LYCOS RETRIEVER
Brunei: Brunei Government
built 629 days ago
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 14 members (including the Sultan himself), assists in the administration of the government. The Sultan presides over the cabinet as Prime Minister and ... holds the positions of Minister of Defense and Minister of Finance. His son, the Crown Prince, serves as Senior Minister. One of the Sultan's brothers, Prince Mohamed, serves as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
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Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, whose title has passed within the same dynasty since the fifteenth century, is the head of state and head of government in Brunei. The Sultan is advised by several councils and a cabinet of ministers although he is effectively the supreme ruler. The media is extremely pro-government and the Royal family retains a venerated status within the country. There is no elected legislative body. In September 2004, the Sultan convened an appointed Parliament which had not met since independence in 1984, although it lacks any capacity beyond advising the monarch.
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Crude oil and liquefied natural gas are Brunei's main exports and the country's economic mainstays; petroleum products are ... produced. The government is attempting to promote economic diversification; clothing is manufactured, and there are banking, tourism, and construction industries. Rice, vegetables, and fruits are grown, and chickens, water buffalo, cattle, and goats are raised. Forests are strictly protected, and timber cutting is allowed only for local use. Brunei imports machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs, and chemicals. The main trading partners are Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and South Korea.
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BRUNEI-MUARA DISTRICT Brunei-Muara has an area of 570 square kilometres and is the smallest of Brunei's four districts. It remains... the most important district because the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan is located there. It is a populous, bustling district, being the seat of government ministries and departmental headquarters. The district has wide variety of sights to see and places of interest to visit.
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The culture of Brunei is predominantly Malay, with heavy influences from Hinduism and Islam, but is seen as more conservative than Malaysia. The sale and public consumption of alcohol is banned, with foreigners and non-Muslims allowed to bring in twelve cans of beer and two litres of other alcohol (e.g. wine or spirits, no distinction is made for alcohol content). This limit used to apply every entry, in 2007 ... this was changed to 1 limit every 48 hours. This has more of a negative effect on tourists rather than expats as the latter are allowed a fairly substantial monthly allowance they can purchase from government stores. After the introduction of prohibition in the early 1990s, all pubs and nightclubs were forced to close, however several types of restaurants allegedly still offer illicit alcohol sometimes served in teapots.[3]
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Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP), a joint venture owned in equal shares by the Brunei Government and the Royal Dutch/Shell group of companies, is the chief oil and gas production company in Brunei. It ... operates the country's only refinery. BSP and four sister companies--including the liquefied natural gas producing firm BLNG--constitute the largest employer in Brunei after the government. BSP's small refinery has a distillation capacity of 10,000 barrels per day. This satisfies domestic demand for most petroleum products.
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