History Of Brunei

Under Brunei's 1959 constitution, the Sultan is the head of state with full executive authority, including emergency powers since 1962. The Sultan is assisted and advised by five councils, which he appoints. A Council of Ministers, or cabinet, which currently consists of nine members (including the Sultan himself), assists in the administration of the government. The Sultan presides over the cabinet as Prime Minister and also holds the positions of Minister of Defense and Minister of Finance. One of the Sultan's brothers, Prince Mohamed, serves as Minister of Foreign Affairs. ... [Read More]

Consular Section

To be approved for a visa, all applicants need to overcome Section 214(b) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, that states, in part: Every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he/she establishes to the satisfaction of the consular officer, at the time of application for a visa, and the Immigration Officers, at the time of application for admission, that he/she is entitled to a nonimmigrant status under section 101(a)(15). ... [Read More]

Background Notes Archive - East Asia and the Pacific

Background Notes: Brunei, October 1998Released by the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific AffairsU.S. Department of StateOFFICIAL NAME: Brunei DarussalamPROFILEGeographyArea: 5,769 sq. km. (2,227 sq. mi.), slightly larger than Delaware.Cities: Capital--Bandar Seri Begawan.Terrain: East--flat coastal plains with beaches; west--hilly with a few mountain ridges.Climate: Equatorial; high temperatures, humidity, and rainfall.PeopleNationality: Noun and adjective--Bruneian(s).Population (1998 est.): 320,000.Annual growth rate: 2.5%.Ethnic groups: Malay, Chinese, other indigenous.Religion: Islam.Languages: Malay, English, Chinese; Iban and other indigenous dialects.Education: Years compulsory--9. Literacy--90%. (1996)Health: Life expectancy--74 years. Infant mortality rate(1996)--6.9/1,000. GovernmentType: Sultanate.Independence: January 1, 1984.Constitution: 1959.Branches: Executive--Sultan is both head of state and prime minister, presiding over an 11-member cabinet. Judicial (ba ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

 Soft drinks such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, 7-Up, and Sprite are available. Sales of alcoholic beverages are prohibited, but diplomats are allowed to import limited quantities of beer, wine, and spirits according to an established quota. ClothingLast Updated:  12/2/2003 10:33 AM An extensive summer wardrobe is the only type of clothing necessary for Brunei. Ready-made clothing is limited to small sizes, but can be ordered via mail facilities. Ordering usually takes several weeks. A variety of fabrics are available at reasonable cost, but the selection of buttons, zippers, and other notions are limited. If you enjoy sewing, bring your own patterns. Local dressmakers and tailors have been used with varying degrees of success, but good tailors are expensive. Acceptable dry cleaners exist ... [Read More]

Background Notes

These publications include facts about the land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, and foreign relations of independent states, some dependencies, and areas of special sovereignty.  The Notes are updated/revised by the Office of Electronic Information and Publications of the Bureau of Public Affairs as they are received from the Department's regional bureaus and are added to the database of the Department of State website you are now using. ... [Read More]

Background Notes: Asean

Background Notes: AseanPA/PCSource: Office of Public Communication, Bureau of Public AffairsDate: Mar 15, 19923/15/92Category: Country DataRegion: South AmericaCountry: ArgentinaSubject: Travel, History, Trade/Economics, International Organizations, Security Assistance and Sales[TEXT]Official Name: Association of Southeast Asian NationsMember states: Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, thePhilippines, Singapore, and Thailand.PROFILEGeographyArea: 3 million sq. km. (1 million sq. mi.); about the size of the USeast of the Mississippi River, plus Texas and Oklahoma. Majorcities: Brunei Darussalam--Band ... [Read More]

U.S. Department of State FOIA Electronic Reading Room--Post Reports

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USIS Washington File: TEXT: TRANSPORTATION 6/9 RELEASE ON KOREA OPEN SKIES AGREEMENT

Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater, on the occasion of the signing of the new U.S.-Korea Open Skies aviation agreement, said the accord is a cornerstone of the Clinton administration's successful initiative to liberalize air services between the United States and Asia. ...

Open Skies agreements permit unrestricted air service by the airlines of both sides between and beyond the other's territory, eliminating restrictions on how often carriers can fly, the kind of aircraft they use and the prices they can charge. The United States now has Open Skies agreements with 31 aviation partners. ... [Read More]

Op-Ed on World AIDS Day

The United States has stepped up to the challenge of global HIV/AIDS with President Bush’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. As President Bush has stated, “in the face of preventable death and suffering, we have a moral duty to act, and we are acting.” The $15 billion, five-year initiative is targeted to preventing 7 million new HIV infections, providing treatment medicines to 2 million HIV-positive individuals, and caring for 10 million people living with HIV/AIDS and children orphaned by the disease. The Plan increases by $1 billion our contribution to the Global Fund, bringing total U.S. contributions to $1.6 billion -- almost half of all pledges to the fund to date. It continues our bilateral assistance to some 75 countries combating HIV/AIDS, and offers $9 billion in funding to 14 target countries representing 50% of the world’s population of people living with HIV/AIDS. The initiative represents the largest commitment in history by a single nation for an international health initia ... [Read More]