Brunei (2007) | Bhutan (2002) | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Administrative divisions | 4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong | 18 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural); Bumthang, Chhukha, Chirang, Dagana, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel, Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang, Tashigang, Thimphu, Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang
note: there may be two new districts named Gasa and Yangtse |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 27.8% (male 53,512/female 50,529)
15-64 years: 69% (male 130,134/female 128,488) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 5,688/female 6,226) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: 39.8% (male 431,883; female 401,386)
15-64 years: 56.2% (male 606,184; female 571,310) 65 years and over: 4% (male 42,193; female 41,220) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | rice, vegetables, fruits; chickens, water buffalo, cattle, goats, eggs | rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs |
Airports | 2 (2007) | 2 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total: 5,770 sq km
land: 5,270 sq km water: 500 sq km |
total: 47,000 sq km
land: 47,000 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Delaware | about half the size of Indiana |
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 Asia. | In 1865, Britain and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Sinchulu, under which Bhutan would receive an annual subsidy in exchange for ceding some border land. Under British influence, a monarchy was set up in 1907; three years later, a treaty was signed whereby the British agreed not to interfere in Bhutanese internal affairs and Bhutan allowed Britain to direct its foreign affairs. This role was assumed by independent India after 1947. Two years later, a formal Indo-Bhutanese accord returned the areas of Bhutan annexed by the British, formalized the annual subsidies the country received, and defined India's responsibilities in defense and foreign relations. A refugee issue of some 85,000 Bhutanese in Nepal remains unresolved; 90% of the refugees are housed in seven United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps. Maoist Assamese separatists from India, who have established themselves in the southeast portion of Bhutan, have drawn Indian cross-border incursions. |
Birth rate | 18.56 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 35.26 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $3.765 billion
expenditures: $4.815 billion (2004 est.) |
revenues: $146 million
expenditures: $152 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY95/96 est.) note: the government of India finances nearly three-fifths of Bhutan's budget expenditures |
Capital | name: Bandar Seri Begawan
geographic coordinates: 4 53 N, 114 56 E time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Thimphu |
Climate | tropical; hot, humid, rainy | varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas |
Coastline | 161 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | 29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984) | no written constitution or bill of rights; note - Bhutan uses 1953 Royal decree for the Constitution of the National Assembly; on 7 July 1998, a Royal edict was ratified giving the National Assembly additional powers |
Country name | conventional long form: Brunei Darussalam
conventional short form: Brunei local long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam local short form: Brunei |
conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan
conventional short form: Bhutan |
Currency | - | ngultrum (BTN); Indian rupee (INR) |
Death rate | 3.26 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 13.74 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $0 (2005) | $245 million (1998) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Emil SKODON
embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan, BS8811 mailing address: PSC 470 (BSB), FPO AP 96507; P.O. Box 2991, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8675, Negara Brunei Darussalam telephone: [673] 222-0384 FAX: [673] 222-5293 |
the US and Bhutan have no formal diplomatic relations, although informal contact is maintained between the Bhutanese and US Embassy in New Delhi (India) |
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 |
none; note - Bhutan has a Permanent Mission to the UN; address: 2 United Nations Plaza, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10017; telephone [1] (212) 826-1919; the Bhutanese mission to the UN has consular jurisdiction in the US
consulate(s) general: New York |
Disputes - international | Brunei and Malaysia are still considering international adjudication over their disputed offshore and deepwater seabeds, where hydrocarbon exploration was terminated in 2003 international legal adjudication; Malaysia's land boundary with Brunei around Limbang is in dispute; Brunei established an exclusive economic fishing zone encompassing Louisa Reef in the 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 | approximately 100,000 Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal, 90% of whom reside in seven UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees camps, place decades-long strains on Nepal |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA (2004) | substantial aid from India and other nations |
