Derek Johnson, age 14, of Jackson, Miss., for his question:
HOW OLD IS THAILAND?
Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia. Its official name in the Thai language is Muang Thai, which means Land of the Free. The ancestors of the Thai moved into what is now Thailand, probably from China, about A.D. 1000.
Little is known about the region until about 1350 when a Thai state was founded. During the 1500s, Portuguese traders visited the country and the Thai established trade relations with the Dutch, British and French in the 1600s.
During the 1500s and 1600s, the Thai fought a series of wars with their neighbors. A leader named Chakri established a new capital in Bangkok in 1782 and took the title of Rama I. He became the first king of the Chakri dynasty. This dynasty is still in power.
In 1851 King Rama IV came into power and the country's official name becamse Siam. Rama IV signed trade agreements with Great Britain and France and sent his son to Europe to study.
King Rama V continued his father's work. Siam's laws were improved, slavery ended and public schools opened.
In 1932, a group of Western educated Thai led a revolt against Rama VII. They allowed the king to keep his throne, but they limited his power. He approved a constitution that established an elected legislature.
In 1935 Rama VII gave up his throne in favor of his 10 year old nephew. A group of rulers, made up of men who had led the 1932 revolt, ruled the country for the young king. In 1938 the country's name was changed to Thailand.
Today Thailand is one of the most prosperous nations in Southeast Asia. A king remains as the head of state with a premier as the head of government.
The Thai people are descended from Mongol stock. Most are of medium height and have light brown complexions. They are closely related to their neighbors, the Lao.
Thailand has rich reserves of minerals. These include antimony, coal, copper, gold, lead, manganese, precious stones, tin and tungsten.
The country has many types of plant and animal life. Forests cover many of the mountain slopes and furnish various kinds of wood for fuel and for construction. Fruits such as the mango, orange and 18 varieties of banana grow here. Tigers, monkeys panthers and boars roam the forests. More than a thousand types of birds live in Thailand.
Domesticated animals include the water buffalo and the elephant. And, of course, the Siamese cats are world famous.
Although monsoons hit, the weather is temperate. January temperatures average 60 degrees Fahrenheit in the north and 80 degrees in the South. The average July temperature is 80. About 80 inches of rain fall each year.
More than 80 percent of Thailand's workers are farmers and most of them own their own land. Rice is the country's major crop. Rubber is the second most important crop.
Trade provides Thailand with most of its income. It exports more rice than any other country in the world. Rubber and tin are also important exports. Most of Thailand's trade is with the United States, Britain and nearby Asian countries.