Long-form name: Negara Brunei Darussalam

Type: constitutional sultanate

Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan

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

Independence: 1 January 1984 (from UK)

Constitution: 29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended since December 1962, others since independence)

Legal system: based on Islamic law

National holiday: National Day, 23 February (1984)

Branches: chief of state is sultan (advised by appointed Privy Council), who appoints Executive Council and Legislative Council

Leader: @m5Chief of State and Head of Government--Sultan and Prime Minister Sir Muda HASSANAL BOLKIAH Muizzaddin Waddaulah (since 5 October 1967)

Suffrage: universal at 21; three-tiered system of indirect elections; popular vote cast for lowest level (district councilors)

Elections: last elections--March 1965; further elections postponed indefinitely

Political parties and leaders: Brunei National United Party (established on 4 February 1986), Anak Hasanuddin, chairman; on 13 February 1988, the Brunei National Democratic Party, Abdul Latif bin Abdul Hamid, chairman, was banned (established on 18 September 1985, it was the first legal political party)

Communists: probably none

Member of: ASEAN, ESCAP (associate member), IMO, INTERPOL, OIC, UN

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dato Paduka Haji MOHAMED SUNI bin Haji Idris; Chancery at 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 342-0159; US--Ambassador Thomas C. FERGUSON; Embassy at Teck Guan Plaza (corner of Jalan McArthur), Bandar Seri Begawan (mailing address is P. O. Box 2991, Bandar Seri Begawan); telephone Õ673å (2) 29670

Flag: 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

NOTE: The information regarding Brunei on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Brunei Government 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Brunei Government 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.