World map showing countries: Thailand

Author: Li Jing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: Thailand: Natural Geography: 513,115 square kilometers. Located in the central-southern part of thepeninsula of Asia, it borders the Gulf of Thailand (Pacific Ocean) to the southeast and the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) to the southwest. It shares borders with Myanmar to the west and northwest, Laos to the northeast, and Cambodia to the southeast. Its territory extends southward along the Kra Isthmus to the Malay Peninsula, connecting with Malaysia. Its narrowest part lies between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Tropical monsoon climate. The year is divided into three seasons: hot, rainy, and dry. The average annual temperature is 24-30°C. Population: 63,082,000 (February 2003). Thailand is a multi-ethnic country composed of over 30 ethnic groups, with the Thai accounting for 40% of the population, the Lao for 35%, the Malay for 3.5%, the Khmer for 2%, and others such as the Hmong, Yao, Gui, Wen, Karen, and Shan. Thai is the national language. Buddhism is the state religion of Thailand, with over 90% of the population adhering to it. The Malay follow Islam, while a small number adhere to Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, and Sikhism. For centuries, Thai customs, literature, art, and architecture have been closely linked to Buddhism. When visiting Thailand, one can see monks in yellow robes and magnificent temples everywhere. Therefore, Thailand is also known as the "Land of Yellow Robes and Buddhism." Buddhism has shaped the moral standards of the Thai people, fostering a spirit of patience, tranquility, and a love for peace. Economy: As a traditional agricultural country, agricultural products are one of the main sources of foreign exchange income. The main crops include rice, corn, cassava, rubber, sugarcane, mung beans, hemp, tobacco, coffee beans, cotton, palm oil, and coconuts. The total cultivated land area is 20.7 million hectares, accounting for 38% of the country's total land area. Thailand is a world-renowned producer and exporter of rice, with rice exports being one of the main sources of foreign exchange income, accounting for about one-third of the global rice trade. Thailand is also the third-largest seafood producer in Asia after Japan and China and is one of the world's leading shrimp-producing countries. Thailand is rich in natural resources, including potassium salt, tin, brown coal, oil shale, and natural gas, as well as zinc, lead, tungsten, iron, antimony, chromium, barite, gemstones, and petroleum. Among these, potassium salt reserves are 40.7 million tons, ranking first in the world, while tin reserves are approximately 1.2 million tons, accounting for 12% of the world's total reserves. Oil shale reserves reach 1.87 million tons, brown coal reserves are about 2 billion tons, and rubber production is the highest in the world, with an annual output of 2.1 million tons, accounting for one-third of the global total, of which 90% is exported. Forest resources, fishery resources, petroleum, and natural gas are also the foundation of Thailand's economic development. Natural gas reserves are approximately 1,640 trillion cubic feet, and petroleum reserves are 150 million tons, with a forest coverage rate of 25%. Additionally, Thailand is famous for producing durian, known as the "King of Fruits," and mangosteen, the "Queen of Fruits." Tropical fruits such as lychees, longans, and rambutans are also world-renowned. With rapid economic development, Thailand's economic structure has undergone significant changes. Although agriculture still plays an important role in the national economy, the proportion of manufacturing in the national economy has been expanding. Manufacturing has become the largest industry and one of the main export industries. A major feature of Thailand's industrialization process is the full utilization of its abundant agricultural resources to develop food processing and related industries. The main industrial sectors include mining, textiles, electronics, plastics, food processing, toys, automotive assembly, construction materials, and petrochemicals. Since the 1980s, Thailand's export products have gradually shifted from agricultural products to industrial goods. The main export products include: automatic data processing machines, integrated circuits, cars and auto parts, ready-to-wear clothing, fresh and frozen shrimp, gemstones and jewelry, primary synthetic fibers, rice, radios and televisions, and rubber. The main import products include: electronic and industrial machinery, integrated circuits, chemicals, computer components, steel, jewelry, and metal products. Thailand is rich in tourism resources and has long been known as the "Land of Smiles." It has over 500 tourist attractions, with major ones including Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, and Pattaya, as well as new tourist destinations such as Chiang Rai, Hua Hin, and Koh Samui, which have developed rapidly and attract numerous foreign tourists.