Brunei (2007) | Gibraltar (2006) | |
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Administrative divisions | 4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
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: 17.5% (male 2,499/female 2,388)
15-64 years: 66% (male 9,443/female 8,999) 65 years and over: 16.5% (male 2,059/female 2,540) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | rice, vegetables, fruits; chickens, water buffalo, cattle, goats, eggs | none |
Airports | 2 (2007) | 1 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) |
- |
Area | total: 5,770 sq km
land: 5,270 sq km water: 500 sq km |
total: 6.5 sq km
land: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Delaware | about 11 times the size of The Mall in 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 Asia. | Strategically important, Gibraltar was reluctantly ceded to Great Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison was formally declared a colony in 1830. In a referendum held in 1967, Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. Although the current 1969 Constitution for Gibraltar states that the British government will never allow the people of Gibraltar to pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes, a series of talks were held by the UK and Spain between 1997 and 2002 on establishing temporary joint sovereignty over Gibraltar. In response to these talks, the Gibraltarian Government set up a referendum in late 2002 in which a majority of the citizens voted overwhelmingly against any sharing of sovereignty with Spain. Since the referendum, tripartite talks have been held with Spain, the UK, and Gibraltar, and in September 2006 a three-way agreement was signed. Spain agreed to allow airlines other than British to serve Gibraltar, to speed up customs procedures, and to add more telephone lines into Gibraltar. Britain agreed to pay pensions to Spaniards who had been employed in Gibraltar before the border closed in 1969. Spain will be allowed to open a cultural institute from which the Spanish flag will fly. |
Birth rate | 18.56 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 10.74 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $3.765 billion
expenditures: $4.815 billion (2004 est.) |
revenues: $307 million
expenditures: $284 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.) |
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) |
name: Gibraltar
geographic coordinates: 39 11 N, 5 22 W time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
Climate | tropical; hot, humid, rainy | Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers |
Coastline | 161 km | 12 km |
Constitution | 29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984) | 30 May 1969 |
Country name | conventional long form: Brunei Darussalam
conventional short form: Brunei local long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam local short form: Brunei |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Gibraltar |
Death rate | 3.26 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 9.31 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | $0 (2005) | $NA (2000 est.) |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK |
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 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
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 (overseas territory of the UK) |
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 | in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement; the government of Gibraltar insists on equal participation in talks between the UK and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar even greater autonomy |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA (2004) | $NA |
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. | Self-sufficient Gibraltar benefits from an extensive shipping trade, offshore banking, and its position as an international conference center. The British military presence has been sharply reduced and now contributes about 7% to the local economy, compared with 60% in 1984. The financial sector, tourism (almost 5 million visitors in 1998), shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. The financial sector, the shipping sector, and tourism each contribute 25%-30% of GDP. Telecommunications accounts for another 10%. In recent years, Gibraltar has seen major structural change from a public to a private sector economy, but changes in government spending still have a major impact on the level of employment. |
Electricity - consumption | 2.625 billion kWh (2005 est.) | 98.69 million kWh (2003) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production | 2.735 billion kWh (2005) | 106.1 million kWh (2003) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m |
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m |
Environment - current issues | seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia | limited natural freshwater resources: large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater (no longer used for drinking water) and adequate desalination plant |
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 |
- |
Ethnic groups | Malay 67%, Chinese 15%, indigenous 6%, other 12% | Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, German, North Africans |
Exchange rates | Bruneian dollars per US dollar - 1.5886 (2006), 1.6644 (2005), 1.6902 (2004), 1.7422 (2003), 1.7906 (2002) | Gibraltar pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)
note: the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound |
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: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Sir Robert FULTON (since 27 October 2006)
head of government: Chief Minister Peter CARUANA (since 17 May 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed from among the 15 elected members of the House of Assembly by the governor in consultation with the chief minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor |
Exports | 205,600 bbl/day (2006) | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | crude oil, natural gas, refined products, clothing | (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8% |
Exports - partners | Japan 30.5%, Indonesia 19.9%, South Korea 14.9%, Australia 11.5%, US 7.7% (2006) | UK 30.8%, Spain 22.7%, Germany 13.7%, Turkmenistan 10.4%, Switzerland 8.3%, Italy 6.7% (2005) |
