Roshny  T.

Thailand   

 

 

 

Thailand is located in Southeast Asia.  The country was named Thailand in 1939.  Thailand means "Land of the Free" Thailand has the population of 

68,991,000.  On the scale of HDI Thailand is rated a medium developed country because a lot of people live in the slums and a lot of people lack of proper health care. The Currency is a Baht(฿).  The time zone is UTC +7.  This means that Thailand is 15 hours ahead of Manitoba.  The capital of Thailand is Bangkok.  Bangkok was established in 1782.  The flag of Thailand (shown on the right)is red, white and blue.  The red symbolizes the nation, the white symbolizes purity and the blue symbolizes the monarchy.  The national emblem (on the right under the flag) shows the Garuda, a birdlike creature of Southeast Asian mythology.

 

 

 

 

Geography

 

 

  

Thailand is 514,000 sq. km. Thailand is slightly smaller than Texas. Land takes up about 511,770 sq. km. of Thailand and water takes up around 2,230 sq. km. The highest elevation point is the Doi Inthanon. It is 2,576 meters above sea level. The lowest elevation is the Gulf of Thailand, it is at sea level. Forests occupy 23% of the land area in Thailand and farmland occupies 39%. The central region is the historical core of Thailand. This region occupies almost one-third of the nation. The Doi Ithanon is located in the Northern region. Phuket is Thailand's largest Island. It is off the Southeastern coast on the Andaman Sea. Phuket and other communities were highly affected by the tsunami from 2004. The main river is the Mekong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Culture

 

       75% of people in Thailand are Thai, 14% is Chinese and 11% are other.   The main religion in Thailand is Buddhism.  94.6% of Thailand's population are Buddhists, 4.6% are Muslim, 0.7% are Christians and 0.1% are other.  The main language of Thailand is Thai.  other languages include Malay and Chinese.  People in Thailand usually eat rice.  Noodles are also popular in Thailand.  In the past Thai people wore simple clothing suited for the weather. Nowadays Thai people wear clothes that are popular in North America and Europe.  Some wear clothes made of Thai silk or batik and others wear clothes decorated with the traditional Hmong Karen embroidery. Famous Thai singers include Tata Young and Bird Thongchai McIntyre.  Loy Krathong is a festival in Thailand.  This festival takes place on the day of the full moon of the 12th month. 

 

 

Government

 

The government type in Thailand is a constitutional monarchy. 

The current prime Minister is Yingluck Shinawatra (right).  The king of Thailand is Bhumibol Adulyadej.                                  

 

 

Industries

 

The industries in Thailand include tourism, textiles, jeweleries, furniture, cement, electric appliances and many more.  Thailand has the world`s 2nd largest tungsten producer and the 3rd largest tin producer.  

 

 

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

 

    

 

• Historic City of Ayutthaya (right) 
• Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns
• Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries 
• Ban Chiang Archaeological Site
• Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interesting Facts

 

-There are 76 provinces in Thailand

- Around two-thirds of Thailand`s population live in Rural areas

-Thailand does not observe daylight savings.

 

-Thailand's coastline is 3,219 km long

-The only country in Southeast Asia that has never been under a European power

 

 

 

Assets

 

 

-The Loy Krathong Festival

- The Historic City of Ayutthaya

- The Chao Phraya (famous river meaning "River of Kings")

 

 

Challenges 

 

 

- Deaths from AIDS are increasing

- A lot of people don't have jobs (Thailand has one of the World's most unemployment rates)

- Lot's of air and water pollution

 

Bibliography:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand

http://geography.about.com/library/cia/blcthailand.htm

http://worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar553080&st=thailand

http://expertspaceca.grolier.com/article?id=0287470-0&product_id=gme&searchTerm=Thailand&queryParser=Grolier_En&docKey=Li4vLi4vc2VhcmNoL2NvbnRlbnQvZ21lMy90ZXh0LzA1Mi8wMjg3NDcwLTAuaHRtbEBnbzI*

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loi_Krathong