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Country Name

Conventional long form: Brunei Darussalam

Conventional short form: Brunei

Local long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam

Local short form: Brunei

Administrative Divisions

4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong

Independence

1 January 1984 (from the UK)

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 protectionthe Sultan's birthday, 15 June

Constitution

History: drafted 1954 to 1959, signed 29 September 1959; note - some constitutional provisions suspended since 1962 under a State of Emergency, others suspended since independence in 1984 (2017)

Amendments: proposed by the monarch; passage requires submission to the Privy Council for Legislative Council review and finalization takes place by proclamation; the monarch can accept or reject changes to the original proposal provided by the Legislative Council; amended 1984, 2004, 2011 (2017)

Legal System

mixed legal system based on English common law and Islamic law; note - in May 2014, the first of three phases of sharia-based penal codes was instituted, which applies to Muslims and non-Muslims and exists in parallel to the existing common law-based code

International Law Organization Participation

Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Citizenship by birth: no

Citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Brunei

Dual citizenship recognized: no

Residency requirement for naturalization: 12 years

Suffrage

18 years of age for village elections; universal

Executive Branch

Chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both chief of state and head of government

Head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967)

Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed and presided over by the monarch; note - 4 additional advisory councils appointed by the monarch are the Religious Council, Privy Council for constitutional issues, Council of Succession, and Legislative Council

Elections:

Legislative Branch

Description: unicameral Legislative Council or Majlis Mesyuarat Negara Brunei (36 seats; members appointed by the sultan including 3 ex-officio members - the speaker and first and second secretaries; members appointed for 5-year terms)

Elections: appointed by the sultan

Election results: NA; composition - men 33, women 3, percent of women 8.3%

Judicial Branch

Highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of Court of Appeal and High Court, each with a chief justice and 2 judges); Sharia Court of Appeal (consists of judges appointed by the monarch); note - Brunei has a dual judicial system of secular and sharia (religious) courts; the Judicial Committee of Privy Council in London serves as the final appellate court for civil cases only

Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the monarch to serve until age 65, and older if approved by the monarch; Sharia Court of Appeal judges appointed by the monarch for life

Subordinate courts: Intermediate Court; Magistrate's Courts; Juvenile Court; small claims courts; lower sharia courts

Political Parties and Leaders

National Development Party or NDP [YASSIN Affendi] note: Brunei National Solidarity Party or PPKB [Abdul LATIF bin Chuchu] and People's Awareness Party or PAKAR [Awang Haji MAIDIN bin Haji Ahmad] were deregistered in 2007; parties are small and have limited activity

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; yellow is the color of royalty and symbolizes the sultanate; the white and black bands denote Brunei's chief ministers; the emblem includes five main components: a swallow-tailed flag, the royal umbrella representing the monarchy, the wings of four feathers symbolizing justice, tranquility, prosperity, and peace, the two upraised hands signifying the government's pledge to preserve and promote the welfare of the people, and the crescent moon denoting Islam, the state religion; the state motto "Always render service with God's guidance" appears in yellow Arabic script on the crescent; a ribbon below the crescent reads "Brunei, the Abode of Peace"

National Symbols

Royal parasol; national colors: yellow, white, black

National Anthem

Lyrics:

Note: adopted 1951

Year	2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000

Government Type

Absolute monarchy or sultanate

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)

Diplomatic Representation in the US

Chief Of Mission
Ambassador Serbini ALI (since 28 January 2016)
Chancery
3520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
Telephone
[1] (202) 237-1838
FAX
[1] (202) 885-0560
Consulate(s)
New York

Diplomatic Representation from the US

Chief Of Mission
Ambassador Craig B. ALLEN (since 9 March 2015)
Embassy
Simpang 336-52-16-9, Jalan Datu, Bandar Seri Begawan, BC4115
Mailing Address
Unit 4280, Box 40, FPO AP 96507; P.O. Box 2991, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8675, Negara Brunei Darussalam
Telephone
[673] 238-4616
FAX
[673] 238-4604

International Organization Participation

ADB
APEC
ARF
ASEAN
C
CP
EAS
FAO
G-77
IAEA
IBRD
ICAO
ICC (NGOs)
ICRM
IDA
IFRCS
ILO
IMF
IMO
IMSO

Interpol
IOC
ISO (correspondent)
ITSO
ITU
NAM
OIC
OPCW
UN
UNCTAD
UNESCO
UNIFIL
UNWTO
UPU
WCO
WHO
WIPO
WMO
WTO

Brunei