other: 18%

Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are very
rare
international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Law
of the Sea

Geographic 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
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Population: 299,939 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 33% (male 51,266; female 49,194)
15-64 years: 62% (male 98,806; female 88,323)
65 years and over: 5% (male 6,843; female 5,507) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.56% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 25.5 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 5.1 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 5.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.24 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.1 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 24.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.39 years
male: 69.82 years
female: 73.04 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.39 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Bruneian(s)
adjective: Bruneian

Ethnic divisions: Malay 64%, Chinese 20%, other 16%

Religions: Muslim (official) 63%, Buddhism 14%, Christian 8%,
indigenous beliefs and other 15% (1981)

Languages: Malay (official), English, Chinese

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 88.2%
male: 92.6%
female: 83.4%

Government
----------

Name of country:
conventional long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam
conventional short form: Brunei

Data code: BX

Type of government: 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)

National holiday: National Day, 23 February (1984)

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

Suffrage: n