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 Asia.

Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia

4 30 N, 114 40 E

Southeast Asia

slightly smaller than Delaware

161 km

tropical; hot, humid, rainy

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

petroleum, natural gas, timber

10 sq km (2003)

8.5 cu km (1999)

typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare

seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia

close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by Malaysia; almost an enclave within Malaysia

Malay 66.3%, Chinese 11.2%, indigenous 3.4%, other 19.1% (2004 est.)

Malay (official), English, Chinese

Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, other (includes indigenous beliefs) 10%

408,786 (July 2012 est.)

1.691% (2012 est.)

17.74 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

3.39 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

2.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (capital) 22,000 (2009)

24 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

1.85 children born/woman (2012 est.)

3% of GDP (2009)

1.417 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

2.71 beds/1,000 population (2008)

less than 0.1% (2003 est.)

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

NA

constitutional sultanate (locally known as Malay Islamic Monarchy)

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

1 January 1984 (from the UK)

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

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

mixed legal system based on English common law and Islamic law

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

18 years of age for village elections; universal

the Sultan appointed a Legislative Council with 29 members in September 2005; he increased the size of the council to 33 members in June 2011; the council meets annually in March

Supreme Court - chief justice and judges are sworn in by monarch for three-year terms; Judicial Committee of Privy Council in London is final court of appeal for civil cases; Sharia courts deal with Islamic laws (2006)

National Development Party or NDP [YASSIN Affendi]

NA

ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, C, CP, EAS, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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; yellow is the color of royalty and symbolizes the sultanate; the white and black bands denote Brunei's chief ministers; the emblem includes five main components: a swallow-tailed flag, the royal umbrella representing the monarchy, the wings of four feathers symbolizing justice, tranquility, prosperity, and peace, the two upraised hands signifying the government's pledge to preserve and promote the welfare of the people, and the crescent moon denoting Islam, the state religion; the state motto "Always render service with God's guidance" appears in yellow Arabic script on the crescent; a ribbon below the crescent reads "Brunei, the Abode of Peace"

Brunei has a small well-to-do economy that depends on revenue from natural resource extraction but encompasses a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures, and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas production account for just over half of GDP and more than 90% of exports. Per capita GDP is among the highest in Asia, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and free education through the university level and subsidizes rice and housing. A new monetary authority was established in January 2011 with responsibilities that include monetary policy, monitoring of financial institutions, and currency trading activities.

$21.94 billion (2012 est.)

$21.38 billion (2011 est.)

$20.91 billion (2010 est.)

$16.85 billion (2012 est.)

2.7% (2012 est.)

2.2% (2011 est.)

2.6% (2010 est.)

$50,500 (2012 est.)

$50,300 (2011 est.)

$50,500 (2010 est.)

198,800 (2010 est.)

2.7% (2010)

3.7% (2008)

NA%

48.9% of GDP (2012 est.)

16.1% of GDP (2012 est.)

1.2% (2012 est.)

2% (2011 est.)

5.5% (31 December 2012 est.)

5.5% (31 December 2011 est.)

$3.594 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$3.254 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$11.62 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$10.64 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$4.032 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$3.019 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$NA

rice, vegetables, fruits; chickens, water buffalo, cattle, goats, eggs

-5.4% (2008 est.)

$3.977 billion (2009 est.)

$3.977 billion (2009 est.)

$10.67 billion (2008)

$8.25 billion (2007)

crude oil, natural gas, garments

Japan 45.2%, South Korea 15.9%, Australia 11.4%, Indonesia 8.1%, India 5.7%, China 4.4% (2011)

$2.61 billion (2008 est.)

$2.055 billion (2007 est.)

machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals

Singapore 27.4%, India 15.4%, China 12.8%, South Korea 10.1%, Malaysia 9.4%, Germany 7.9% (2011)

$0 (2005)

Bruneian dollars (BND) per US dollar -

1.25 (2012 est.)

1.2579 (2011 est.)

1.3635 (2010 est.)

1.45 (2009)

1 April - 31 March

3.395 billion kWh (2009 est.)

3.177 billion kWh (2009 est.)

0 kWh (2010 est.)

0 kWh (2010 est.)

759,000 kW (2009 est.)

100% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

149,900 bbl/day (2011 est.)

141,300 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

1.1 billion bbl (1 January 2012 est.)

14,720 bbl/day (2008 est.)

14,640 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

1,016 bbl/day (2008 est.)

11.8 billion cu m (2010 est.)

2.97 billion cu m (2010 est.)

8.83 billion cu m (2010 est.)

0 cu m (2010 est.)

390.8 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

8.271 million Mt (2010 est.)

79,800 (2011)

443,200 (2011)

state-controlled Radio Television Brunei (RTB) operates 4 channels; 3 Malaysian TV stations are available; foreign TV broadcasts are available via satellite and cable systems; RTB operates 5 radio networks and broadcasts on multiple frequencies; British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) provides radio broadcasts on 2 FM stations; some radio broadcast stations from Malaysia are available via repeaters (2009)

.bn

49,457 (2012)

314,900 (2009)

1 (2012)

3 (2012)

condensate 33 km; gas 37 km; oil 18 km (2010)

209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m; the Belait, Brunei, and Tutong rivers are major transport links) (2012)

Lumut, Muara, Seria

Royal Brunei Armed Forces: Royal Brunei Land Forces, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei) (2012)

18 years of age (est.) for voluntary military service; non-Malays are ineligible to serve; recruits from the army, navy, and air force all undergo 43-week initial training (2012)

4.5% of GDP (2006)

per Letters of Exchange signed in 2009, Malaysia in 2010 ceded two hydrocarbon concession blocks to Brunei in exchange for Brunei's sultan dropping claims to the Limbang corridor, which divides Brunei; nonetheless, Brunei claims a maritime boundary extending as far as a median with Vietnam, thus asserting an implicit claim to Louisa Reef

drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled substances are serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death penalty