Brunei (2004) | Saint Lucia (2001) | |
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Administrative divisions | 4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong | 11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux Fort |
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:
32.13% (male 25,951; female 24,874) 15-64 years: 62.59% (male 48,568; female 50,430) 65 years and over: 5.28% (male 3,120; female 5,235) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | rice, vegetables, fruits, chickens, water buffalo | bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa |
Airports | 2 (2003 est.) | 2 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total:
2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
- |
Area | total: 5,770 sq km
land: 5,270 sq km water: 500 sq km |
total:
620 sq km land: 610 sq km water: 10 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Delaware | 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
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. | The island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries, was contested between England and France throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries (changing possession 14 times); it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814. Self-government was granted in 1967 and independence in 1979. |
Birth rate | 19.33 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 21.8 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $2.5 billion
expenditures: $2.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.35 billion (1997 est.) |
revenues:
$141.2 million expenditures: $146.7 million, including capital expenditures of $25.1 million (FY97/98 est.) |
Capital | Bandar Seri Begawan | Castries |
Climate | tropical; hot, humid, rainy | tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to April, rainy season from May to August |
Coastline | 161 km | 158 km |
Constitution | 29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984) | 22 February 1979 |
Country name | conventional long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam
conventional short form: Brunei |
conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Saint Lucia |
Currency | Bruneian dollar (BND) | East Caribbean dollar (XCD) |
Death rate | 3.4 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 5.36 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $0 | $131.6 million (1998) |
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 |
the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador in Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia |
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 Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6728 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York |
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 | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $4.3 million (1995) | $51.8 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. | The recent changes in the EU import preference regime and the increased competition from Latin American bananas have made economic diversification increasingly important in Saint Lucia. Improvement in the construction sector and growth of the tourism industry helped expand GDP in 1998-99. The agriculture sector registered its fifth year of decline in 1997 primarily because of a severe decline in banana production. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean, and the government is beginning to develop regulations for the small offshore financial sector. |
Electricity - consumption | 2.322 billion kWh (2001) | 102.3 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 2.497 billion kWh (2001) | 110 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m |
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Gimie 950 m |
Environment - current issues | seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia | deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region |
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:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
Ethnic groups | Malay 67%, Chinese 15%, indigenous 6%, other 12% | black 90%, mixed 6%, East Indian 3%, white 1% |
Exchange rates | Bruneian dollars per US dollar - 1.7422 (2003), 1.7906 (2002), 1.7917 (2001), 1.724 (2000), 1.695 (1999) | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976) |
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:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dr. Perlette LOUISY (since September 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Kenneth ANTHONY (since 24 May 1997) and Deputy Prime Minister Mario MICHEL (since 24 May 1997) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general |
Exports | NA (2001) | $68.3 million (2000 est.) |
Exports - commodities | crude oil, natural gas, refined products | bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil |
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 50%, US 24%, Caricom countries 16% (1995) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
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 | blue, with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $6.5 billion (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $700 million (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 5%
industry: 45% services: 50% (2001 est.) |
agriculture:
10.7% industry: 32.3% services: 57% (1996 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $18,600 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $4,500 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 3% (2002 est.) | 0.5% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 4 30 N, 114 40 E | 13 53 N, 60 68 W |
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 | - |
Heliports | 3 (2003 est.) | - |
Highways | total: 2,525 km
paved: 2,525 km unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
total:
1,210 km paved: 63 km unpaved: 1,147 km (1996) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled substances are serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death penalty | transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe |
Imports | NA (2001) | $319.4 million (2000 est.) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals | food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels |
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) | US 36%, Caricom countries 22%, UK 11%, Japan 5%, Canada 4% (1995) |
Independence | 1 January 1984 (from UK) | 22 February 1979 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 5% (2002 est.) | -8.9% (1997 est.) |
Industries | petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction | clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut processing |
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.) |
15.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | -2% (2002 est.) | 2.5% (2000 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 | ACCT (associate), ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 15 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 10 sq km (1998 est.) | 10 sq km (1993 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court (chief justice and judges are sworn in by the monarch for three-year terms) | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (jurisdiction extends to Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) |
Labor force | 143,400
note: includes foreign workers and military personnel; temporary residents make up about 40% of labor force (1999 est.) |
43,800 |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture, forestry, and fishing 10%, production of oil, natural gas, services, and construction 42%, government 48% (1999 est.) | agriculture 43.4%, services 38.9%, industry and commerce 17.7% (1983 est.) |
Land boundaries | total: 381 km
border countries: Malaysia 381 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0.57%
permanent crops: 0.76% other: 98.67% (2001) |
arable land:
8% permanent crops: 21% permanent pastures: 5% forests and woodland: 13% other: 53% (1993 est.) |
Languages | Malay (official), English, Chinese | English (official), French patois |
Legal system | based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Shari'a law supersedes civil law in a number of areas | based on English common law |
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 |
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; six members appointed on the advice of the prime minister, three on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and two after consultation with religious, economic, and social groups) and the House of Assembly (17 seats; members are elected by popular vote from single-member constituencies to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 23 May 1997 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SLP 16, UWP 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 74.54 years
male: 72.13 years female: 77.09 years (2004 est.) |
total population:
72.57 years male: 69 years female: 76.39 years (2001 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 has ever attended school total population: 67% male: 65% female: 69% (1980 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median line |
contiguous zone:
24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
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.) |
none (2000 est.) |
Military branches | Royal Brunei Land Forces, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force | Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit), Coast Guard |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $339.5 million (2003) | $5 million (FY91/92) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 5.9% (2003) | 2% (FY91/92) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 112,630 (2004 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: approx. 60,000 (2004 est.) | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 3,425 (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, 22 February (1979) |
Nationality | noun: Bruneian(s)
adjective: Bruneian |
noun:
Saint Lucian(s) adjective: Saint Lucian |
Natural hazards | typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare | hurricanes and volcanic activity |
Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, timber | forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential |
Net migration rate | 3.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | -4.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | gas 665 km; oil 439 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) | National Freedom Party or NFP [Martinus FRANCOIS]; Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Kenneth ANTHONY]; United Workers Party or UWP [Dr. Morella JOSEPH] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 365,251 (July 2004 est.) | 158,178 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA (1992 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.95% (2004 est.) | 1.23% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Bandar Seri Begawan, Kuala Belait, Muara, Seria, Tutong | Castries, Vieux Fort |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 3, FM 10, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 2, FM 7 (plus 3 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 111,000 (1997) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs and other 10% | Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 7%, Anglican 3% |
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:
1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | none | 18 years of age; universal |
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:
adequate system domestic: system is automatically switched international: direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to Barbados; international calls beyond these countries are carried by Intelsat from Martinique |
Telephones - main lines in use | 90,000 (2002) | 37,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 137,000 (2002) | 1,600 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (1997) | 3 (of which two are commercial stations and one is a community antenna television or CATV channel) (1997) |
Terrain | flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west | volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys |
Total fertility rate | 2.33 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 2.38 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 10% (2001 est.) | 15% (1996 est.) |
Waterways | 209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m) (2004) | none |