Population:
284,653 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.7% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
26.18 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
5.04 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
5.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
25.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
71.1 years
male:
69.46 years
female:
72.78 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.43 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Bruneian(s)
adjective:
Bruneian
Ethnic divisions:
Malay 64%, Chinese 20%, other 16%
Religions:
Muslim (official) 63%, Buddhism 14%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs
and other 15% (1981)
Languages:
Malay (official), English, Chinese
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1981)
total population:
77%
male:
85%
female:
69%
Labor force:
89,000 (includes members of the Army)
by occupation:
government 47.5%, production of oil, natural gas, services, and
construction 41.9%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3.8% (1986)
note:
33% of labor force is foreign (1988)
@Brunei, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Negara Brunei Darussalam
conventional short form:
Brunei
Digraph:
BX
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
Political parties and leaders:
Brunei United National Party (inactive), Anak HASANUDDIN, chairman;
Brunei National Democratic Party (the first legal political party and
now banned), leader NA
Member of:
APEC, ASEAN, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, ICAO, IDB, IMO, INTELSAT
(nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM,
OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, UNTAC, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador JAYA bin Abdul Latif
chancery:
2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20037
telephone:
(202) 342-0159
FAX:
(202) 342-0158
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Theresa A. TULL
embassy:
Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan
mailing address:
American Embassy Box B, APO AP 96440
telephone:
[673] (2) 229-670
FAX:
[673] (2) 225-293
Flag:
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
@Brunei, 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 50%
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.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $2.5 billion (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate:
1% (1991)
National product per capita:
$9,000 (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
3.7% (1989)
Budget:
revenues:
$1.3 billion
expenditures:
$1.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $255 million (1989
est.)
Exports:
$2.3 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
crude oil, liquefied natural gas, petroleum products
partners:
Japan 53%, UK 12%, South Korea 9%, Thailand 7%, Singapore 5% (1990)
Imports:
$2 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals
partners:
Singapore 35%, UK 26%, Switzerland 9%, US 9%, Japan 5% (1990)
External debt:
$0
Industrial production:
growth rate 12.9% (1987); accounts for 52.4% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
310,000 kW
production:
890 million kWh
consumption per capita:
3,300 kWh (1990)
Industries:
petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction
Agriculture:
imports about 80% of its food needs; principal crops and livestock
include rice, cassava, bananas, buffaloes, and pigs
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $20.6 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $153
million
Currency:
1 Bruneian dollar (B$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Bruneian dollars (B$) per US$1 - 1.6032 (January 1994), 1.6158 (1993),
1.6290 (1992), 1.7276 (1991), 1.8125 (1990), 1.9503 (1989); note - the
Bruneian dollar is at par with the Singapore dollar
Fiscal year:
calendar year
@Brunei, Communications
Railroads:
13 km 0.610-meter narrow-gauge private line
Highways:
total:
1,090 km
paved:
bituminous 370 km (with another 52 km under construction)
unpaved:
gravel or earth 720 km
Inland waterways:
209 km; navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 meters
Pipelines:
crude oil 135 km; petroleum products 418 km; natural gas 920 km
Ports:
Kuala Belait, Muara
Merchant marine:
7 liquefied gas carriers (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 348,476
GRT/340,635 DWT
Airports:
total:
2
usable:
2
with permanent-surface runways:
1
with runway over 3,659 m:
1
with runway 2,440-3,659 m:
0
with runway 1,220-2,439 m:
1
Telecommunications:
service throughout country is adequate for present needs;
international service good to adjacent Malaysia; radiobroadcast
coverage good; 33,000 telephones (1987); broadcast stations - 4 AM/FM,
1 TV; 74,000 radio receivers (1987); satellite earth stations - 1
Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
@Brunei, Defense Forces
Branches:
Land Force, Navy, Air Force, Royal Brunei Police
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 79,486; fit for military service 46,258; reach
military age (18) annually 2,756 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $300 million, 9% of GDP (1990)
@Bulgaria, Geography