By Melissa Voelker
Thailand is a country rich in history, culture and exciting cuisine. The Buddhist religion plays an important part in the architecture and spirituality of the country as well, making it a peaceful and interesting place to visit.
History
The ancestral Thai kingdom was founded in 650 AD in the southern part of China. It became its own independent state in 1238 AD.
Function
Thailand is one of the world's largest exporters of products such as canned pineapple and tuna, rice, rubber, precious stones, sugar, frozen chicken and cut flowers. The country is also a major exporter of sophisticated technology such as hard disks and integrated circuits.
Geography
Thailand is located in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea.
Features
The capital city is Bangkok, which is also the largest city in the country. Thailand is a constitutional monarchy with a king as the ruler of the country and also head of the armed forces, but a prime minister as the head of the government. The main religion is a form of Buddhism, which over 90 percent of the population practices.
Identification
Thai food is popular in many parts. It uses a variety of flavors, spices and fish sauce. It also includes use of sweetly scented jasmine rice. Curries and stir-frys are popular forms of Thai cuisine, as well as noodle dishes such as Pad Thai.
Size
Thailand is the 51st largest country in the world and the 20th most populous, with over 63,000,000 people.
About the Author:
Melissa Voelker has been a professional writer since 2002. She works full time at a TV station in the commercial traffic department and also writes for Paperbackreader.com and Pinkraygun.com. Her articles have appeared in "Listen," "The Spokesman Review" and "Freepress Houston."
