*Brunei, Geography

Location:
  Southeast Asia, on the northern coast of Borneo almost completely surrounded
  by Malaysia
Map references:
  Asia, Oceania, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  5,770 km2  land area:
  5,270 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly larger than Delaware
Land boundaries:
  total 381 km, Malysia 381 km
Coastline:
  161 km
Maritime claims:
 exclusive fishing zone:
  200 nm
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient that divides the country; all of
  the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them
  are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an
  exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa Reef, but has not publicly
  claimed the island
Climate:
  tropical; hot, humid, rainy
Terrain:
  flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west
Natural resources:
  petroleum, natural gas, timber
Land use:
 arable land:
  1%
 permanent crops:
  1%
 meadows and pastures:
  1%
 forest and woodland:
  79%
 other:
  18%
Irrigated land:
  10 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare
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

*Brunei, People

Population:
  276,984 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  2.77% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  26.55 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:   5.02 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  6.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  25.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  70.94 years
 male:
  69.27 years
 female:
  72.65 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  3.45 children born/woman (1993 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)
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
National holiday:
  23 February (1984)
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
Suffrage:
  none
Elections:
 Legislative Council:
  last held in March 1962; in 1970 the Council was changed to an appointive
  body by decree of the sultan and no elections are planned
Executive branch:
  sultan, prime minister, Council of Cabinet Ministers
Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislative Council (Majlis Masyuarat Megeri)
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
Leaders:
 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)
Member of:
  APEC, ASEAN, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, ICAO, IDB, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO
  (correspondent), ITU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Mohamed KASSIM bin Haji Mohamed Daud
 chancery:
  2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Suite 3000, Washington, DC 20037
 telephone:
  (202) 342-0159
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Donald Burnham ENSENAT
 embassy:
  Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan

*Brunei, Government

 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 of $8,800 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 - $3.5 billion (1990 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  1% (1990 est.)
National product per capita:
  $8,800 (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  1.3% (1989)
Unemployment rate:
  3.7% (1989)
Budget:
  revenues $1.3 billion; expenditures $1.5 billion, including capital
  expenditures of $255 million (1989 est.)
Exports:
  $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
 commodities:
  crude oil, liquefied natural gas, petroleum products
 partners:
  Japan 53%, UK 12%, South Korea 9%, Thailand 7%, Singapore 5% (1990)
Imports:
  $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990 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:
  310,000 kW capacity; 890 million kWh produced, 3,300 kWh per capita (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:
  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 - 1.6531 (January 1993), 1.6290 (1992),
  1.7276 (1991), 1.8125 (1990), 1.9503 (1989), 2.0124 (1988); 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:
  1,090 km total; 370 km paved (bituminous treated) and another 52 km under
  construction, 720 km gravel or unimproved
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:
  Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, Royal Brunei Police
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 77,407; fit for military service 45,112; reach military age
  (18) annually 2,676 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $300 million, 9% of GDP (1990)