Brunei

Brunei is a tiny nation of only 375,000 citizens on the island of Borneo, which this city-state shares with Malaysia and Indonesia. Brunei is cut into two slices; the Temburong district to the east is separated from the rest of Brunei, and surrounded by Malaysia. 

Brunei has some of the largest oil fields in all of Southeast Asia, making it home to one of the wealthiest rulers on the planet. The Sultan of Brunei has assets of around US$ 40 billion and lives in a 1,700-room palace with a garage for 110 cars. His family has ruled Brunei for over 600 years. Travelers to Brunei can glimpse his palace from the road, but the best views are from the water. The Bruneian Empire was founded in the 7th century, and during the rule of Emperor Bolkiah it reached as far away as the Philippines.

In Brunei, Malay, Chinese and English are the main languages. About two-thirds of the population is Muslim, and alcohol is banned by law. Ten percent of the people are Christian and the remainder are Buddhist and Animist.