Thailand
The Kingdom of Thailand, formerly Siam, is known for its tourist industry, Buddhist temples and long-reigning monarch. The country has suffered recently from unrest in the south and the tsunami of 2004.
Population: 64.6 million; Density: 126 per sq km
The population is unevenly distributed, with the greatest concentration of people in the central region.
Ethnic Thai people make up around 80 percent of the population. The remaining 20 percent are Chinese, Malay and from minority ethnic groups, particularly in the north. In South Thailand there is a significant Malay population.
Religions: Buddhist 92.3%; Muslim 5.2%; Christian 1.6%; Chinese 0.4%; Other 0.4%
There are over 30,000 Buddhist temples and around 250,000 monks in Thailand. Nearly all Buddhist men enter a monastery for a few days or months.
Nearly all Muslims live in South Thailand or metropolitan Bangkok. Islam is the majority religion in Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Satun provinces.
