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Introduction |
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Background: |
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.
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Geography |
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Location: |
Southeastern Asia,
bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia
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Geographic
coordinates: |
4 30 N, 114 40 E
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Map references: |
Southeast Asia
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Area: |
total: 5,770
sq km
land: 5,270 sq km
water: 500 sq km
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Area -
comparative: |
slightly smaller
than Delaware
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Land boundaries: |
total: 381
km
border countries: Malaysia 381 km
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Coastline: |
161 km
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Maritime claims: |
territorial sea:
12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median line
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Climate: |
tropical; hot,
humid, rainy
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Terrain: |
flat coastal plain
rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west
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Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m
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Natural
resources: |
petroleum, natural
gas, timber
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Land use: |
arable land:
0.57%
permanent crops: 0.76%
other: 98.67% (2001)
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Irrigated land: |
10 sq km (1998
est.)
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Natural hazards: |
typhoons,
earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare
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Environment -
current issues: |
seasonal smoke/haze
resulting from forest fires in Indonesia
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Environment -
international agreements: |
party to:
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Geography -
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
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People |
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Population: |
372,361 (July 2005
est.)
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Age structure: |
0-14 years:
28.6% (male 54,342/female 52,084)
15-64 years: 68.4% (male 134,908/female 119,814)
65 years and over: 3% (male 5,301/female 5,912) (2005
est.)
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Median age: |
total: 27.04
years
male: 27.63 years
female: 26.4 years (2005 est.)
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Population
growth rate: |
1.9% (2005 est.)
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Birth rate: |
19.01 births/1,000
population (2005 est.)
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Death rate: |
3.42 deaths/1,000
population (2005 est.)
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Net migration
rate: |
3.45 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2005 est.)
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Sex ratio: |
at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
total population: 1.09 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality
rate: |
total: 12.61
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 15.93 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
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Life expectancy
at birth: |
total
population: 74.8 years
male: 72.36 years
female: 77.36 years (2005 est.)
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Total fertility
rate: |
2.3 children
born/woman (2005 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult
prevalence rate: |
less than 0.1%
(2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS -
people living with HIV/AIDS: |
less than 200 (2003
est.)
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HIV/AIDS -
deaths: |
less than 200 (2003
est.)
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Nationality: |
noun:
Bruneian(s)
adjective: Bruneian
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Ethnic groups: |
Malay 67%, Chinese
15%, indigenous 6%, other 12%
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Religions: |
Muslim (official)
67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs and other
10%
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Languages: |
Malay (official),
English, Chinese
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Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.9%
male: 96.3%
female: 91.4% (2002)
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Government |
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Country name: |
conventional
long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam
conventional short form: Brunei
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Government type: |
constitutional
sultanate
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Capital: |
Bandar Seri Begawan
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Administrative
divisions: |
4 districts (daerah-daerah,
singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong
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Independence: |
1 January 1984
(from UK)
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National
holiday: |
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
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Constitution: |
29 September 1959
(some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since
December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984)
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Legal system: |
based on English
common law; for Muslims, Islamic Shari'a law supersedes civil
law in a number of areas
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Suffrage: |
none
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Executive
branch: |
chief of state:
Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October
1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir
HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is
both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: 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
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary
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Legislative
branch: |
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
elections: last held in March 1962 (date of next election
NA)
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Judicial branch: |
Supreme Court
(chief justice and judges are sworn in by the monarch for
three-year terms)
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Political
parties and leaders: |
Brunei People's
Party or PRB (banned in 1962) and Brunei National Democratic
Party (registered in May 1965, deregistered by the Brunei
Government in 1988)
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Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA
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International
organization participation: |
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
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Flag
description: |
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
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Economy |
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Economy -
overview: |
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.
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GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $6.842 billion (2003 est.)
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GDP - real
growth rate: |
3.2% (2003 est.)
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GDP - per
capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $23,600 (2003 est.)
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GDP -
composition by sector: |
agriculture:
5%
industry: 45%
services: 50% (2001 est.)
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Labor force: |
158,000
note: includes foreign workers and military personnel;
temporary residents make up about 40% of labor force (2002 est.)
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Labor force - by
occupation: |
agriculture,
forestry, and fishing 10%, production of oil, natural gas,
services, and construction 42%, government 48% (1999 est.)
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Unemployment
rate: |
3.2% (2002 est.)
