 sq km

Size comparison: slightly smaller than Delaware
Land Boundaries: total: 381 km border countries: 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 highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, timber
Land use: arable land: 2.08% permanent crops: 0.87% other: 97.05% (2005)
Irrigated land: 10 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards: typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare
Current Environment Issues: seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia
International Environment Agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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People
Population: 408,786 (July 2012 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 25.5% (male 52,944/female 49,729) 15-64 years: 70.9% (male 141,121/female 143,977) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 6,881/female 7,238) (2011 est.)
Median age: total: 28.7 years male: 28.5 years female: 28.9 years (2012 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.691% (2012 est.)
Birth rate: 17.74 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
Death rate: 3.39 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 11.15 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.31 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.37 years male: 74.09 years female: 78.75 years (2012 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.85 children born/woman (2012 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality: noun: Bruneian(s) adjective: Bruneian
Ethnic groups: Malay 66.3%, Chinese 11.2%, indigenous 3.4%, other 19.1% (2004 est.)
Religions: Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, other (includes indigenous beliefs) 10%
Languages: Malay (official), English, Chinese
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 92.7% male: 95.2% female: 90.2% (2001 census)
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Government
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 (locally known as Malay Islamic Monarchy)
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: mixed legal system based on English common law and Islamic law
Suffrage: 18 years of age for village elections; universal
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) 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 (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary
Legislative branch: the Sultan appointed a Legislative Council with 29 members in September 2005; he increased the size of the council to 33 members in June 2011; the council meets annually in March 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; no timeframe for an election was announced
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 in 2007; parties are small and have limited activity
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, C, CP, EAS, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Yusoff Abd HAMID chancery: 3520 International Court NW #300, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 237-1838 FAX: [1] (202) 885-0560
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel L. SHIELDS III embassy: Simpang 336-52-16-9, Jalan Kebangsaan, Bandar Seri Begawan, BC4115 mailing address: Unit 4280, Box 40, FPO AP 96507; P.O. Box 2991, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8675, Negara Brunei Darussalam telephone: [673] 238-4616 FAX: [673] 238-4604
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Economy
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. A new monetary authority was established in January 2011 with responsibilities that include monetary policy, monitoring of financial institutions, and currency trading activities.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (purchasing power parity): $21.24 billion (2011 est.) $20.84 billion (2010 est.) $20.31 billion (2009 est.) note: data are in 2011 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate): GDP (official exchange rate): $15.53 billion (2011 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.9% (2011 est.) 2.6% (2010 est.) -1.8% (2009 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): GDP - per capita (PPP): $50,000 (2011 est.) $50,300 (2010 est.) $50,000 (2009 est.) note: data are in 2011 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.8% industry: 66.7% services: 32.5% (2011 est.)
Labor force: 198,800 (2010 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 4.2% industry: 62.8% services: 33% (2008 est.)
Unemployment rate: 2.7% (2010) 3.7% (2008)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2% (2011 est.) 0.4% (2010 est.)
Budget: revenues: $5.485 billion expenditures: $5.803 billion (2011 est.)
Agriculture - products: rice, vegetables, fruits; chickens, water buffalo, cattle, goats, eggs
Industries: petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction
Industrial production growth rate: -5.4% (2008 est.)
Electricity - production: 3.218 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - consumption: 3.054 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)
Oil - production: 159,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Oil - consumption: 17,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Oil - exports: 153,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Oil - imports: 138 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Oil - proved reserves: 1.1 billion bbl (1 January 2011 est.)
Natural gas - production: 11.5 billion cu m (2009 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 2.69 billion cu m (2009 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 8.81 billion cu m (2009 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2009 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 390.8 billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.)
Current account balance: $3.977 billion (2009 est.) $3.977 billion (2009 est.)
Exports: $10.67 billion (2008) $8.25 billion (2007)
Exports - commodities: crude oil, natural gas, garments
Exports - partners: Japan 45.6%, South Korea 16.5%, Australia 11.8%, Indonesia 8.4%, India 4.8%, China 4.6% (2011)
Imports: $2.61 billion (2008 est.) $2.055 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals
Imports - partners: Singapore 33.2%, China 15.5%, South Korea 12.2%, Malaysia 10.7%, Germany 9.6% (2011)
Debt - external: $0 (2005)
Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA
Exchange rates: Bruneian dollars (BND) per US dollar - 1.24 (2011) 1.36 (2010 est.) 1.45 (2009)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
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Communications
Telephones in use: 79,900 (2009) country comparison to the world: 152
Cellular Phones in use: 435,100 (2009)
Telephone system: general assessment: service throughout the country is good; 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) (2009)
Radio broadcast stations:
Television broadcast stations:
Internet country code: .bn
Internet hosts: 49,403 (2010)
Internet users: 314,900 (2009)
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Transportation
Airports: 1 (2012) country comparison to the world: 213
Airports (paved runways): total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2012)
Heliports: 3 (2012)
Pipelines: condensate 33 km; gas 37 km; oil 18 km (2010)
Roadways: total: 2,971 km paved: 2,411 km unpaved: 560 km (2008)
Waterways: 209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m; the Belait, Brunei, and Tutong rivers are major transport links) (2012)
Merchant marine: total: 9 by type: chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 8 foreign-owned: 2 (UK 2) (2010)
Ports and terminals: Lumut, Muara, Seria
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Military
Military branches: Royal Brunei Armed Forces: Royal Brunei Land Forces, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei) (2012)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (est.) for voluntary military service; non-Malays are ineligible to serve; recruits from the army, navy, and air force all undergo 43-week initial training (2012)
Manpower available for military service: males age 16-49: 112,688 females age 16-49: 117,536 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 16-49: 95,141 females age 16-49: 99,386 (2010 est.)
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