Economy - overview | Brunei has a small well-to-do economy that encompasses a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures, and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas production account for just over half of GDP and more than 90% of exports. Per capita GDP is among the highest in Asia, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and free education through the university level and subsidizes rice and housing. Brunei's leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in the world economy will undermine internal social cohesion. 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 economy, one of the world's smallest and least developed, is based on agriculture and forestry, providing the main livelihood for more than 90% of the population. Agriculture consists largely of subsistence farming and animal husbandry. Rugged mountains dominate the terrain and make the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive. The economy is closely aligned with India's through strong trade and monetary links. The industrial sector is technologically backward, with most production of the cottage industry type. Most development projects, such as road construction, rely on Indian migrant labor. Bhutan's hydropower potential and its attraction for tourists are key resources. The Bhutanese Government has made some progress in expanding the nation's productive base and improving social welfare. Model education, social, and environment programs in Bhutan are underway with support from multilateral development organizations. Each economic program takes into account the government's desire to protect the country's environment and cultural traditions. Detailed controls and uncertain policies in areas like industrial licensing, trade, labor, and finance continue to hamper foreign investment. Major hydroelectric projects will lead expansion of GDP in 2002 by an estimated 6%. |
Electricity - consumption | 2.625 billion kWh (2005 est.) | 380.68 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 1.385 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 21 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | 2.735 billion kWh (2005) | 1.876 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 0%
hydro: 100% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m |
lowest point: Drangme Chhu 97 m
highest point: Kula Kangri 7,553 m |
Environment - current issues | seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia | soil erosion; limited access to potable water |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, 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, Nuclear Test Ban
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
Ethnic groups | Malay 67%, Chinese 15%, indigenous 6%, other 12% | Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35% (includes Lhotsampas--one of several Nepalese ethnic groups), indigenous or migrant tribes 15% |
Exchange rates | Bruneian dollars per US dollar - 1.5886 (2006), 1.6644 (2005), 1.6902 (2004), 1.7422 (2003), 1.7906 (2002) | ngultrum per US dollar - 48.336 (January 2002), 47.186 (2001), 44.942 (2000), 43.055 (1999), 41.259 (1998), 36.313 (1997); note - the Bhutanese ngultrum is at par with the Indian rupee which is also legal tender |
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) 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: King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972)
head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Lyonpo Khandu WANGCHUK (since 8 August 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog) nominated by the monarch, approved by the National Assembly; members serve fixed, five-year terms; note - there is also a Royal Advisory Council (Lodoi Tsokde), members nominated by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary, but democratic reforms in July 1998 grant the National Assembly authority to remove the monarch with two-thirds vote |
Exports | 205,600 bbl/day (2006) | $154 million f.o.b. (2000 est.) |
Exports - commodities | crude oil, natural gas, refined products, clothing | electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, precious stones, spices |
Exports - partners | Japan 30.5%, Indonesia 19.9%, South Korea 14.9%, Australia 11.5%, US 7.7% (2006) | India 94%, Bangladesh |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | 1 July - 30 June |
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 | divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper triangle is yellow and the lower triangle is orange; centered along the dividing line is a large black and white dragon facing away from the hoist side |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (2001 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 0.9%
industry: 71.6% services: 27.5% (2005 est.) |
agriculture: 45%
industry: 20% services: 35% (2001 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $1,200 (2001 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 0.4% (2005 est.) | 6% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 4 30 N, 114 40 E | 27 30 N, 90 30 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 within Malaysia | landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes |
Heliports | 3 (2007) | - |
Highways | - | total: 3,285 km
paved: 1,994 km unpaved: 1,291 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 | - |
Imports | 660.1 bbl/day (2004) | $196 million c.i.f. (2000 est.) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals | fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice |
Imports - partners | Singapore 31.6%, Malaysia 19%, UK 8.1%, Japan 5.6%, China 5.5%, Thailand 4.6% (2006) | India 77%, Japan, UK, Germany, US |
Independence | 1 January 1984 (from UK) | 8 August 1949 (from India) |
Industrial production growth rate | 1.8% (2005 est.) | 9.3% (1996 est.) |
Industries | petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction | cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide |
Infant mortality rate | total: 13.12 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 15.72 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
106.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.1% (2005) | 7% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, C, EAS, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO | AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMF, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | NA |
Irrigated land | 10 sq km (2003) | 400 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court - chief justice and judges are sworn in by monarch for three-year terms; Judicial Committee of Privy Council in London is final court of appeal for civil cases; Shariah courts deal with Islamic laws (2006) | Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch) |
Labor force | 180,400 (2006 est.) | NA
