Brunei Population: 415,717
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| 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. |
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| Geography | |
| 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: | 415,717 (July 2013 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 24.6% (male 52,761/female 49,538) 15-24 years: 17.5% (male 35,879/female 36,767) 25-54 years: 46.8% (male 94,827/female 99,779) 55-64 years: 7.3% (male 15,594/female 14,642) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 7,767/female 8,163) (2013 est.) population pyramid: |
| 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: | 1.83 children born/woman (2013 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 (Yang Di-Pertuan) 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, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, 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 Dato 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 depends on revenue from natural resource extraction but encompasses a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures, and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas production account for 60% 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. For Bruneian citizens the government provides for all medical services and free education through the university level. The government of Brunei has been emphasizing through policy and resource investments it strong desire to diversity its economy both within the oil and gas sector and to new sectors. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $21.94 billion (2012 est.) $21.38 billion (2011 est.) $20.91 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $16.85 billion (2012 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 2.7% (2012 est.) 2.2% (2011 est.) 2.6% (2010 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $50,500 (2012 est.) $50,300 (2011 est.) $50,500 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 0.6% industry: 71.7% services: 27.7% (2011 est.) |
| Labor force: | 205,800 (2011 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 4.2% industry: 62.8% services: 33% (2008 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 2.6% (2011) 2.7% (2010) |
| 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): 1.2% (2012 est.) 2% (2011 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $8 billion expenditures: $3.98 billion (2012 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | rice, vegetables, fruits; chickens, water buffalo, cattle, goats, eggs |
| Industries: | petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction, agriculture, transportation |
| Industrial production growth rate: | -5.4% (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - production: | 3.723 billion kWh (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 126 |
| Electricity - consumption: | 3.391 billion kWh (2011 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 11.8 billion cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 2.97 billion cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 8.83 billion cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 390.8 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.) |
| Current account balance: | $3.977 billion (2009 est.) $3.977 billion (2009 est.) |
| Exports: | $12.75 billion (2011) $9.88 billion (2010) |
| Exports - commodities: | crude oil, natural gas, garments |
| Exports - partners: | Japan 45.2%, South Korea 15.9%, Australia 11.4%, Indonesia 8.1%, India 5.7%, China 4.4% (2011) |
| Imports: | $3.02 billion (2011 est.) $2.73 billion (2010 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | iron and steel, motor vehicles, machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals |
| Imports - partners: | Singapore 27.4%, India 15.4%, China 12.8%, South Korea 10.1%, Malaysia 9.4%, Germany 7.9% (2011) |
| Debt - external: | $0 (2005) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $NA |
| Exchange rates: | Bruneian dollars (BND) per US dollar - 1.25 (2012 est.) 1.2579 (2011 est.) 1.3635 (2010 est.) 1.45 (2009) |
| Fiscal year: | 1 April - 31 March |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | 79,800 (2011) country comparison to the world: 151 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 443,200 (2011) |
| 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 provides new links to Asia and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) (2011) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .bn |
| Internet hosts: | 49,457 (2012) |
| 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: 3,029 km paved: 2,425 km unpaved: 604 km (2010) |
| 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) (2013) |
| 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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