Brunei (2004) | Latvia (2004) | |
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Administrative divisions | 4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong | 26 counties (singular - rajons) and 7 municipalities*: Aizkraukles Rajons, Aluksnes Rajons, Balvu Rajons, Bauskas Rajons, Cesu Rajons, Daugavpils*, Daugavpils Rajons, Dobeles Rajons, Gulbenes Rajons, Jekabpils Rajons, Jelgava*, Jelgavas Rajons, Jurmala*, Kraslavas Rajons, Kuldigas Rajons, Liepaja*, Liepajas Rajons, Limbazu Rajons, Ludzas Rajons, Madonas Rajons, Ogres Rajons, Preilu Rajons, Rezekne*, Rezeknes Rajons, Riga*, Rigas Rajons, Saldus Rajons, Talsu Rajons, Tukuma Rajons, Valkas Rajons, Valmieras Rajons, Ventspils*, Ventspils Rajons |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 29.1% (male 54,243; female 52,013)
15-64 years: 68% (male 131,682; female 116,631) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 5,035; female 5,647) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years: 15% (male 177,223; female 169,241)
15-64 years: 69.2% (male 772,496; female 823,410) 65 years and over: 15.8% (male 118,035; female 245,901) (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | rice, vegetables, fruits, chickens, water buffalo | grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish |
Airports | 2 (2003 est.) | 51 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 27
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 16 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 24
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 20 (2003 est.) |
Area | total: 5,770 sq km
land: 5,270 sq km water: 500 sq km |
total: 64,589 sq km
land: 63,589 sq km water: 1,000 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Delaware | slightly larger than West Virginia |
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. | After a brief period of independence between the two World Wars, Latvia was annexed by the USSR in 1940. It reestablished its independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Although the last Russian troops left in 1994, the status of the Russian minority (some 30% of the population) remains of concern to Moscow. Latvia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004. |
Birth rate | 19.33 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 8.87 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $2.5 billion
expenditures: $2.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.35 billion (1997 est.) |
revenues: $3.691 billion
expenditures: $3.871 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.) |
Capital | Bandar Seri Begawan | Riga |
Climate | tropical; hot, humid, rainy | maritime; wet, moderate winters |
Coastline | 161 km | 531 km |
Constitution | 29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984) | 15 February 1922; an October 1998 amendment on Fundamental Human Rights replaced the 1991 Constitutional Law, which had supplemented the constitution |
Country name | conventional long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam
conventional short form: Brunei |
conventional long form: Republic of Latvia
conventional short form: Latvia local long form: Latvijas Republika local short form: Latvija former: Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic |
Currency | Bruneian dollar (BND) | Latvian lat (LVL) |
Death rate | 3.4 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 13.73 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | $0 | $6.793 billion (2003 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Gene B. CHRISTY
embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan mailing address: PSC 470 (BSB), FPO AP 96507 telephone: [673] (2) 229670 FAX: [673] (2) 225293 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Catherine Todd-Bailey
embassy: 7 Raina Boulevard, Riga LV-1510 mailing address: American Embassy Riga, PSC 78, Box Riga, APO AE 09723 telephone: [371] 703-6200 FAX: [371] 782-0047 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Pengiran Anak Dato PUTEH
chancery: 3520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 237-1838 FAX: [1] (202) 885-0560 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Maris RIEKSTINS
chancery: 4325 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-8213, 8214 FAX: [1] (202) 726-6785 |
Disputes - international | in 2003 Brunei and Malaysia ceased gas and oil exploration in their offshore and deepwater seabeds until negotiations progress to an agreement over allocation of disputed areas; 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 | the Russian Duma refuses to ratify boundary delimitation treaty with Latvia; the Latvian Parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over oil exploration rights |
Economic aid - recipient | $4.3 million (1995) | $96.2 million (1995) |
Economy - overview | This small, wealthy 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 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. | Latvia's transitional economy recovered from the 1998 Russian financial crisis, largely due to the SKELE government's budget stringency and a gradual reorientation of exports toward EU countries, lessening Latvia's trade dependency on Russia. The majority of companies, banks, and real estate have been privatized, although the state still holds sizable stakes in a few large enterprises. Latvia officially joined the World Trade Organization in February 1999. Preparing for EU membership continues as a top foreign policy goal. The current account and internal government deficits remain major concerns, but the government's efforts to increase efficiency in revenue collection may lessen the budget deficit. |
Electricity - consumption | 2.322 billion kWh (2001) | 6.046 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 703 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 2.69 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 2.497 billion kWh (2001) | 4.365 billion kWh (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m |
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m |
Environment - current issues | seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia | Latvia's environment has benefited from a shift to service industries after the country regained independence; the main environmental priorities are improvement of drinking water quality and sewage system, household and hazardous waste management, and reduction of air pollution; in 2001, Latvia closed the EU accession negotiation chapter on environment committing to full enforcement of EU environmental directives by 2010 |
