]! ^! 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 the developing world. 
]" ^" Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia ^# 4 30 N, 114 40 E ^$ Southeast Asia ^% `! 5,770 sq km `" 5,270 sq km `# 500 sq km ^& slightly smaller than Delaware ^' `! 381 km `U Malaysia 381 km ^( 161 km ^) `$ 12 nm `I 200 nm or to median line ^* tropical; hot, humid, rainy ^+ flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west ^, `% South China Sea 0 m `& Bukit Pagon 1,850 m ^- petroleum, natural gas, timber ^. `' 0.57% `( 0.76% `) 98.67% (2001) ^/ 10 sq km (1998 est.) ^0 typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare ^1 seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia _J `K Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution `L none of the selected agreements ^2 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 
]# ^3 372,361 (July 2005 est.) ^4 `* 28.6% (male 54,342/female 52,084) `+ 68.4% (male 134,908/female 119,814) `, 3% (male 5,301/female 5,912) (2005 est.) ^5 `! 27.04 years `- 27.63 years `. 26.4 years (2005 est.) ^6 1.9% (2005 est.) ^7 19.01 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^8 3.42 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^9 3.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^: `/ 1.06 male(s)/female `0 1.04 male(s)/female `+ 1.13 male(s)/female `, 0.9 male(s)/female `1 1.09 male(s)/female (2005 est.) ^; `! 12.61 deaths/1,000 live births `- 15.93 deaths/1,000 live births `. 9.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) ^< `1 74.8 years `- 72.36 years `. 77.36 years (2005 est.) ^= 2.3 children born/woman (2005 est.) ^> less than 0.1% (2003 est.) ^? less than 200 (2003 est.) ^@ less than 200 (2003 est.) ^A `2 Bruneian(s) `3 Bruneian ^B Malay 67%, Chinese 15%, indigenous 6%, other 12% ^C Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs and other 10% ^D Malay (official), English, Chinese ^E `M age 15 and over can read and write `1 93.9% `- 96.3% `. 91.4% (2002) 
]$ ^F `4 Negara Brunei Darussalam `5 Brunei ^H constitutional sultanate ^I Bandar Seri Begawan ^J 4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong ^K 1 January 1984 (from UK) ^L 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 ^M 29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984) ^N based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Shari'a law supersedes civil law in a number of areas ^O none ^P `6 Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government `7 Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government `8 Council of Cabinet Ministers appointed and presided over by the monarch; deals with executive matters; note - there is also a Religious Council (members appointed by the monarch) that advises on religious matters, a Privy Council (members appointed by the monarch) that deals with constitutional matters, and the Council of Succession (members appointed by the monarch) that determines the succession to the throne if the need arises `9 none; the monarch is hereditary ^Q Legislative Council met on 25 September 2004 for first time in 20 years with 21 members appointed by the Sultan; passed constitutional amendments calling for a 45-seat council with 15 elected members; Sultan dissolved council on 1 September 2005 and appointed a new council with 29 members as of 2 September 2005 `9 last held in March 1962 (date of next election NA) ^R Supreme Court (chief justice and judges are sworn in by the monarch for three-year terms) ^S National Development Party (NDP) [Yassin AFFENDI]; National Unity Party of Brunei (PPKB) [leader NA]; People's Awareness Party (PAKAR) [leader NA] note: parties are small and inactive (2005) ^T NA ^U APEC, APT, ARF, ASEAN, C, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO ^V `N Ambassador Pengiran Anak Dato PUTEH `O 3520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 `P [1] (202) 237-1838 `Q [1] (202) 885-0560 ^W `N Ambassador Emil SKODON `Z Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan `[ PSC 470 (BSB), FPO AP 96507 `P [673] (2) 229670 `Q [673] (2) 225293 ^X 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 
