Thailand

Thailand Background

A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. In alliance with Japan during World War II, Thailand became a US ally following the conflict. Thailand is currently facing armed violence in its five Muslim-majority southern provinces.

Thailand Information

• Population: 64,865,523 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the
• Nationality: noun: Thai (singular and plural) adjective: Thai
• Location:: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma
• Religions:: Buddhism 95%, Muslim 3.8%, Christianity 0.5%, Hinduism 0.1%, other 0.6% (1991)
• Ethnic Groups:: Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%
• Land Boundaries:: total: 4,863 km border countries: Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km, Malaysia 506 km
• Area: total: 514,000 sq km water: 2,230 sq km land: 511,770 sq km
• Coast Line: 3,219 km
• Climate: tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid
• Terrain: central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere
• Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
• Land Use: arable land: 29.36% permanent crops: 6.46% other: 64.18% (2001)
• Environmental Issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting
• Natural Resources: tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land
• Highways: total: 64,600 km paved: 62,985 km unpaved: 1,615 km (1999 est.)
• Railways: total: 4,071 km narrow gauge: 4,071 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)
• Ports & Harbours: Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Pattani, Phuket, Sattahip, Si Racha, Songkhla
• Airports: 109 (2003 est.)