The population of Thailand is estimated at 664 631 595
residents (2006), which corresponds to a population
density of 127.32 inhab / km2. The birth and
death rates are respectively 13.87% and 7.04%. Average
life expectancy is 75.25 years. The value of the Human
Development Index (HDI) is 0.768 and the value of the
Gender-adjusted Development Index (IDG) is 0.766
(2001). It is estimated that, in 2025, the population
will be 70 549 000 residents. The Thai population is
descended from tribes from China who arrived there about
a thousand years ago. Today it includes Chinese,
Malaysian and Indian minorities. In the mountains live
the tribes of the Meos, Yaos and Karens who practice
itinerant agriculture, clearing forest and brush that
they abandon after a few years. Thais are Buddhists, but
influenced by Hinduism and other religions. The official
language is tai.
Art and culture
It is the only country in Southeast Asia that has not
been colonized by Europeans. The golden temples and the
Buddhist cult persist, houses built on poles and typical
collateral dances. There are 27,000 temples and 250,000
Buddhist monks in the country. Chinese shadow theater is
also part of Thai culture. The capital, Bangkok, also
called City of Angels, retains many
characteristics of traditional Thailand, such as the
grand palace, which symbolizes respect for King Bhumibol. The
canals and the Chao Phraya river that bathe the city
give it the title of Venice of the East.
Thailand did not resist Japanese occupation in World War
II. Under pressure from Japan, it declared war on the
United States of America, but they refused to accept it
as an enemy. After the war, Thailand has taken a
pro-Western stance. He supported the United States' war
with Vietnam and has received large donations from that
country. However, it was forced to receive Vietnamese
refugees in its territory.
The Thai political regime is a constitutional
monarchy. The monarch is chosen by dynastic succession
and the prime minister is appointed by him from among
the members of the House of Representatives, taking into
account the majority reached by the party of which the
elected is the leader. The monarchy has a stabilizing
role and is respected by both civil and military
governments.The country has suffered, over the years,
several coups d'état and long periods of military
rule. After a period of stability, in 2006 he suffered a
new coup d'état that caused the government to fall,
removing then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was
in New York at the time of the coup to participate in
the UN General Assembly. . Despite the European Union's
protest, which considered the Thai army's attitude
undemocratic, General Sonthi Boonyaratklin, leader of
the coup, declared the need to end a corrupt and
nepotist government, which created social conflicts. The
monarch appointed Boonyaratklin chief executive until
the next elections.
Located in one of the most active seismic zones in
the world, Thailand suffered, on December 26, 2004, a
natural catastrophe that violently shook the country. On
that day, the largest earthquake in recent times (8.9
degrees on the Richter scale) was recorded with an
epicenter off the Indonesian island of Samatra. This
earthquake originated earthquakes that hit the coast of
several Southeast Asian countries, such as Sri Lanka,
the most affected, followed by Indonesia itself, India,
Thailand, Malaysia, Maldives and Bangladesh, causing
thousands of deaths and displaced people. For Thailand democracy and rights, please check homeagerly. |
| 1UpTravel.com - Maps of Thailand |
| View political, provinces and shaded relief maps of
Thailand, a southeastern Asian country, bordering the
Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of
Burma. |
| http://www.1uptravel.com/worldmaps/thailand.html |
|
| Thailand - Maps.com |
| User-friendly map of Thailand shows the country's major
cities, surrounding nations, islands and waterways. |
| http://media.maps.com/magellan/Images/THAILA-W1.gif |
|
| Thailand - Merriam-Webster Atlas |
| Peruse a small, yet useful, atlas for this southeast
Asian country. With a map, country facts, a historical
summary and a flag icon. |
| http://www.m-w.com/maps/thailand.html |
|
| Thailand - National Geographic |
| Satellite imaging and political map-making create a
zoomable map of this southeast Asian country, with
cities, rivers and topography. |
| http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/index.html?i... |
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