conventional long form name: Brunei Darussalam
Capital City: Bandar Seri Begawan
Type of government: constitutional sultanate (locally known as Malay Islamic Monarchy)
Date of 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 protection
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
Capital City: Bandar Seri Begawan
Type of government: constitutional sultanate (locally known as Malay Islamic Monarchy)
Date of 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 protection
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
Chief of State and Head of Government: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSNAL Bolkiah
head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967)
The executive branch is run by the chief of State and the head of government which is the Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSNAL Bolkiah. It consists of a 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. Brunei does not have elections; the monarchy is hereditary.
the Sultan appointed a Legislative Council with 29 members in September 2005; he increased the size of the council to 33 members in June 2011; the council meets annually in March elections. It can pass constitutional amendments.
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; Sharia courts deal with Islamic laws (2006)
Suffrage: 18 years of age for village elections; universal
Ambassador to the U.S.: Ambassador Yusoff Abd HAMID
Location of Embassy: 3520 International Court NW #300, Washington, DC 20008
Locations of Consulates in the U.S.: None
U.S. Embassador: Ambassador Daniel L. SHIELDS III
Location of U.S. Embassy in Brunei: Simpang 336-52-16-9, Jalan Kebangsaan, Bandar Seri Begawan, BC4115
Location of U.S. consulates in Brunei: None
Representative to the UN: LATIF bin Tuah
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"