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 |
Coastline: | 3,219 km |
Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
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: 27.54% permanent crops: 6.93% other: 65.53% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | 49,860 sq km (2003) |
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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
Geography - note: | controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore |