BRUNEI GEOGRAPHY Total area: 5,770 km2; land area: 5,270 km2 Comparative area: slightly larger than Delaware Land boundary: 381 km with Malaysia Coastline: 161 km Maritime claims: Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm Disputes: may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient that divides the country Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy Terrain: flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, timber Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland 79%; other 18%; includes irrigated NEGL% 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 PEOPLE Population: 397,777 (July 1991), growth rate 6.3% (1991) Birth rate: 22 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 4 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: 45 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 77 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Bruneian(s); adjective--Bruneian Ethnic divisions: Malay 64%, Chinese 20%, other 16% Religion: Muslim (official) 63%, Buddhism 14%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs and other 15% (1981) Language: Malay (official), English, and Chinese Literacy: 77% (male 85%, female 69%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981) Labor force: 89,000 (includes members of the Army); 33% of labor force is foreign (1988); government 47.5%; production of oil, natural gas, services, and construction 41.9%; agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3.8% (1986) Organized labor: 2% of labor force GOVERNMENT Long-form name: Negara Brunei Darussalam 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: National Day, 23 February (1984) 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 Sir Muda HASSANAL BOLKIAH Muizzaddin Waddaulah (since 5 October 1967) 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 Communists: probably none Member of: APEC, ASEAN, C, ESCAP, ICAO, IDB, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WHO, WMO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dato Paduka Haji Mohamed SUNI bin Haji Idris; Chancery at 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 342-0159; US--Ambassador Christopher H. PHILLIPS; Embassy at Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan (mailing address is P. O. Box 2991, Bandar Seri Begawan and Box B, APO San Francisco, 96528); telephone 673 (2) 229-670 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 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 $9,600 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. GDP: $3.3 billion, per capita $9,600; real growth rate 2.7% (1989 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.3% (1989 est.) Unemployment: 2.5%, shortage of skilled labor (1989 est.) Budget: revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $230 million (1988 est.) Exports: $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--crude oil, liquefied natural gas, petroleum products; partners--Japan 60%, Thailand 10%, Singapore 4% (1988) Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals; partners--Singapore 36%, UK 26%, Switzerland 7%, US 7%, Japan 6% (1988) External debt: none Industrial production: growth rate 12.9% (1987); accounts for 52.4% of GDP Electricity: 310,000 kW capacity; 890 million kWh produced, 2,400 kWh per capita (1990) Industries: petroleum, 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 (1970-87), $143.7 million Currency: Bruneian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Bruneian dollar (B$) = 100 cents Exchange rates: Bruneian dollars (B$) per US$1--1.7454 (January 1991), 1.8125 (1990), 1.9503 (1989), 2.0124 (1988), 2.1060 (1987), 2.1774 (1986), 2.2002 (1985); note--the Bruneian dollar is at par with the Singapore dollar Fiscal year: calendar year 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 Ports: Kuala Belait, Muara Merchant marine: 7 liquefied gas carriers (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 348,476 GRT/340,635 DWT Pipelines: crude oil, 135 km; refined products, 418 km; natural gas, 920 km Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft (3 Boeing 757-200, 1 Boeing 737-200) Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runway over 3,659 m; 1 with runway 1,406 m Telecommunications: service throughout country is adequate for present needs; international service good to adjacent Malaysia; radiobroadcast coverage good; 33,000 telephones (1987); 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 Branches: Royal Brunei Armed Forces (including Ground Forces, Flotilla, and Air Wing), Royal Brunei Police Manpower availability: males 15-49, 110,727; 63,730 fit for military service; 3,199 reach military age (18) annually Defense expenditures: $233.1 million, 7.1% of GDP (1988)