nce 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.

Geography Brunei

Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia

Geographic coordinates:
4 30 N, 114 40 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 5,770 sq km
land: 5,270 sq km
water: 500 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Delaware

Land boundaries:
total: 381 km
border countries: Malaysia 381 km

Coastline:
161 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median line

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid, rainy

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

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, timber

Land use:
arable land: 2.08%
permanent crops: 0.87%
other: 97.05% (2005)

Irrigated land:
10 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare

Environment - current issues:
seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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 within Malaysia

People Brunei

Population:
379,444 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.1% (male 54,411/female 52,134)
15-64 years: 68.8% (male 138,129/female 123,017)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 5,584/female 6,169) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 27.4 years
male: 28 years
female: 26.7 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.87% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
18.79 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
3.45 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
3.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 0.91 male(s)/f