Brunei

Brunei

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Negara Brunei Darussalam/State of Brunei Area 5,765 sq km/2,225 sq mi Capital Bandar Seri Begawan (and chief port) Language Malay (official), Chinese (Hokkien), English Religion Muslim 66%, Buddhist 14%, Christian 10% Time difference GMT +8 Major holidays 1 January, 23 February, 31 May, 15 July, 25 December; variable: Eid-ul-Adha, end of Ramadan, Good Friday, New Year (Chinese), New Year (Muslim), Prophet's Birthday, first day of Ramadan, Meraj (March/April), Revelation of the Koran (May)


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Seria, Kuala Belait Physical features flat coastal plain with hilly lowland in west and mountains in east (Mount Pagon 1,850 m/6,070 ft); 75% of the area is forested; the Limbang valley splits Brunei in two, and its cession to Sarawak in 1890 is disputed by Brunei; tropical climate; Temburong, Tutong, and Belait rivers Airports one international airport; total passengers carried: 976,000 (2003 est) Railways none Roads total road network: 1,150 km/715 mi, of which 34.7% paved (2000 est); passenger cars: 437.5 per 1,000 people (2003 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state and government Sultan Muda Hassanal Bolkiah from 1967 Political system absolutist Political executive absolute Administrative divisions four districts Political parties Brunei National Democratic Party (BNDP) and Brunei People's Party (BPP) (both banned); Brunei National United Party (BNUP) (inactive) Death penalty retains the death penalty for ordinary crimes but can be considered abolitionist in practice; date of last known execution 1957 Armed forces 7,000; plus paramilitary forces of 3,800 (2006 est) Conscription military service is voluntary Defence spend (% GDP) 5.6 (2004 est) Education spend (% GDP) 4.8 (2001 est) Health spend (% GDP) 2.8 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency Bruneian dollar, although the Singapore dollar is also accepted GDP (US$) 6.8 billion (2003 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 3.7 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 7.6 billion (2000 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 23,600 (2004 est) Consumer price inflation 0.5% (2006 est) Unemployment 10% (2004 est) Labour force 1.4% agriculture, 21.4% industry, 77.2% services (2002) Foreign debt none Major trading partners Japan, ASEAN, USA, South Korea, Australia Resources petroleum, natural gas Industries petroleum refining, textiles, cement, mineral water, canned foods, rubber Exports crude petroleum, natural gas and refined products, textiles. Principal market: Japan 36.7% (2005) Imports machinery and transport equipment, basic manufactures, food and live animals, chemicals. Principal source: ASEAN 44.6% (2005) Arable land 2.1% (2006 est) Agricultural products rice, cassava, bananas, pineapples, vegetables; fishing; forest resources


POPULATION

Population 381,900 (2006 est) Population growth rate 2.6% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 66 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 78 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 29%, 15–59 66%, 60+ 5% (2005 est) Ethnic groups 73% indigenous Malays, predominating in government service and agriculture; more than 15% Chinese, predominating in the commercial sphere Life expectancy 75 (men); 80 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 9 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 12 Literacy rate 96% (men); 91% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 10.1 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 2.6 (2002 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) <0.1 (2005 est) AIDS deaths <100 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 96 (urban); 58 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 25.6 (2004 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 56.3 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 302 (1997) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 644 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 8.5 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 15.3 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

15th century An Islamic monarchy was established, ruling Brunei and north Borneo, including the Sabah and Sarawak states of Malaysia. 1841 Control of Sarawak was lost. 1888 Brunei became a British protectorate. 1906 Brunei became a British dependency. 1929 Oil was discovered. 1941–45 Brunei was occupied by Japan. 1959 A written constitution made Britain responsible for defence and external affairs. 1962 The sultan began rule by decree after a plan to join the Federation of Malaysia was opposed by a rebellion organized by the Brunei People's Party (BPP). 1967 Hassanal Bolkiah became sultan. 1971 Brunei given full internal self-government. 1975 United Nations (UN) resolution called for independence for Brunei. 1984 Independence from Britain was achieved, with Britain maintaining a small force to protect the oil and gas fields. 1985 Brunei National Democratic Party (BNDP) legalized. 1986 Multiethnic Brunei National United Party (BNUP) formed; nonroyals given key cabinet posts for first time. 1988 BNDP and BNUP banned. 1991 Brunei joined nonaligned movement. 1998 Prince Jefri Bolkiah removed as chief of Brunei Investment Agency over concerns of possible misuse of funds. Prince Billah proclaimed heir to throne. 2000 Brunei sued Prince Bolkiah over alleged misuse of state funds; Prince agreed to return all assets ($2.7 billion spent on luxury goods over ten years) taken from state-owned agency. 2001 Brunei hosted annual summit of Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN); leaders pledged to cooperate in fight against terrorism. 2004 Sultan Bolkiah reopened parliament after 20 years' closure; new body had 21 appointed members. Constitution later amended to allow direct election of 15 members, but no date set for poll. 2005 Major cabinet reshuffle brought in younger and more business-savvy ministers. 2007 Brunei joined Indonesia and Malaysia in signing ‘Rainforest Declaration’ aimed at protecting a large area of Borneo.


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