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.

Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia
4 30 N, 114 40 E
Southeast Asia
total: 5,770 sq km ; land: 5,270 sq km ; water: 500 sq km
slightly smaller than Delaware
total: 381 km ; border countries: Malaysia 381 km
161 km
territorial sea: 12 nm ; exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median line
tropical; hot, humid, rainy
flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m ; highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m
petroleum, natural gas, timber
arable land: 2.08% ; permanent crops: 0.87% ; other: 97.05% (2005)
10 sq km (2003)
8.5 cu km (1999)
Total: 0.09 ; Per capita: 243 cu m/yr (1994)
typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare
seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia
party to: Biodiversity, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution ; signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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
374,577 (July 2007 est.)
0-14 years: 27.8% (male 53,512/female 50,529) ; 15-64 years: 69% (male 130,134/female 128,488) ; 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 5,688/female 6,226) (2007 est.)
total: 27.2 years ; male: 27.3 years ; female: 27.1 years (2007 est.)
1.81% (2007 est.)
18.56 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
3.26 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
2.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female ; under 15 years: 1.059 male(s)/female ; 15-64 years: 1.013 male(s)/female ; 65 years and over: 0.914 male(s)/female ; total population: 1.022 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
total: 13.12 deaths/1,000 live births ; male: 15.72 deaths/1,000 live births ; female: 10.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total population: 75.3 years ; male: 73.12 years ; female: 77.59 years (2007 est.)
1.97 children born/woman (2007 est.)
less than 0.1% (2003 est.)
less than 200 (2003 est.)
less than 200 (2003 est.)
noun: Bruneian(s) ; adjective: Bruneian
Malay 67%, Chinese 15%, indigenous 6%, other 12%
Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, other (includes indigenous beliefs) 10%
Malay (official), English, Chinese
definition: age 15 and over can read and write ; total population: 92.7% ; male: 95.2% ; female: 90.2% (2001 census)


conventional long form: Brunei Darussalam ; conventional short form: Brunei ; local long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam ; local short form: Brunei
constitutional sultanate
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)
4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong

1 January 1984 (from UK)
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
29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984)
based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Shari'a law supersedes civil law in a number of areas; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
none
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 ; elections: none; the monarch is hereditary
Legislative Council met on 25 September 2004 for first time in 20 years with 21 members appointed by the Sultan; passed constitutional amendments calling for a 45-seat council with 15 elected members; Sultan dissolved council on 1 September 2005 and appointed a new council with 29 members as of 2 September 2005; council met in March 2006 and in March 2007 ; elections: last held in March 1962 (date of next election NA)
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; Shariah courts deal with Islamic laws (2006)
Brunei National Solidarity Party or PPKB [Abdul LATIF bin Chuchu]; National Development Party or NDP [YASSIN Affendi] ; note: People's Awareness Party or PAKAR [Awang Haji MAIDIN bin Haji Ahmad] was deregistered in 2007; parties are small and have limited activity
NA
APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, C, EAS, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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
chief of mission: Ambassador Pengiran Anak Dato PUTEH ; chancery: 3520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 ; telephone: [1] (202) 237-1838 ; FAX: [1] (202) 885-0560
chief of mission: Ambassador Emil SKODON ; embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan, BS8811 ; mailing address: PSC 470 (BSB), FPO AP 96507; P.O. Box 2991, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8675, Negara Brunei Darussalam ; telephone: [673] 222-0384 ; FAX: [673] 222-5293





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 in 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, and, in general, further widening the economic base beyond oil and gas.
$9.557 billion (2006 est.)
$9.531 billion (2005 est.)
0.4% (2005 est.)
$25,600 (2005 est.)
agriculture: 0.9% ; industry: 71.6% ; services: 27.5% (2005 est.)
180,400 (2006 est.)
agriculture: 2.9% ; industry: 61.1% ; services: 36% (2003 est.)
4% (2006)
NA%
lowest 10%: NA% ; highest 10%: NA%

1.1% (2005)

revenues: $3.765 billion ; expenditures: $4.815 billion (2004 est.)

rice, vegetables, fruits; chickens, water buffalo, cattle, goats, eggs
petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction
1.8% (2005 est.)
2.735 billion kWh (2005)
fossil fuel: 100% ; hydro: 0% ; nuclear: 0% ; other: 0% (2001)
2.625 billion kWh (2005 est.)
0 kWh (2005)
0 kWh (2005)
219,300 bbl/day (2006)
14,900 bbl/day (2006 est.)
205,600 bbl/day (2006)
660.1 bbl/day (2004)
1.35 billion bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
11.03 billion cu m (2005 est.)
2.254 billion cu m (2005 est.)
8.776 billion cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005)
374.8 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

$6.767 billion f.o.b. (2006)
crude oil, natural gas, refined products, clothing
Japan 30.5%, Indonesia 19.9%, South Korea 14.9%, Australia 11.5%, US 7.7% (2006)
$2 billion c.i.f. (2006)
Singapore 31.6%, Malaysia 19%, UK 8.1%, Japan 5.6%, China 5.5%, Thailand 4.6% (2006)


$0 (2005)


$NA
Bruneian dollar (BND)
BND
Bruneian dollars per US dollar - NA (2007), 1.5886 (2006), 1.6644 (2005), 1.6902 (2004), 1.7422 (2003)
1 April - 31 March
$770,000 (2004)
80,200 (2006)
254,000 (2006)
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)
AM 1, FM 2 (transmitting on 18 different frequencies), shortwave 0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) station transmits two FM signals with English and Nepali service) (2006)
329,000 (1998)
4 (includes 2 UHF stations broadcasting a subscription service) (2006)
201,900 (1998)
.bn
15,347 (2007)
2 (2000)
165,600 (2006)

2 (2007)
total: 1 ; over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
total: 1 ; 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
3 (2007)
gas 672 km; oil 463 km (2006)

total: 3,650 km ; paved: 2,819 km ; unpaved: 831 km (2005)
209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m) (2007)
total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 465,937 GRT/413,393 DWT ; by type: liquefied gas 8 ; foreign-owned: 8 (UK 8) (2007)
Lumut, Muara, Seria

Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF): Royal Brunei Land Forces, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei) (2005)
18 years of age (est.) for voluntary military service; non-Malays are ineligible to serve (2007)
males age 18-49: 103,885 ; females age 18-49: 93,024 (2005 est.)
males age 18-49: 85,045 ; females age 18-49: 77,436 (2005 est.)
males age 18-49: 3,478 ; females age 18-49: 3,342 (2005 est.)
4.5% (2006)

Brunei and Malaysia are still considering international adjudication over their disputed offshore and deepwater seabeds, where hydrocarbon exploration was terminated in 2003 international legal adjudication; Malaysia's land boundary with Brunei around Limbang is in dispute; 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

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

