LOCATED ON THE north coast of Borneo, Negara Brunei Darussalam has a land area of 2,226 sq. mi. (5,765 sq. km.), and is divided into two parts. It has a population of 383,990 (2007 est.), and a population density of 168 people per sq. mi. (65 people per sq. km.). The country has abundant petroleum and gas supplies, which produce most of the its wealth, with one percent of the land being arable, and another one percent used for meadows and pasture. Unlike most of the other major petroleum-exporting countries, some 85 percent of the country is forested, with logging restricted and largely for local consumption, such as in the making of furniture and other higher-value activities.

In spite of its abundant forests, Brunei has the ...