Head of state: Prime minister - elect : Yingluck Shinawatra
Population
43,013,341
67,091,089
Life Expectancy
63.070 years
73.830 years
Capital City
Nairobi
Bangkok
Largest city
Nairobi (population: 2,750,550)
Bangkok (population: 5,104,480)
Human Development Index
0.532
0.786
GDP per capita
$1,800 US
$9,500 US
Literacy Rate
85.1%
92.6%
Corruption Perception Index
2.1
3.5
Percentage of Women in Parliament
9.8%
12.7%
Wealthiest Citizens
NA
Chaleo Yoovidhya ($3.7bn US)
Unemployment Rate
40.000%
0.700%
Death Penalty
Abolished in practice
Legal
Political System
republic
constitutional monarchy
Independence date
12 December 1963 (from UK)
1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)
Religions
Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, Muslim 10%, indigenous beliefs 10%, other 2% note: a large majority of Kenyans are Christian, but estimates for the percentage of the population that adheres to Islam or indigenous beliefs vary widely
Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.6%, Christian 0.7%, other 0.1% (2000 census)
Languages
English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous languages
Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects