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 | two horizontal bands of white (top, double width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 0.9%
industry: 71.6% services: 27.5% (2005 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - real growth rate | 0.4% (2005 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 4 30 N, 114 40 E | 36 8 N, 5 21 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 within Malaysia | strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea |
Heliports | 3 (2007) | - |
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) | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals | fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | Singapore 31.6%, Malaysia 19%, UK 8.1%, Japan 5.6%, China 5.5%, Thailand 4.6% (2006) | Spain 23.4%, Russia 12.3%, Italy 12%, UK 9%, France 8.9%, Netherlands 6.8%, US 4.7% (2005) |
Independence | 1 January 1984 (from UK) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 1.8% (2005 est.) | NA% |
Industries | petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction | tourism, banking and finance, ship repairing, tobacco |
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.) |
total: 5.06 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.63 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.1% (2005) | 1.5% (1998) |
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 | Interpol (subbureau), UPU |
Irrigated land | 10 sq km (2003) | NA |
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; Court of Appeal |
Labor force | 180,400 (2006 est.) | 12,690 (including non-Gibraltar laborers) (2001) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 2.9%
industry: 61.1% services: 36% (2003 est.) |
agriculture: negligible
industry: 40% services: 60% |
Land boundaries | total: 381 km
border countries: Malaysia 381 km |
total: 1.2 km
border countries: Spain 1.2 km |
Land use | arable land: 2.08%
permanent crops: 0.87% other: 97.05% (2005) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
Languages | Malay (official), English, Chinese | English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese |
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 | English 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; 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 House of Assembly (18 seats - 15 elected by popular vote, 1 appointed for the Speaker, and 2 ex officio members; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 November 2003 (next to be held not later than February 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - GSD 58%, GSLP 41%; seats by party - GSD 8, GSLP 7 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 75.3 years
male: 73.12 years female: 77.59 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 79.8 years
male: 76.92 years female: 82.83 years (2006 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.7% male: 95.2% female: 90.2% (2001 census) |
definition: NA
total population: above 80% male: NA female: NA |
Location | Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia | Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Europe |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median line |
territorial sea: 3 nm |
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) |
total: 180 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,129,379 GRT/1,437,754 DWT
by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 1, cargo 105, chemical tanker 26, container 26, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 11, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 165 (Belgium 2, Cyprus 1, Denmark 1, Finland 3, France 1, Germany 108, Greece 7, Iceland 1, Ireland 1, Italy 6, Latvia 2, Netherlands 5, Norway 18, Sweden 5, UK 4) (2006) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK; the last British regular infantry forces left Gibraltar in 1992, replaced by the Royal Gibraltar Regiment |
Military branches | Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF): Royal Brunei Land Forces, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei) (2005) | Royal Gibraltar Regiment |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 4.5% (2006) | - |
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, 10 September (1967); note - day of the national referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or go with Spain |
Nationality | noun: Bruneian(s)
adjective: Bruneian |
noun: Gibraltarian(s)
adjective: Gibraltar |
Natural hazards | typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare | NA |
Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, timber | none |
Net migration rate | 2.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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 |
Gibraltar Liberal Party [Joseph GARCIA]; Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Joseph John BOSSANO] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization; Women's Association |
Population | 374,577 (July 2007 est.) | 27,928 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.81% (2007 est.) | 0.14% (2006 est.) |
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 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Religions | Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, other (includes indigenous beliefs) 10% | Roman Catholic 78.1%, Church of England 7%, other Christian 3.2%, Muslim 4%, Jewish 2.1%, Hindu 1.8%, other or unspecified 0.9%, none 2.9% (2001 census) |
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: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Suffrage | none | 18 years of age; universal, plus other British citizens who have been residents six months or more |
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: adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international facilities
domestic: automatic exchange facilities international: country code - 350; radiotelephone; microwave radio relay; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 80,200 (2006) | 24,512 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 254,000 (2006) | 9,797 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | 4 (includes 2 UHF stations broadcasting a subscription service) (2006) | 1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west | a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar |
Total fertility rate | 1.97 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 1.65 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 4% (2006) | 2% (2001 est.) |
Waterways | 209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m) (2007) | - |