Islamic countries

Islamic countries

SULTANATE OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
NEGARA BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

General Information

Total Land Area:	5,765 km²
Land boundaries:	381 km
Coastline:	161 km
Capital:	Bandar Seri Begawan
Other Large Cities:	Kuala Belait, Seria,Tutong
Official Language:	Malay
National Currency Unit:	Bruneian Dollar (BND)
National Day:	February 23

Location and Geography

Brunei Darussalam is located on the North-west of the island of Borneo, facing the South China Sea, and is bordered by Malaysia with the exception of the northern coastline. Brunei Darussalam has an exclusive fishing zone of 200 nautical miles in its territorial sea of 12 nautical miles. The majority of the country (about three-quarters) is covered with tropical rainforests. Brunei Darussalam’s terrain is made up of a flat coastal plain rising to the mountains in the East. A hilly lowland lies to the West. Brunei Darussalam has a very small area of arable land and few permanent crops, meadows and pastures. The climate is equatorial and characterised by high temperature, high humidity and heavy rainfall. There is no distinct wet season.

Demography

Population:	0.34 million (2002)
Crude Birth Rate:	22 per thousand people (2002)
Crude Death Rate:	3 per thousand people (2002)
Infant Mortality Rate:	8 per thousand (2002)
Life Expectancy:	Male: 74 years, Female: 77 years (2001)
Urban Population:	71.7 percent (1999)
Adult Literacy:	94.70 percent (2001)

Economy

Brunei Darussalam is the third largest oil producer in South Asia and the world’s fourth largest producer of liquefied natural gas. The country depends on revenues from crude oil and natural gas to finance its development programs. Oil and natural gas are the economic backbone of the country and constitute major exports. In addition, forestry is playing an increasing role in the economy. The Government is also encouraging agricultural development to reduce the dependency on imported foodstuffs.

GDP at Current Market Prices:	4026 million US$ (2001)
Per Capita GDP:	12201 US$ (2001)
Share of Sectors in GDP:	2.0% Agriculture, 40.0% Industry, 58.0% Services, (2001)
Total Exports:	3418 million US$ (2002)
Total Imports:	1636 million US$ (2002)
Major Exports Items:	Crude oil, petroleum products and liquefied natural gas
Major Imports Items:	Machinery and transportation equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs
Major Trading Partners:	Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore