SOUTH EAST ASIA MAP
South East Asia countries
Brunei
Cambodia
East Timor
Indonesia
Laos
Malaysia
Burma
Philiphines
Singapore
Thailand
Vietnam
Major geographical physical regions and climate
THAILAND
Land boundaries
- 514,000 square kilometers lie in the middle of mainland Southeast Asia. The nation's axial position influenced many aspects of Thailand's society and culture—it controls the only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore
- Border countries: Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia
- · Land: 511,770 square kilometres (197,600 sq mi)· Water: 2,230 cubic kilometres (540 cu mi)Thailand uses a unit of land area called the Rai (unit), which is 1,600 square metres (0.40 acre).Elevation extremes· Highest point: Doi Inthanon, 2,565 metres (8,415 ft), at 18°35′32″N 98°29′12″E· Lowest point: Gulf of Thailand, 0 metres - sea levelProvincesThailand's regions are further politically divided into a total of 77 provinces,such as Ratchaburi,Petchaburi etc. plus Bangkok, which is a special administrative area. The country's provinces have the same names as their respective capitals.ClimateMost of Thailand has a Tropical wet and dry or savanna climate (Aw) according to the Köppen climate classification, while the South and the eastern tip of the East have a tropical monsoon climate (Am); countrywide, temperatures normally range from an average annual high of 38 °C (100.4 °F) to a low of19 °C (66.2 °F). During the dry season, the temperature rises dramatically in the second half of March, spiking to well over 40 °C (104 °F) in some areas by mid April when the Sun passes the Zenith. Southwest monsoons that arrive between May and July (except in the South) signal the advent of the rainy season (ruedu fon), which lasts into October and the cloud covering reduces the temperature again but the high humidity is experienced as 'hot and sticky'. November and December mark the onset of the dry season and night temperatures on high ground can occasionally drop to a light frost. Temperatures begin to climb in January, and a hot sun parches the landscape. The dry season is shortest in the South because of the proximity of the sea to all parts of the Malay Peninsula. With only minor exceptions, every area of the country receives adequate rainfall, but the duration of the rainy season and the amount of rain vary substantially from region to region and with altitude. The Northeast experiences a long dry season although the dry 2007/2008 season lasted only from late November through mid March. Its red,(laterite) dense clayey soils retain water well, which limits their agricultural potential for many crops but is ideal for keeping the water in the paddy fields and local village reservoirs. The well drained, loose sandy alluvium of the Mekong flood plain is very fertile, the main crops being tomatoes on an industrial scale, tobacco, and pineapples.DEMOGRAPHYPOPULATIONThailand population is 67, 041, 000( 67 million )Thailand’s population is relatively homogeneous, however, this is changing due to immigration. More than 85% speak a Tai language and share a common culture. This core population includes the central Thai (33.7% of the population, including Bangkok’s population), Northeastern Thai or Lao (34.2%), northern Thai (18.8%), andsouthern Thai (13.3%).ETHNICThailand's population is relatively homogeneous, however, this is changing due to immigration. Ethnic Tais make up the majority of the population with 75 percent of all inhabitants. Thai Chinese make up 14 percent with the remaining 11 percent made up of various other groups.The language of the central Thai population is the educational language and administrative language. Several other small Tai groups include the Shan, Lue, and Phutai.Malay and Yawi-speaking Muslim's language of the south comprise another significant minority group (2.3%). Other groups include the Khmer; the Mon, who are substantially assimilated with the Thai; and the Vietnamese. Smaller mountain-dwelling tribes, such as the Hmong and Mein, as well as the Karen, number about 788,024. Some 300,000 Hmong, who ironically have lived this area for more generations than the Thais themselves, are to receive citizenship by 2010.Thailand is also home to a significant number of registered foreigners from Asia, Europe, and North America, as well as an estimated several hundred thousand illegal immigrants, some of which are natives. Increasing numbers of migrants from Burma, Laos, and Cambodia as well as nations such as Nepal, India, along with those from the West and Japan have pushed the number of non-nationals residing in Thailand to close to 2 million in 2008, up from about 1.3 million in the year 2000. A rising awareness of minorities is slowly changing attitudes in a country where non-nationals, some having resided in what is now Thailand longer than the Thais themselves, are barred from numerous privileges ranging from healthcare, ownership of property, or schooling in their own language.RELIGION
Theravada Buddhism is the official religion of Thailand and is officially the religion of about 97% of its people. However, the true figure lies closer to 85%, Muslims are some 10% and 5% other religions including Christianity, Hinduism, especially among immigrants. In addition to Malay and Yawi speaking Thais and other southerners who are Muslim, the Cham of Cambodia in recent years begun a large scale influx into Thailand. The government permits religious diversity, and other major religions are represented, though there is much social tension, especially in the South.Spirit worship and animism are widely practiced.NATURAL RESOURCESNatural Resources & Landforms in ThailandNatural ResourcesThe natural resources in Thailand consists of tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite and arable land. Thailand's is the world's largest exporter of rice. The most produced strain of rice in Thailand is jasmine rice. The rice fields in Thailand takes up a total of 9.2 million hectares.Volcanoes in ThailandThe two volcanoes in Thailand, which are already extinct, are called Phanom Rung(1200 feet) and Doi Pha Khok Hin Fu(1480 feet).Mountains in ThailandThere are more than 50 mountains in Thailand, Many mountains in the country are not important because of their height, but because of their symbolic and cultural significance. Some mountains have Buddhist worship places on top, like Doi Suthep close to Chiang Mai, while others have been adopted as provincial symbol, like relatively small Khao Sam Muk in Chonburi Province.
VIETNAMVietnam is located on the eastern margin of the Indochinese peninsula and occupies about 331,211.6 square kilometers, of which about 25% was under cultivation in 1987. It borders the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia. The S-shaped country has a north-to-south distance of 1,650 kilometers and is about 50 kilometers wide at the narrowest point. With a coastline of 3,260 kilometers, excluding islands, Vietnam claims 12 nautical miles (22.2 km; 13.8 mi) as the limit of its territorial waters, an additional 12 nautical miles (22.2 km; 13.8 mi) as a contiguous customs and security zone, and 200 nautical miles (370.4 km; 230.2 mi) as an exclusive economic zone.The boundary with Laos, settled, on both an ethnic and geographical basis, between the rulers of Vietnam and Laos in the mid-seventeenth century with the Annamite Range as a reference, was formally defined by a delimitation treaty signed in 1977 and ratified in 1986. The frontier with Cambodia, defined at the time of French annexation of the western part of the Mekong River Delta in 1867, remained essentially unchanged, according to Hanoi, until some unresolved border issues were finally settled in the 1982-85 period. The land and sea boundary with China, delineated under the France-China treaties of 1887 and 1895, is "the frontier line" accepted by Hanoi that China agreed in 1957- 58 to respect. However, in February 1979, following China's limited invasion of Vietnam, Hanoi complained that from 1957 onward China had provoked numerous border incidents as part of its anti-Vietnam policy and expansionist designs in Southeast Asia. Among the territorial infringements cited was the Chinese occupation in January 1974 of the Paracel Islands, claimed by both countries in a dispute left unresolved in the 1980s.Vietnam is a country of tropical lowlands, hills, and densely forested highlands, with level land covering no more than 20% of the area. The country is divided into the highlands and the Red River delta in the north; and the Dãy Trường Sơn (Central mountains, or the Chaîne Annamitique, sometimes referred to simply as "the Chaine."), the coastal lowlands, and the Mekong River Delta in the south.HighlandsThe highlands and mountain plateaus in the north and northwest are inhabited mainly by tribal minority groups. The Dãy Trường Sơn (Annamite Range) originates in the Tibetan and Yunnan regions of southwest China and forms Vietnam's border with Laos. It terminates in the Mekong River Delta north of Hồ Chí Minh City (formerly Saigon).These central mountains, which have several high plateaus, are irregular in elevation and form. The northern section is narrow and very rugged; the country's highest peak, Fan Si Pan, rises to 3,142 meters in the extreme northwest. The southern portion has numerous spurs that divide the narrow coastal strip into a series of compartments. For centuries these topographical features not only rendered north-south communication difficult but also formed an effective natural barrier for the containment of the people living in the Mekong basin.
Coastal lowlandsThe narrow, flat coastal lowlands extend from south of the Red River Delta to the Mekong River basin. On the landward side, the Dãy Trường Sơn rises precipitously above the coast, its spurs jutting into the sea at several places. Generally the coastal strip is fertile and rice is cultivated intensively.CLIMATEVietnam in the northern regions have a humid subtropical climate, with humidity averaging 84% throughout the year. However, because of differences in latitude and the marked variety of topographical relief, the climate tends to vary considerably from place to place. During the winter or dry season, extending roughly from November to April, the monsoon winds usually blow from the northeast along the China coast and across the Gulf of Tonkin, picking up considerable moisture; consequently the winter season in most parts of the country is dry only by comparison with the rainy or summer season. During the southwesterly summer monsoon, occurring from May to October, the heated air of the Gobi Desert rises, far to the north, inducing moist air to flow inland from the sea and deposit heavy rainfall. The climate in the southern regions especially Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding Mekong Delta is predominantly Tropical savanna climate with high humidity and a distinct wet and dry season.Annual rainfall is substantial in all regions and torrential in some, ranging from 1,200 to 3,000 millimeters (47.2 to 118.1 in). Nearly 90% of the precipitation occurs during the summer. The average annual temperature is generally higher in the plains than in the mountains and plateaus. Temperatures range from a low of 5 °C (41 °F) in December and January, the coolest months, to more than 37 °C (98.6 °F) in April, the hottest month. Seasonal divisions are more clearly marked in the northern half than in the southern half of the country, where, except in some of the highlands, seasonal temperatures vary only a few degrees, usually in the 21–28 °C (69.8–82.4 °F) range.
VIETNAM POPULATION
The total population in Vietnam was last recorded at 87.8 million people in 2011 from 34.7 million in 1960, changing 153 percent during the last 50 years. Population in Vietnam is reported by the the World Bank. Historically, from 1960 until 2011, Vietnam Population averaged 60.6 Million reaching an all time high of 87.8 Million in December of 2011 and a record low of 34.7 Million in December of 1960. The population of Vietnam represents 1.27 percent of the world´s total population which arguably means that one person in every 79 people on the planet is a resident of Vietnam. This page includes a chart with historical data for Vietnam Population.
ETHNICS
Vietnam has one of the most complex ethnolinguistic patterns in Asia. The Vietnamese majority was significantly Sinicized during a millennium of Chinese rule, which ended in ad 939. Indian influence is most evident among the Cham and Khmer minorities. The Cham formed the majority population in the Indianized kingdom of Champa in what is now central Vietnam from the 2nd to the late 15th century ad. Small numbers of Cham remain in the south-central coastal plain and in the Mekong delta near the Cambodian border. The Khmer (Cambodians) are scattered throughout the Mekong delta.
RELIGION
The major religious traditions in Vietnam are Buddhism (which fuses forms of Taoism and Confucianism),
Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism), Islam, Caodaism and the Hoa Hao sect.
Buddhism
Buddhism was first introduced to Vietnam in the 2nd century, and reached its peak in the Ly dynasty (11th century). It was then regarded as the official religion dominating court affairs. Buddhism was preached broadly among the population and it enjoyed a profound influence on people's daily life. Its influence also left marks in various areas of traditional literature and architecture. As such, many pagodas and temples were built during this time.
At the end of the 14th century, Buddhism began to show signs of decline. The ideological influence of Buddhism, however, remained very strong in social and cultural life. Presently, over 70 percent of the population of Vietnam are either Buddhist or strongly influenced by Buddhist practices.
Catholicism
Catholicism was introduced to Vietnam in the 17th century. At present the most densely-populated Catholic areas are Bui Chu-Phat Diem in the northern province of Ninh Binh and Ho Nai-Bien Hoa in Dong Nai Province to the South. About 10 percent of the population are considered Catholic.
Protestantism
Protestantism was introduced to Vietnam at about the same time as Catholicism. Protestantism, however, remains an obscure religion. At present most Protestants live in the Central Highlands. There still remains a Protestant church on Hang Da Street in Hanoi. The number of Protestants living in Vietnam is estimated at 400,000.
Islam
Islamic followers in Vietnam are primarily from the Cham ethnic minority group living in the central part of the central coast. The number of Islamic followers in Vietnam totals about 50,000.
Caodaism
Caodaism was first introduced to the country in 1926. Settlements of the Cao Dai followers in South Vietnam are located near the Church in Tay Ninh. The number of followers of this sect is estimated at 2 million.
Hoa Hao Sect
The Hoa Hao Sect was first introduced to Vietnam in 1939. More than 1 million Vietnamese are followers of this sect. Most of them live in the south-west of Vietnam.
Mother Worship (Tho Mau)
Researchers describe the Vietnamese mother-worship cult as a primitive religion. Mother, Me in the Vietnamese language, is pronounced Mau in Sino-script. The mother worship cult might be originated from the cult of the Goddess in ancient ages. In the Middle Ages, the Mother was worshipped in temples and palaces. Due to the fact that it is a worshipping custom and not a religion, the Mother worshipping cult has not been organized as Buddhism and Catholicism have. As a result, the different affiliations of the cult have yet to be consistent and different places still have different customs.
The custom of Mother worship originated from the north. In the south, the religion has integrated the local goddesses such as Thien Y A Na (Hue) and Linh Son (Tay Ninh).
In fact, the Mother worship cult was influenced by other religions, mainly Taoism.
Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism), Islam, Caodaism and the Hoa Hao sect.Buddhism
Buddhism was first introduced to Vietnam in the 2nd century, and reached its peak in the Ly dynasty (11th century). It was then regarded as the official religion dominating court affairs. Buddhism was preached broadly among the population and it enjoyed a profound influence on people's daily life. Its influence also left marks in various areas of traditional literature and architecture. As such, many pagodas and temples were built during this time.
At the end of the 14th century, Buddhism began to show signs of decline. The ideological influence of Buddhism, however, remained very strong in social and cultural life. Presently, over 70 percent of the population of Vietnam are either Buddhist or strongly influenced by Buddhist practices.
Catholicism
Catholicism was introduced to Vietnam in the 17th century. At present the most densely-populated Catholic areas are Bui Chu-Phat Diem in the northern province of Ninh Binh and Ho Nai-Bien Hoa in Dong Nai Province to the South. About 10 percent of the population are considered Catholic.
Protestantism
Protestantism was introduced to Vietnam at about the same time as Catholicism. Protestantism, however, remains an obscure religion. At present most Protestants live in the Central Highlands. There still remains a Protestant church on Hang Da Street in Hanoi. The number of Protestants living in Vietnam is estimated at 400,000.
Islam
Islamic followers in Vietnam are primarily from the Cham ethnic minority group living in the central part of the central coast. The number of Islamic followers in Vietnam totals about 50,000.
Caodaism
Caodaism was first introduced to the country in 1926. Settlements of the Cao Dai followers in South Vietnam are located near the Church in Tay Ninh. The number of followers of this sect is estimated at 2 million.
Hoa Hao Sect
The Hoa Hao Sect was first introduced to Vietnam in 1939. More than 1 million Vietnamese are followers of this sect. Most of them live in the south-west of Vietnam.
Mother Worship (Tho Mau)
Researchers describe the Vietnamese mother-worship cult as a primitive religion. Mother, Me in the Vietnamese language, is pronounced Mau in Sino-script. The mother worship cult might be originated from the cult of the Goddess in ancient ages. In the Middle Ages, the Mother was worshipped in temples and palaces. Due to the fact that it is a worshipping custom and not a religion, the Mother worshipping cult has not been organized as Buddhism and Catholicism have. As a result, the different affiliations of the cult have yet to be consistent and different places still have different customs.
The custom of Mother worship originated from the north. In the south, the religion has integrated the local goddesses such as Thien Y A Na (Hue) and Linh Son (Tay Ninh).
In fact, the Mother worship cult was influenced by other religions, mainly Taoism.
- NATURAL RESOURCES
Although Vietnam is relatively rich in natural resources, the
country's protracted state of war has precluded their proper exploitation. Coal
reserves, located mainly in the North, have been estimated at 20 billion tons.
With Soviet assistance, coal mining has been expanded somewhat. Commercially
exploitable metals and minerals include iron ore, tin, copper, lead, zinc,
nickel, manganese, titanium, chromite, tungsten, bauxite, apatite, graphite,
mica, silica sand, and limestone. Vietnam is deficient, however, in coking
coal, which, prior to the outbreak of hostilities with China in 1979, it traditionally
imported from the Chinese. Gold deposits are small.
Vietnam's production of crude oil and natural gas was in very
preliminary stages in the late 1980s and the amounts of commercially
recoverable reserves were not available to Western analysts. With the
cooperation of the Soviet Union, Vietnam began exploitation of a reported
1-billion-ton offshore oil find southeast of the Vung Tau-Con Dao Special Zone
(see fig. 1). By early 1987, the
Vietnamese were exporting crude oil for the first time in shipments to Japan.
Production remained low, estimated at about 5,000 barrels per day, although
Vietnam's minimum domestic oil requirements totaled 30,000 barrels per day.
Despite optimistic plans for developing offshore fields, Vietnam was likely to
remain dependent on Soviet-supplied petroleum products through the 1990s.
Vietnam's ability to exploit its resources diminished in the
early 1980s, as production fell from the levels attained between 1976 and 1980.
In the 1980s, the need to regulate investment and focus spending on projects
with a short-term payoff pointed to continued slow development of the country's
resource base, with the exception of areas targeted by the Soviet Union for
economic assistance, such as oil, gas, coal, tin, and apatite.
Vietnam's fisheries are modest, even though the country's
lengthy coast provides it with a disproportionately large offshore economic
zone for its size. In the 1980s, Vietnam claimed a 1-million-square- kilometer
offshore economic zone and an annual catch of 1.3 to 1.4 million tons. More
than half the fish caught, however, were classified as being of low-quality.
Schools of fish reportedly were small and widely dispersed.
As the 1990s approached,it seemed increasingly likely that
Vietnam's economy would remain predominantly agricultural. This trend, however,
did not necessarily limit attainable economic growth since Vietnam processed a
significant amount of unused land with agricultural potential. According to
Vietnamese statistics of the mid 1980s, agricultural land then in use
theoretically could be expanded by more than 50 percent to occupy nearly
one-third of the nation. Funds and equipment for expensive land-reclamation
projects were scarce, however, and foreign economists believed that a projected
increase in agricultural land use of about 20 to 25 percent was more realistic.
Even if the reclaimed land were only minimally productive, an increase in land
use would increase agricultural output substantially.
Both the availability of land and the density of settlement in
traditional agricultural areas--about 463 persons per square kilometer in the
Red River Delta and 366 persons per square kilometer in the Mekong Delta--
explained much of the government's commitment to the building of new economic zones (see Glossary) in less-settled areas. During the period from
1976 to 1980, only 1.5 million out of the 4 million persons targeted for
relocation actually were moved to new economic zones. The government's Third
Five-Year Plan (1981-85) called for the relocation of 2 million people by 1985,
and subsequent plans projected the resettlement of as many as 10 million by
1999. By the end of 1986, however, the Vietnamese reported that fewer than 3
million people had been resettled since the program began. Slow progress in
bringing new land into production, low yields on reclaimed land, and hardships
endured by resettled workers-- particularly former city dwellers, many of whom
chose to return home--testified to the problems inherent in the resettlement
program.
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