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Population below
poverty line: |
NA
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Household income
or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA
highest 10%: NA
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Inflation rate
(consumer prices): |
0.3% (2003 est.)
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Budget: |
revenues:
$4.9 billion
expenditures: $4.2 billion, including capital
expenditures of $1.35 billion (2003 est.)
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Agriculture -
products: |
rice, vegetables,
fruits, chickens, water buffalo
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Industries: |
petroleum,
petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction
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Industrial
production growth rate: |
5% (2002 est.)
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Electricity -
production: |
2.458 billion kWh
(2002)
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Electricity -
production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
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Electricity -
consumption: |
2.286 billion kWh
(2002)
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Electricity -
exports: |
0 kWh (2002)
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Electricity -
imports: |
0 kWh (2002)
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Oil -
production: |
204,000 bbl/day
(2003 est.)
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Oil -
consumption: |
13,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.)
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Oil - exports: |
199,000 bbl/day
(2003)
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Oil - imports: |
NA
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Oil - proved
reserves: |
1.255 billion bbl
(1 January 2002)
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Natural gas -
production: |
10.35 billion cu m
(2001 est.)
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Natural gas -
consumption: |
1.35 billion cu m
(2001 est.)
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Natural gas -
exports: |
9 billion cu m
(2001 est.)
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Natural gas -
imports: |
0 cu m (2001 est.)
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Natural gas -
proved reserves: |
315 billion cu m (1
January 2002)
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Exports: |
$7.7 billion f.o.b.
(2003 est.)
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Exports -
commodities: |
crude oil, natural
gas, refined products
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Exports -
partners: |
Japan 37.8%, South
Korea 13.6%, Australia 11.1%, US 9%, Thailand 7.9%, China 5.9%
(2004)
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Imports: |
$5.2 billion c.i.f.
(2003)
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Imports -
commodities: |
machinery and
transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals
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Imports -
partners: |
Singapore 33.1%,
Malaysia 21.5%, Japan 7.3%, UK 6.8% (2004)
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Debt - external: |
$0
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Currency (code): |
Bruneian dollar (BND)
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Currency code: |
BND
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Exchange rates: |
Bruneian dollars
per US dollar - 1.6902 (2004), 1.7422 (2003), 1.7906 (2002),
1.7917 (2001), 1.724 (2000)
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Fiscal year: |
calendar year
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Communications |
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Telephones -
main lines in use: |
90,000 (2002)
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Telephones -
mobile cellular: |
137,000 (2002)
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Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: service throughout the country is excellent;
international service is good to East Asia, Europe, and the US
domestic: every service available
international: 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)
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Radio broadcast
stations: |
AM 3, FM 10,
shortwave 0 (1998)
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Radios: |
329,000 (1998)
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Television
broadcast stations: |
2 (1997)
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Televisions: |
201,900 (1998)
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Internet country
code: |
.bn
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Internet hosts: |
6,409 (2003)
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Internet Service
Providers (ISPs): |
2 (2000)
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Internet users: |
35,000 (2002)
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Transportation |
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Highways: |
total: 2,525
km
paved: 2,525 km
unpaved: 0 km (2000)
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Waterways: |
209 km (navigable
by craft drawing less than 1.2 m) (2004)
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Pipelines: |
gas 665 km; oil 439
km (2004)
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Ports and
harbors: |
Lumut, Muara, Seria
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Merchant marine: |
total: 8
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 465,937 GRT/413,393 DWT
by type: liquefied gas 8
foreign-owned: 8 (United Kingdom 8) (2005)
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Airports: |
2 (2004 est.)
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Airports - with
paved runways: |
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)
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Airports - with
unpaved runways: |
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
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Heliports: |
3 (2004 est.)
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Military |
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Military
branches: |
Royal Brunei Armed
Forces: Royal Brunei Land Forces, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal
Brunei Air Force
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Military
manpower - military age and obligation: |
18 years of age
(est.) (2004)
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Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 18-49:
103,885 (2005 est.)
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Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 18-49:
approx. 85,045 (2005 est.)
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Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males: 3,478
(2005 est.)
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Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$290.7 million
(2004)
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Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
5.1% (2004)
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Transnational Issues |
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Disputes -
international: |
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
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Illicit drugs: |
drug trafficking
and illegally importing controlled substances are serious
offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death penalty
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