]% ^Y This small, well-to-do economy encompasses a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures, and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas production account for nearly half of GDP. Per capita GDP is far above most other Third World countries, 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. Brunei's leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in the world economy will undermine internal social cohesion, although it became a more prominent player by serving as chairman for the 2000 APEC (Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum. Plans for the future include upgrading the labor force, reducing unemployment, strengthening the banking and tourist sectors, and, in general, further widening the economic base beyond oil and gas. ^Z $6.842 billion (2003 est.) ^[ 3.2% (2003 est.) ^\ purchasing power parity - $23,600 (2003 est.) ^] `; 5% `< 45% `= 50% (2001 est.) ^^ 158,000 note: includes foreign workers and military personnel; temporary residents make up about 40% of labor force (2002 est.) ^_ agriculture, forestry, and fishing 10%, production of oil, natural gas, services, and construction 42%, government 48% (1999 est.) ^` 3.2% (2002 est.) ^a NA _! `> NA `? NA _" 0.3% (2003 est.) _# `@ $4.9 billion `A $4.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.35 billion (2003 est.) _$ rice, vegetables, fruits, chickens, water buffalo _% petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction _& 5% (2002 est.) _' 2.458 billion kWh (2002) _( 2.286 billion kWh (2002) _) 0 kWh (2002) _* 0 kWh (2002) _+ 204,000 bbl/day (2003 est.) _, 13,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) _- 199,000 bbl/day (2003) _. NA _R 1.255 billion bbl (1 January 2002) _S 10.35 billion cu m (2001 est.) _T 1.35 billion cu m (2001 est.) _U 9 billion cu m (2001 est.) _V 0 cu m (2001 est.) _W 315 billion cu m (1 January 2002) _/ $7.7 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) _0 crude oil, natural gas, refined products _1 Japan 38.1%, South Korea 14%, Australia 11.2%, US 8.6%, Thailand 7.9%, Indonesia 5.9%, China 4.5% (2004) _2 $5.2 billion c.i.f. (2003) _3 machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals _4 Singapore 32.7%, Malaysia 21.2%, UK 8.3%, Japan 7.2% (2004) _5 $0 _6 NA _7 Bruneian dollar (BND) _8 Bruneian dollars per US dollar - 1.6902 (2004), 1.7422 (2003), 1.7906 (2002), 1.7917 (2001), 1.724 (2000) _9 calendar year 
]& _: 90,000 (2002) _; 137,000 (2002) _< `B service throughout the country is excellent; international service is good to East Asia, Europe, and the US `C every service available `D country code - 673; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); digital submarine cable links to Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore (2001) _= AM 3, FM 10, shortwave 0 (1998) _> 2 (1997) _? .bn _@ 6,409 (2003) _A 35,000 (2002) 
]' _B `! 2,525 km `E 2,525 km `F 0 km (2000) _b 209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m) (2004) _[ gas 665 km; oil 439 km (2004) _C Lumut, Muara, Seria _K `! 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 465,937 GRT/413,393 DWT by type: liquefied gas 8 `S 8 (United Kingdom 8) (2005) _D 2 (2004 est.) _E `! 1 `] 1 (2004 est.) _L `! 1 `_ 1 (2004 est.) _\ 3 (2004 est.) 
]( _F Royal Brunei Armed Forces: Royal Brunei Land Forces, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force _M 18 years of age (est.) (2004) _] males age 18-49: 103,885 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: approx. 85,045 (2005 est.) _^ `` 3,478 (2005 est.) _N $290.7 million (2004) _O 5.1% (2004) 
]) _H in 2003 Brunei and Malaysia ceased gas and oil exploration in their disputed offshore and deepwater seabeds and negotiations have stalemated prompting consideration of international legal adjudication; Malaysia's land boundary with Brunei around Limbang is in dispute; Brunei established an exclusive economic fishing zone encompassing Louisa Reef in southern Spratly Islands in 1984 but makes no public territorial claim to the offshore reefs; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions in the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants _I drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled substances are serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death penalty 