View Intelligence Dossier Back to 1994 CSV Excel Print All Years

Communications

Airports [time series]

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

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 1,090 km paved: bituminous 370 km (with another 52 km under construction) unpaved: gravel or earth 720 km

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

209 km; navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 meters

Merchant marine [time series]

7 liquefied gas carriers (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 348,476 GRT/340,635 DWT

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 135 km; petroleum products 418 km; natural gas 920 km

Ports [time series]

Kuala Belait, Muara

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

13 km 0.610-meter narrow-gauge private line

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

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

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Land Force, Navy, Air Force, Royal Brunei Police

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $300 million, 9% of GDP (1990)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 79,486; fit for military service 46,258; reach military age (18) annually 2,756 (1994 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

imports about 80% of its food needs; principal crops and livestock include rice, cassava, bananas, buffaloes, and pigs

Budget [time series]

revenues: $1.3 billion expenditures: $1.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $255 million (1989 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Bruneian dollar (B$) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $20.6 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $153 million

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 310,000 kW production: 890 million kWh consumption per capita: 3,300 kWh (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

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

Exports [time series]

$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)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Imports [time series]

$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)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 12.9% (1987); accounts for 52.4% of GDP

Industries [time series]

petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

2% (1993 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $2.5 billion (1991 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$9,000 (1991 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

1% (1991)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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.

Unemployment rate [time series]

3.7% (1989)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 5,770 sq km land area: 5,270 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Delaware

Climate [time series]

tropical; hot, humid, rainy

Coastline [time series]

161 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

current issues: NA international agreements: party to - Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea natural hazards: typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

10 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total 381 km, Malysia 381 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 1% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 1% forest and woodland: 79% other: 18%

Location [time series]

Southeastern Asia, on the northern coast of Borneo almost completely surrounded by Malaysia

Map references [time series]

Asia, Oceania, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

petroleum, natural gas, timber

Note [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong

Capital [time series]

Bandar Seri Begawan

Constitution [time series]

29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984)

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador JAYA bin Abdul Latif chancery: 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: (202) 342-0159

Executive branch [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

(202) 342-0158

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[673] (2) 225-293

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

1 January 1984 (from UK)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Legal system [time series]

based on Islamic law

Legislative branch (Legislative Council (Majlis Masyuarat Megeri)) [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam conventional short form: Brunei

National holiday [time series]

National Day 23 February (1984)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Brunei United National Party (inactive), Anak HASANUDDIN, chairman; Brunei National Democratic Party (the first legal political party and now banned), leader NA

Suffrage [time series]

none

Government type (Type) [time series]

constitutional sultanate

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

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

People

Birth rate [time series]

26.18 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate [time series]

5.04 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Malay 64%, Chinese 20%, other 16%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

25.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force [time series]

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)

Languages [time series]

Malay (official), English, Chinese

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 71.1 years male: 69.46 years female: 72.78 years (1994 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1981) total population: 77% male: 85% female: 69%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Bruneian(s) adjective: Bruneian

Net migration rate [time series]

5.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population [time series]

284,653 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.7% (1994 est.)

Religions [time series]

Muslim (official) 63%, Buddhism 14%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs and other 15% (1981)

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.43 children born/woman (1994 est.)