sputes:
may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient that divides the country;
all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam;
parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984,
Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa
Reef, but has not publicly claimed the island
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid, rainy
Terrain:
flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, timber
Land use:
arable land:
1%
permanent crops:
1%
meadows and pastures:
1%
forest and woodland:
79%
other:
18%
Irrigated land:
10 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
NA
international agreements:
party to - Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not
ratified - Law of the Sea
natural hazards:
typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare
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

@Brunei, People

Population:
284,653 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.7% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
26.18 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
5.04 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
5.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
25.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
71.1 years
male:
69.46 years
female:
72.78 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.43 children born/woman (1994 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 (1981)
total population:
77%
male:
85%
female:
69%
Labor force:
89,000 (includes members of the Army)
by occupation:
government 47.5%, production of oil, natural gas, services, and
construction 41.9%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3.8% (1986)
note:
33% of labor force is foreign (1988)

@Brunei, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
Negara Brunei Darussalam
conventional short form:
Brunei
Digraph:
BX
Type:
constitutional sultanate
Capital:
Bandar Seri Begawan
Administr