Short facts about the geography of Thailand
| Location: |
Southeastern Asia, bordering the
Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of
Burma |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
15 00 N, 100 00
E |
| Map
references: |
Southeast
Asia |
| Area: |
total: 514,000 sq km
land: 511,770 sq km
water:
2,230 sq km |
| Area -
comparative: |
slightly more than twice the size of
Wyoming |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 4,863 km
border countries: Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803
km, Laos 1,754 km, Malaysia 506 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive
economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12
NM |
| 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: |
central plain; Khorat Plateau in the
east; mountains elsewhere |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Gulf of Thailand 0 m
highest point: Doi Inthanon
2,576 m |
| Natural
resources: |
tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten,
tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable
land |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 34%
permanent crops: 6%
permanent pastures:
2%
forests and woodland: 26%
other: 32% (1993
est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
44,000 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
land subsidence in Bangkok area
resulting from the depletion of the water table;
droughts |
| Environment
- current issues: |
air pollution from vehicle emissions;
water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion;
wildlife populations threatened by illegal
hunting |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to: Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life
Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the
Sea |
| Geography -
note: |
controls only land route from Asia to
Malaysia and Singapore | Source: World Factbook |