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 |
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants |
Ethnic groups | Malay 67%, Chinese 15%, indigenous 6%, other 12% | Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belarusian 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.7%, Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, other 2% (2002) |
Exchange rates | Bruneian dollars per US dollar - 1.7422 (2003), 1.7906 (2002), 1.7917 (2001), 1.724 (2000), 1.695 (1999) | lati per US dollar - 0.5715 (2003), 0.6182 (2002), 0.6279 (2001), 0.6065 (2000), 0.5852 (1999) |
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 |
chief of state: President Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA (since 8 July 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Aigars KALVITIS (since 2 December 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the Parliament elections: president reelected by Parliament for a four-year term; election last held 20 June 2003 (next to be held by June 2007); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA reelected president; parliamentary vote - Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA 88 of 94 votes cast |
Exports | NA (2001) | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | crude oil, natural gas, refined products | wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs |
Exports - partners | Japan 41%, South Korea 11.2%, Thailand 9.4%, Australia 8.4%, US 7.8%, China 6.7%, Singapore 4.5% (2003) | UK 15.6%, Germany 14.8%, Sweden 10.5%, Lithuania 8.2%, Estonia 6.6%, Denmark 6%, Russia 5.4% (2003) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
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 | three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $6.5 billion (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $23.9 billion (2003 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 5%
industry: 45% services: 50% (2001 est.) |
agriculture: 4.5%
industry: 24.5% services: 70.9% (2003) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $18,600 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $10,200 (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 3% (2002 est.) | 7.4% (2003 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 4 30 N, 114 40 E | 57 00 N, 25 00 E |
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 | most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with some hills in the east |
Heliports | 3 (2003 est.) | - |
Highways | total: 2,525 km
paved: 2,525 km unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
total: 73,202 km
paved: 28,256 km unpaved: 44,946 km (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: 2.9%
highest 10%: 25.9% (1998) |
Illicit drugs | drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled substances are serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death penalty | transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from Central and Southwest Asia to Western Europe and Scandinavia and Latin American cocaine and some synthetics from Western Europe to CIS; vulnerable to money laundering despite improved legislation due to nascent enforcement capabilities and comparatively weak regulation of offshore companies, exchange firms, and the gaming industry; organized crime (including counterfeiting, corruption, extortion, stolen cars, and prostitution) accounts for most laundered proceeds |
Imports | NA (2001) | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals | machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles |
Imports - partners | Singapore 19.9%, Malaysia 19.8%, US 11.4%, Japan 9.9%, Hong Kong 6.5%, China 4.8%, Australia 4.3%, Thailand 4% (2003) | Germany 16.1%, Lithuania 9.7%, Russia 8.7%, Finland 7.4%, Estonia 6.4%, Sweden 6.3%, Poland 5.1%, Italy 4.4% (2003) |
Independence | 1 January 1984 (from UK) | 21 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) |
Industrial production growth rate | 5% (2002 est.) | 8% (2003 est.) |
Industries | petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction | buses, vans, street and railroad cars, synthetic fibers, agricultural machinery, fertilizers, washing machines, radios, electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, textiles; note - dependent on imports for energy and raw materials |
Infant mortality rate | total: 13.05 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 16.51 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
total: 9.67 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 11.45 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | -2% (2002 est.) | 2.9% (2003 est.) |
International organization participation | APEC, 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 | Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WEU (member affiliate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Irrigated land | 10 sq km (1998 est.) | 200 sq km
note: land in Latvia is often too wet, and in need of drainage, not irrigation; approximately 16,000 sq km or 85% of agricultural land has been improved by drainage (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court (chief justice and judges are sworn in by the monarch for three-year terms) | Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament) |
Labor force | 143,400
note: includes foreign workers and military personnel; temporary residents make up about 40% of labor force (1999 est.) |
1.18 million (2003 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture, forestry, and fishing 10%, production of oil, natural gas, services, and construction 42%, government 48% (1999 est.) | agriculture 15%, industry 25%, services 60% (2000 est.) |
Land boundaries | total: 381 km
border countries: Malaysia 381 km |
total: 1,150 km
border countries: Belarus 141 km, Estonia 339 km, Lithuania 453 km, Russia 217 km |
Land use | arable land: 0.57%
permanent crops: 0.76% other: 98.67% (2001) |
arable land: 29.67%
permanent crops: 0.47% other: 69.86% (2001) |
Languages | Malay (official), English, Chinese | Latvian (official), Lithuanian, Russian, other |
Legal system | based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Shari'a law supersedes civil law in a number of areas | based on civil law system |
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 |
unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 5 October 2002 (next to be held NA October 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - New Era 23.9%, PCTVL 18.9%, People's Party 16.7%, ZZS 9.5%, First Party 7.6%, LNNK 5.4%; seats by party - New Era 26, PCTVL 24, People's Party 21, ZZS 12, First Party 10, LNNK 7 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 74.54 years
male: 72.13 years female: 77.09 years (2004 est.) |
total population: 70.86 years
male: 65.91 years female: 76.09 years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.9% male: 96.3% female: 91.4% (2002) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8% male: 99.8% female: 99.8% (2003 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia | Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Europe |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median line |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
Merchant marine | total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 465,937 GRT/413,393 DWT
by type: liquefied gas 8 foreign-owned: United Kingdom 8 (2004 est.) |
total: 11 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 53,153 GRT/37,414 DWT
by type: cargo 6, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea/passenger 1 foreign-owned: Germany 1, Greece 1, Ukraine 1 registered in other countries: 96 (2004 est.) |
Military branches | Royal Brunei Land Forces, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force | Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $339.5 million (2003) | $87 million (FY01) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 5.9% (2003) | 1.2% (FY01) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 112,630 (2004 est.) | males age 15-49: 594,596 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: approx. 60,000 (2004 est.) | males age 15-49: 466,659 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 3,425 (2004 est.) | males: 19,209 (2004 est.) |
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 | Independence Day, 18 November (1918); note - 18 November 1918 is the date Latvia declared itself independent from Soviet Russia; 4 May 1990 is when it declared the renewal of independence; 21 August 1991 is the date of de facto independence from the Soviet Union |
Nationality | noun: Bruneian(s)
adjective: Bruneian |
noun: Latvian(s)
adjective: Latvian |
Natural hazards | typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare | NA |
Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, timber | peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, wood, arable land |
Net migration rate | 3.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | -2.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Pipelines | gas 665 km; oil 439 km (2004) | gas 1,097 km; oil 409 km; refined products 415 km (2004) |
Political parties and leaders | other parties include 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) | Alliance of the Greens and Farmers Union or ZZS [Augusts BRIGMANIS (Farmer's Union); Indulis EMSIS (Green Party)]; First Party of Latvia [Ainars SLESERS]; For Human Rights in a United Latvia or PCTVL [Jakovs PLINERS]; For Our Latvia or ML [Rihards Jablokovs]; Latvian National Democratic Party or LNDP [Jevgenijs Osiopovs]; Latvian National Front [Aivars GARDA]; Latvian Social-Democratic Workers Party (Social Democrats) or LSDSP [Alfred RUBIKS]; Latvia's Way Union or LC; Light of Latgale or LG; New Era Party or JL [Einars REPSE]; New Politics Party or JP [Sergejs DOLGOPOLOVS]; People's Harmony Party or TSP [Janis JURKANS]; People's Party or TP [Atis SLAKTERIS]; Social Democratic Union or SDS [Egils BALDZENS]; Union for the Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK or TB/LNNK [Janis STRAUME]; United Social Democratic Welfare Party or SLP [Juris ZURAVLOVS]; United Republican Party of Latvia or LARP |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools (SHTAB) [Aleksandr KAZAKOV] |
Population | 365,251 (July 2004 est.) | 2,306,306 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA (1992 est.) | NA |
Population growth rate | 1.95% (2004 est.) | -0.71% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Bandar Seri Begawan, Kuala Belait, Muara, Seria, Tutong | Liepaja, Riga, Ventspils |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 3, FM 10, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Railways | - | total: 2,303 km
broad gauge: 2,270 km 1.520-m gauge (257 km electrified) narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2003) |
Religions | Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs and other 10% | Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox |
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: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.48 male(s)/female total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
Suffrage | none | 18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens |
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) |
general assessment: inadequate, but is being modernized to provide an international capability independent of the Moscow international switch; more facilities are being installed for individual use
domestic: expansion underway in intercity trunk line connections, rural exchanges, and mobile systems; still many unsatisfied subscriber applications international: country code - 371; international connections are now available via cable and a satellite earth station at Riga, enabling direct connections for most calls (1998) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 90,000 (2002) | 653,900 (2003) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 137,000 (2002) | 1,219,600 (2003) |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (1997) | 44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995) |
Terrain | flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west | low plain |
Total fertility rate | 2.33 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 1.25 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 10% (2001 est.) | 8.6% (2003 est.) |
Waterways | 209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m) (2004) | 300 km (2004) |