note: massive lack of skilled labor |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 2.9%
industry: 61.1% services: 36% (2003 est.) |
agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry and commerce 2% |
Land boundaries | total: 381 km
border countries: Malaysia 381 km |
total: 1,075 km
border countries: China 470 km, India 605 km |
Land use | arable land: 2.08%
permanent crops: 0.87% other: 97.05% (2005) |
arable land: 2.98%
permanent crops: 0.43% other: 96.59% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Malay (official), English, Chinese | Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects |
Legal system | based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Shari'a law supersedes civil law in a number of areas; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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; Sultan dissolved council on 1 September 2005 and appointed a new council with 29 members as of 2 September 2005
elections: last held in March 1962 (date of next election NA) |
unicameral National Assembly or Tshogdu (150 seats; 105 elected from village constituencies, 10 represent religious bodies, and 35 are designated by the monarch to represent government and other secular interests; members serve three-year terms)
elections: last held NA (next to be held NA) election results: NA |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 75.3 years
male: 73.12 years female: 77.59 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 53.19 years
male: 53.53 years female: 52.83 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.7% male: 95.2% female: 90.2% (2001 census) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 42.2% male: 56.2% female: 28.1% (1995 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia | Southern Asia, between China and India |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median line |
none (landlocked) |
Merchant marine | total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 465,937 GRT/413,393 DWT
by type: liquefied gas 8 foreign-owned: 8 (UK 8) (2007) |
- |
Military branches | Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF): Royal Brunei Land Forces, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei) (2005) | Royal Bhutan Army, Royal Bodyguard, National Militia, Royal Bhutan Police, Forest Guards |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $9.3 million (FY01) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 4.5% (2006) | 1.9% (FY01) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 517,470 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 276,303 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | - | 18 years of age (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 21,167 (2002 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 | National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907) |
Nationality | noun: Bruneian(s)
adjective: Bruneian |
noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Bhutanese |
Natural hazards | typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare | violent storms from the Himalayas are the source of the country's name which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon; frequent landslides during the rainy season |
Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, timber | timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide |
Net migration rate | 2.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Pipelines | gas 672 km; oil 463 km (2006) | - |
Political parties and leaders | Brunei National Solidarity Party or PPKB [Abdul LATIF bin Chuchu]; National Development Party or NDP [YASSIN Affendi]
note: People's Awareness Party or PAKAR [Awang Haji MAIDIN bin Haji Ahmad] was deregistered in 2007; parties are small and have limited activity |
no legal parties |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled) |
Population | 374,577 (July 2007 est.) | 2,094,176
note: other estimates range as low as 810,000 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.81% (2007 est.) | 2.15% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | none |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2 (transmitting on 18 different frequencies), shortwave 0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) station transmits two FM signals with English and Nepali service) (2006) | AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Radios | - | 37,000 (1997) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, other (includes indigenous beliefs) 10% | Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.059 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.013 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.914 male(s)/female total population: 1.022 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | none | each family has one vote in village-level elections |
Telephone system | general assessment: service throughout the country is excellent; international service is good to Southeast Asia, Middle East, Western Europe, and the US
domestic: every service available international: country code - 673; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; the Asia-America Gateway submarine cable network, scheduled for completion by late 2008, will provide new links to Asia and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) (2007) |
general assessment: NA
domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with few telephones in use international: international telephone and telegraph service is by landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 80,200 (2006) | 6,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 254,000 (2006) | NA |
Television broadcast stations | 4 (includes 2 UHF stations broadcasting a subscription service) (2006) | 0 (1997) |
Terrain | flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west | mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna |
Total fertility rate | 1.97 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 5 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 4% (2006) | NA% |
Waterways | 209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m) (2007) | none |