Thailand is part of Southeast Asia and is located south of China. Thailand is known for it's larger northern part and skinnier southern part with many islands on either side of the southern half of the mainland. Some of the most popular islands are directly in the Gulf of Thailand, such as the Ko Tao, Ko Pha-Ngan, and Ko Samui. There are also many smaller islands on the western side of te mainland in the Andaman Sea. The southern part of Thailand is within the Pacific Ring of Fire (an area with very high tectonic activity where 90% of the world's Earthquakes occur), however this affects the rest of the country.
Thailand can be split into four parts based on the landscape and physical climate: north, northeastern, central, and southern. The northern part of the country is made of up of large mountains and river valleys, and is the starting point of many rivers that run throughout Thailand. Within the river valleys and mountains are vast forests that contain many natural resources. On the edge of the northern part of Thailand are upland areas that border the central plains. In the central part of Thailand are many rivers and canals that help irrigate the fertile soil. This part of Thailand is much lower than the northern part, and the considered one of the most productive agricultural areas due to it's rivers and rich soil. However, as much as the central plains are great for agriculture it also very flood prone area due to it's flat lands and natural basin structure. In the northeast is where one can find a large plateau that also contains much dryer and less fertile farmland, where droughts are common; the northeast is also cut off from the rest of the country by two long slopes. The southern part of Thailand is a portion of a peninsula, and also contains many islands off of it's coast. The southern portion has much more sandy soil, and the outskirts are lower lying than the rest of the country. Within the inside of the sourthern part of Thailand there are also tropical forests and steep limestone formations.
Thailand's four sections have different climates and weather patterns on top of their differing physical characteristics. With that being said there is a pattern of wet and dry seasons throughout the entire country. The northern mountainous part is much cooler than it's surrounding areas, and is coldest druing the dry season from the months of November to February, while the warmer wet season takes place from May to October, with March and April being the inbetween months with warm but not yet being their wet season. The central plains have the same wet and dry seasons as the north, however their dry season isn't as dry or cold as the north, and rain is still experienced rather regularly during their dry season. In the northeast it is much more dry year-round with stronger winds, and similar to the north is much cooler throughout the year. The southern part of Thailand is warmer than the rest of the country with a more tropical climate. With two different seas on each side the seasons vary on each side, with a longer rainy season on the Gulf side than on the Andaman side.
According to the Population Reference Bureau the population for Thailand in mid-2019 was 66.4 million and is projected to go down to 62.9 million in 2050. However, as of 4/17/2020 Thailand's population sits at about 69 million, with a population density of 354 people per square mile. About 56% of the population of Thailand is living in urban areas. Percent of population under 15 was 17% and the percent of the population over 65 was 11% as of 2019. The rate of natural increase is considered low at 0.2%, and the total fertility rate is under the replacement rate at 1.1 (replacement rate is 2.1).
The official language of Thailand is Thai, however many other languages are spoken throughout the country. In terms of dialect the central dialect is considered the "norm", however different dialects can be heard (such as a faster dialect in the south). Thailand is largely a Buddhist country, with 94% of the countries population being Buddhist, and 5% of the population being Muslim, and the remaining 1% being Christain. Many of Thai's Muslim population lives in the south and along with Thai also speak Malay. Throughout Thailand one will see many different mosques and temples, and many temples are not just for the worship of the Buddha but the worship of other gods, such as Mazu (Queen of Heaven and goddess of fishermen).
75% of Thailand's population are ethnic Thai's, which have different subcategories based on where someone is from, such as Isan being people from the northeast and Thai Pak Tai being people from the south. The largest ethnic minority are Thai Chinese, who are Thai citizens with Chinese heritage, and they make up about 14% of Thai's population. There are many ethnic minorities in the northern part of Thailand, and they are called "hill tribes". The largest hill tribe, called the Karen, is about 500,000 people who's origins can be traced to Myanmar. While the smalled hill tribe, called the Mien, is about 30,000 people who's origins go back to Central China.
Major economic activities in the agriculture sector are rice and surgcane, from central and northern Thailand, and rubber and cocnuts from southern Thailand. Textiles and tourism are also major economic activities in Thailand, however the largest economic activity is automobiles and automotive parts.
Exports of Thailand as of 2015 were mainly rice, garments, rubber, automobiles and automotive parts, and computers. All of Thailand's exports in 2015 were valued at about $215 billion US dollars. Imports of Thailand as of 2015 were mainly refined petroleum, capital goods, and consumer goods. Thailand's imports in 2015 were valued at about $202 billion US dollars.
GNP is Gross National Prodcut and GDP is Gross Domestic Product, according to the World Regional Geography textbook I used. The GNP of Thailand is $523 billion in US dollars, and the GNP per capita is $6,039 in US dollars. The GDP of Thailand is $390 billion in US dollars, and the GDP per capita is $16,800 in US dollars.
Finlayson, Caitlin. World Regional Geography. University of Mary Washington: Independently Published. (2019)
Haub, Carl and Cornelius, Diana. International Data: Thailand. Population Reference Bureau. Washington, DC. (2019)
Hays, Jeffrey. LAND, GEOGRAPHY, CLIMATE AND REGIONS OF THAILAND. Facts and Details. (2014)
Isalska, Et al. Thailand, 17th Edition. MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: LONLEY PLANET PUBLICATIONS. (2018)
Sawe, Benjamin E. The Economy of Thailand. World Atlas. (2017)
Thailand Gross National Product. CEIC. (2019)
Thailand Population (2020). World-O-Meter. (2020)
Submitted by Whitney Beets on 4/17/2020.