Brunei is located north-west corner of the island of Borneo. It has a land border with the Malaysian state of Sarawak and a coastline along the shore of the South China Sea, encompassing a total area of 5,765 square kilometres. It is divided into four districts : Brunei-muara, Tutong, Belait and Temburong. The capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, is in the Brunei-Muara district and this is the main centre of population and administration. Some 70% of the land is covered by tropical rain forest . Brunei is a Malay Islamic Monarchy with a 600 year recorded history, which has given rise to well-established traditions and a unique cultural identity. The state is ruled, in accordance with traditional Islamic values, by His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu 'izzadin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di Pertuan of Negara Brunei Darussalam. Since resuming full sovereign independence in l984, Brunei has played an important role in regional affairs as member of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). The population is about 280,000 of which Malays comprise 70%. There are also communities of Chinese, Indians and others. Malay is the official national language, but English is widely spoken and used in business and commerce. Brunei's equatorial climate brings consistently high levels of temperature, rainfall and humidity, with only minor seasonal variations.