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THAILAND
Map of THAILAND
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Location:
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Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma |
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Geographic coordinates:
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15 00 N, 100 00 E |
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Area:
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total: 514,000 sq km
land: 511,770 sq km
water: 2,230 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 4,863 km
border countries: Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km, Malaysia 506 km |
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Coastline:
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3,219 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
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Climate:
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tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid |
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Terrain:
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central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m
highest point: Doi Inthanon 2,576 m |
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Natural resources:
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tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land |
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Land use:
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arable land: 27.54%
permanent crops: 6.93%
other: 65.53% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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49,860 sq km (2003) |
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Natural hazards:
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land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table; droughts |
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Environment - current issues:
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air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
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Population:
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65,493,298
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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 21.2% (male 7,104,776/female 6,781,453)
15-64 years: 70.3% (male 22,763,274/female 23,304,793)
65 years and over: 8.5% (male 2,516,721/female 3,022,281) (2008 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Thai (singular and plural)
adjective: Thai |
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Ethnic groups:
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Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11% |
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Religions:
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Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.6%, Christian 0.7%, other 0.1% (2000 census) |
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Languages:
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Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.6%
male: 94.9%
female: 90.5% (2000 census) |
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
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total: 14 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2006) |
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Education expenditures - percent of GDP:
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4.2% (2005) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Kingdom of Thailand
conventional short form: Thailand
local long form: Ratcha Anachak Thai
local short form: Prathet Thai
former: Siam |
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Government type:
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constitutional monarchy |
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Capital:
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name: Bangkok
geographic coordinates: 13 45 N, 100 31 E
time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
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Administrative divisions:
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76 provinces (changwat, singular and plural); Amnat Charoen, Ang Thong, Buriram, Chachoengsao, Chai Nat, Chaiyaphum, Chanthaburi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chon Buri, Chumphon, Kalasin, Kamphaeng Phet, Kanchanaburi, Khon Kaen, Krabi, Krung Thep Mahanakhon (Bangkok), Lampang, Lamphun, Loei, Lop Buri, Mae Hong Son, Maha Sarakham, Mukdahan, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan, Narathiwat, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nong Khai, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Pattani, Phangnga, Phatthalung, Phayao, Phetchabun, Phetchaburi, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Phrae, Phuket, Prachin Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Ratchaburi, Rayong, Roi Et, Sa Kaeo, Sakon Nakhon, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Sara Buri, Satun, Sing Buri, Sisaket, Songkhla, Sukhothai, Suphan Buri, Surat Thani, Surin, Tak, Trang, Trat, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Uthai Thani, Uttaradit, Yala, Yasothon |
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Independence:
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1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized) |
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National holiday:
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Birthday of King PHUMIPHON (BHUMIBOL), 5 December (1927)
Source: http:/cia.gov
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