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GEOGRAPHY
Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand,
southeast of Burma
Map
references: Southeast Asia
total
area: 513,115 sq km (198,114 sq.mi)
comparative
area: about the size of Texas
Land
boundaries: total 4,863 km, Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km,
Laos 1,754 km, Malaysia 506 km
International
disputes: boundary dispute with Laos; unresolved maritime
boundary with Vietnam; parts of border with Thailand in dispute;
maritime boundary with Thailand not clearly defined
Climate:
tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September);
dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern
isthmus always hot and humid
Terrain:
Densely populated central plain; Khorat plateau in northeast;
mountain range in the west; southern isthmus joins the land mass
with Malaysia.
Cities:
Capital-Bangkok (pop. 9 million est.) Other cities--Chiang Mai
(160,000), Hat Yai (140,000), Nakon Ratchasima (190,000)
Natural
resources: tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber,
lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite
current
issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution
from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion;
wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting
natural
hazards: land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the
depletion of the water table; droughts
international
agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species,
Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Tropical Timber 83; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea
Note:
controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore
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