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| Introduction | Brunei |
| 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 the developing world. |
| People | Brunei |
| Population: | 365,251 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 29.1% (male 54,243; female 52,013) 15-64 years: 68% (male 131,682; female 116,631) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 5,035; female 5,647) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 26.7 years male: 27.3 years female: 26 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 1.95% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 19.33 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 3.4 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 3.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 13.05 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 16.51 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 74.54 years male: 72.13 years female: 77.09 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 2.33 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | less than 0.1% (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | less than 200 (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | less than 200 (2003 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Bruneian(s) adjective: Bruneian |
| Ethnic groups: | Malay 67%, Chinese 15%, indigenous 6%, other 12% |
| Religions: | Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs and other 10% |
| Languages: | Malay (official), English, Chinese |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.9% male: 96.3% female: 91.4% (2002) |
| Government | Brunei |
| 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); 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 |
| 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: | 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 elections: last held in March 1962; next elections expected by end of 2005 |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court (chief justice and judges are sworn in by the monarch for three-year terms) |
| Political parties and leaders: | 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) |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| International organization participation: | APEC, ARF, ASEAN, C, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Penigran Anak Dato PUTEH telephone: [1] (202) 237-1838 FAX: [1] (202) 885-0560 chancery: 3520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Gene B. CHRISTY embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan mailing address: PSC 470 (BSB), FPO AP 96507 telephone: [673] (2) 229670 FAX: [673] (2) 225293 |
| 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 |
| Communications | Brunei |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 90,000 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 137,000 (2002) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: service throughout the country is excellent; international service is good to East Asia, Europe, and the US domestic: every service available international: country code - 673; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); digital submarine cable links to Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore (2001) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 3, FM 10, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios: | 329,000 (1998) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 2 (1997) |
| Televisions: | 201,900 (1998) |
| Internet country code: | .bn |
| Internet hosts: | 6,409 (2003) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 2 (2000) |
| Internet users: | 35,000 (2002) |
| Transportation | Brunei |
| Highways: | total: 2,525 km paved: 2,525 km unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
| Waterways: | 209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m) (2004) |
| Pipelines: | gas 665 km; oil 439 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: | Bandar Seri Begawan, Kuala Belait, Muara, Seria, Tutong |
| Merchant marine: | total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 465,937 GRT/413,393 DWT by type: liquefied gas 8 foreign-owned: United Kingdom 8 (2003 est.) |
| Airports: | 2 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Heliports: | 3 (2003 est.) |
| Military | Brunei |
| Military branches: | Royal Brunei Land Forces, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 18 years of age (est.) (2004) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 112,630 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: approx. 60,000 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 3,425 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $339.5 million (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 5.9% (2003) |
| Transnational Issues | Brunei |
| Disputes - international: | in 2003 Brunei and Malaysia ceased gas and oil exploration in their offshore and deepwater seabeds until negotiations progress to an agreement over allocation of disputed areas; Malaysia's land boundary with Brunei around Limbang is in dispute; Brunei established an exclusive economic fishing zone encompassing Louisa Reef in 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 |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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