|
Home
Missions
Ministries
Bible
Institute & School
Contact
Us
Careers,
Opportunities in Ministry
|
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. |
|
Location:
|
Southeastern
Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia |
|
Map references:
|
Southeast
Asia |
|
Area:
|
total:
5,770 sq km
water: 500 sq km
land: 5,270 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly smaller
than Delaware |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total: 381
km
border countries: Malaysia 381 km |
|
Coastline:
|
161 km |
|
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:
0.57%
permanent crops: 0.76%
other: 98.67% (1998 est.) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
10 sq km (1998
est.) |
|
Natural hazards:
|
typhoons,
earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
seasonal
smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia |
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to:
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
|
Geography - note:
|
close to vital
sea lanes through South China Sea linking Indian and Pacific
Oceans; two parts physically separated by Malaysia; almost an
enclave of Malaysia |
|
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.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
0.2% (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
less than 100
(2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
NA |
|
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: 91.8%
male: 94.8%
female: 88.5% (2003 est.) |
|
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:
|
Legislation falls
under the Prime Minister's Office; there is a privy council
that serves in a consultative capacity and other state
councils whose members are appointed by the Sultan.
elections: last held in March 1962 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
Economy - overview:
|
This small,
wealthy economy encompasses a mixture of foreign and domestic
entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures, and
village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas production
account for nearly half of GDP. Per capita GDP is far above
most other Third World countries, and substantial income from
overseas investment supplements income from domestic
production. The government provides for all medical services
and subsidizes rice and housing. Brunei's leaders are
concerned that steadily increased integration in the world
economy will undermine internal social cohesion, although it
became a more prominent player by serving as chairman for the
2000 APEC (Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum. 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. |
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power
parity - $6.5 billion (2002 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
3% (2002 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power
parity - $18,600 (2002 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture:
5%
industry: 45%
services: 50% (2001 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
NA% (1992 est.) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
-2% (2002 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
143,400
note: includes foreign workers and military personnel;
temporary residents make up about 40% of labor force (1999
est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
government 48%,
production of oil, natural gas, services, and construction
42%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 10% (1999 est.) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
10% (2001 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues:
$2.5 billion
expenditures: $2.6 billion, including capital
expenditures of $1.35 billion (1997 est.) |
|
Industries:
|
petroleum,
petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
5% (2002 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
2.497 billion kWh
(2001) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
2.322 billion kWh
(2001) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
0 kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
0 kWh (2001) |
|
Oil - production:
|
217,200 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
13,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - production:
|
10.35 billion cu
m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption:
|
1.35 billion cu m
(2001 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
rice, vegetables,
fruits, chickens, water buffalo |
|
Exports:
|
$3.439 billion
f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
crude oil,
natural gas, refined products |
|
Exports - partners:
|
Japan 40%, South
Korea 12.2%, Thailand 12%, Australia 9.1%, US 8.1%, China
6.4%, Singapore 5.6% (2002) |
|
Imports:
|
$1.63 billion
c.i.f. (2002 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
machinery and
transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals |
|
Imports - partners:
|
Singapore 30.7%,
Japan 21.5%, Malaysia 17.4%, UK 6.1% (2002) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$0 |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
$4.3 million
(1995) |
|
Currency:
|
Bruneian dollar (BND) |
|
Currency code:
|
BND |
|
Exchange rates:
|
Bruneian dollars
per US dollar - 1.74 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001), 1.72
(2000), 1.69 (1999) |
|
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) |
|
Television broadcast stations:
|
2 (1997) |
|
Internet country code:
|
.bn |
|
Internet hosts:
|
8,668 (2002) |
|
Internet users:
|
35,000 (2002) |
|
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 |
|
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 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
|
Heliports:
|
3 (2003 est.) |
|
Military branches:
|
Royal
Brunei Land Forces, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force |
|
Military manpower - military age:
|
18
years of age (2004 est.) |
|
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) |
|
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 11 May, 2004
|