Head of state: Prime minister - elect : Yingluck Shinawatra
Population
256,155
67,091,089
Life Expectancy
65.060 years
73.830 years
Capital City
Bangkok
Largest city
Port-Vila (population: 35,901)
Bangkok (population: 5,104,480)
Human Development Index
0.686
0.786
GDP per capita
$9,500 US
Literacy Rate
74%
92.6%
Corruption Perception Index
2.9
3.5
Percentage of Women in Parliament
3.8%
12.7%
Wealthiest Citizens
NA
Chaleo Yoovidhya ($3.7bn US)
Unemployment Rate
0.700%
Death Penalty
Abolished
Legal
Political System
parliamentary republic
constitutional monarchy
Independence date
1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)
Religions
Presbyterian 31.4%, Anglican 13.4%, Roman Catholic 13.1%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, other Christian 13.8%, indigenous beliefs 5.6% (including Jon Frum cargo cult), other 9.6%, none 1%, unspecified 1.3% (1999 Census)
Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.6%, Christian 0.7%, other 0.1% (2000 census)
Languages
local languages (more than 100) 72.6%, pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama) 23.1%, English 1.9%, French 1.4%, other 0.3%, unspecified 0.7% (1999 Census)
Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects
Exports
textiles and footwear, fishery products, rice, rubber, jewelry, automobiles, computers and electrical appliances
External Debt
$115,600,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
baht per US dollar - 33.37 (2008 est.), 34.52 (2007), 37.882 (2006), 40.22 (2005), 40.222 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.800%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
4
Location
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma
Area
12,189 km sq
513,120 km sq
Coastline
2,528 km
3,219 km
Climate
tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds from May to October; moderate rainfall from November to April; may be affected by cyclones from December to April
tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid
