Brunei is a small, rich country on the island of Borneo. Maps often tuck it under “East Asia,” but it sits with Malaysia and Indonesia in Southeast Asia, on the north-west coast of that island. The capital is Bandar Seri Begawan. Oil and gas made the country wealthy; its ruler, the Sultan, is often named among the richest people in the world. For a long time it was under British protection; it became an independent member of the Commonwealth in 1984. It is a Malay Muslim monarchy, and Malay is the main language. It is only one part of Borneo — Malaysia and Indonesia share the rest of the island — so the country and the island are not the same thing.