BRUNEI

Information and maps from the Darling Kindersley

World Reference Atlas (?35), available from all good bookshops.

Official name: The Sultanate of Brunei Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan Population: 300,000 Currency: Brunei dollar Official language: Malay

Brunei lies on the northwestern coast of the island of Borneo, bordering the Malaysian state of Sarawak. As much as 80 per cent of its land area is made up of rainforest. Independent from Britain since 1984, Brunei is ruled by decree of the Sultan. It is undergoing increasing Islamisation. Oil and gas reserves have brought the inhabitants of Brunei one of the world's highest standards of living. CLIMATE

Just 480 kilometres north of the equator, Brunei has a six-month rainy season with extremely high humidity. TRANSPORT

Interest-free loans for civil servants, subsidised petrol and limited public transport account for the high rates of car ownership. TOURISM

Although keen to protect Bruneians from Western influence, the government wants to develop "quality" tourism as part of its diversification programme. Promoted as the "Gateway to Borneo", ideas include developing eco-tourism. PEOPLE

Population density: 57 people per square kilometre Urban/rural population split: 58 per cent/42 percent Ethnic make-up: 67 per cent Malay, 16 per cent Chinese, 6 per cent indigenous, 11 per cent other Malays benefit from positive discrimination; many in the Chinese community are either stateless or hold British protected person passports. Among indigenous groups, the Murut and Dusuns are favoured over the Ibans. Women are obliged to wear headscarves but not the veil. POLITICS

Since a failed rebellion in 1962, a state of emergency has been in force and the Sultan has ruled by decree. Hopes for democracy were dashed when political parties were banned in 1988. In 1990 Islamic values were promoted as the state ideology. Power is closely tied to the royal family. Two of the Sultan's brothers hold the finance and foreign affairs portfolios; the Sultan looks after defence himself. WORLD AFFAIRS

Brunei claims part of the Spratly Islands. Political exiles opposed to the government and based in Malaysia are a main security concern. Relations with Britain - the ex-colonial power - are good. AID

Spending is largely ad hdc. Donors have included the Contras in Nicaragua, the Bosnian Muslims and the homeless in New York. DEFENCE

As well as being head of the 4,500-strong armed forces, the Sultan has a personal bodyguard of 2,000 British-trained Gurkhas. Britain and Singapore are close defence allies. ECONOMICS

GNP: $4 billion World GNP ranking: 109th GNP per capita: $14,240 Balance of payments: $83.8 million Strengths: Twenty-five years of known oil reserves; 40 years of gas. Earnings from massive overseas investments, mainly in the US and Europe, now exceed oil and gas revenues. Weaknesses: Single-product economy. Failure of diversification programmes could lead to problems in the future.

RESOURCES

Electricity generation: 1.3 billion kwh Oil production: 159,718 barrels per day Livestock: 14,000 pigs, 10,000 buffaloes

Mineral resources: Oil and natural gas Oil and gas account for 0.5 per cent and 9 per cent of world production respectively. Energy policy now focuses on regulating output in order to conserve stocks. ENVIRONMENT

Although the Forest Strategic Plan aims to protect Brunei's rainforests, they remain under threat. Brunei's mangrove swamps, the largest in Borneo, are unprotected. MEDIA

The state controls all media. CRIME

Crime levels are low. Most crime is related to the banned substances of alcohol or narcotics. EDUCATION

Free schooling is available for everyone except the Chinese who do not qualify. The University of Brunei Darussalam is undergoing Islamisation. HEALTH

The health service is free. WEALTH

The wealthy in Brunei are those closest to the Sultan - the world's richest man according to Forbes magazine. A high general standard of living keeps discontent to a minimum. Promotion within the civil service and universal education allows some social mobility among the Malays. WORLD RANKING Position in World (192 countries)

Life expectancy 33 Infant mortality 25 GNP per capita 24 Daily calorie intake 84 Literacy 97 Schooling index 72 Educational rank 72 human dev. index 41