FACTS: Kingdom of Thailand.
Background: A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century; it was known as Siam until 1939. Thailand is the only south east 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.
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma
Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N, 100 00 E
Area:
Total: 514,000 sq km
Land: 511,770 sq km
Water: 2,230 sq km
Area - comparative:
Spain 504.880 sq.km
France 543.965 sq.km
Land boundaries:
Total: 4.863 km
Border countries:
Burma 1.800 km,
Cambodia 803 km
Laos 1.754 km
Malaysia 506 km
Coastline: 3,219 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
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
Elevation extremes:
Lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m
Highest point: Doi Inthanon 2,576 m
Natural resources:
Tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite and arable land.
Land use:
Arable land: 34%
Permanent crops: 6%
Permanent pastures: 2%
Forests and woodland: 26%
Other: 32% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 44,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards:
Land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table; droughts
Environment - current issues:
Air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting
Geography - note:
Controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore
Population: 61,230,874
Note: Estimates for this country’s 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 distribution of population by age and *** than would otherwise be expected (July 2000 est.)
Age structure: (2000 est.)
0-14 years: 24% (male 7,386,231; female 7,107,010)
15-64 years: 70% (male 21,102,363; female 21,714,411)
65 years and over: 6% (male 1,726,043; female 2,194,816)
Population growth rate: 0.93% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 16.86 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 7.53 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
*** ratio: (2000 est.)
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female
Infant mortality rate: 31.48 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
Total population: 68.55 years
Male: 65.29 years
Female: 71.97 years
Total fertility rate: 1.88 children born/woman
Nationality:
Noun: Thai (singular and plural)
Adjective: Thai
Ethnic groups: Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%
Religions:
Buddhism 95%
Muslim 3.8%
Christianity 0.5%
Hinduism 0.1%
other 0.6%
Languages:
Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects
Literacy:
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 93.8%
Male: 96%
Female: 91.6%
Country name:
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Thailand
Conventional short form: Thailand
Background: A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century; it was known as Siam until 1939. Thailand is the only south east 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.
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma
Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N, 100 00 E
Area:
Total: 514,000 sq km
Land: 511,770 sq km
Water: 2,230 sq km
Area - comparative:
Spain 504.880 sq.km
France 543.965 sq.km
Land boundaries:
Total: 4.863 km
Border countries:
Burma 1.800 km,
Cambodia 803 km
Laos 1.754 km
Malaysia 506 km
Coastline: 3,219 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
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
Elevation extremes:
Lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m
Highest point: Doi Inthanon 2,576 m
Natural resources:
Tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite and arable land.
Land use:
Arable land: 34%
Permanent crops: 6%
Permanent pastures: 2%
Forests and woodland: 26%
Other: 32% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 44,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards:
Land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table; droughts
Environment - current issues:
Air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting
Geography - note:
Controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore
Population: 61,230,874
Note: Estimates for this country’s 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 distribution of population by age and *** than would otherwise be expected (July 2000 est.)
Age structure: (2000 est.)
0-14 years: 24% (male 7,386,231; female 7,107,010)
15-64 years: 70% (male 21,102,363; female 21,714,411)
65 years and over: 6% (male 1,726,043; female 2,194,816)
Population growth rate: 0.93% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 16.86 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 7.53 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
*** ratio: (2000 est.)
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female
Infant mortality rate: 31.48 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
Total population: 68.55 years
Male: 65.29 years
Female: 71.97 years
Total fertility rate: 1.88 children born/woman
Nationality:
Noun: Thai (singular and plural)
Adjective: Thai
Ethnic groups: Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%
Religions:
Buddhism 95%
Muslim 3.8%
Christianity 0.5%
Hinduism 0.1%
other 0.6%
Languages:
Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects
Literacy:
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 93.8%
Male: 96%
Female: 91.6%
Country name:
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Thailand
Conventional short form: Thailand
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