Brunei, situated on the northern shore of the island of Borneo in the South China Sea, is one of the smallest yet richest states in the world.
The country is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak. It has a population of less than 500,000.
A British protectorate since 1888, Brunei was the only Malay state in 1963 which chose to remain so rather than join the federation that became Malaysia.
Brunei achieved independence in 1984. Brunei’s political system is governed by the constitution and the national tradition of the Malay Islamic monarchy.
The nation has been ruled by the same family for hundreds of years. Its ruling royals possess a huge private fortune and its largely ethnic-Malay population enjoys generous state handouts and pays no taxes.
Brunei is a member of the Commonwealth and ASEAN. The capital of Brunei is Bandar Seri Begawan. The official language of Brunei is Standard Malay. The currency is the Brunei dollar.