Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Thailand and the US: A Comparison

Part of the excitement we feel in hosting Penny is the opportunity to learn about another culture by literally having that culture live in the same house.  We have read up on Thailand and find it a fascinating and beautiful place. Here are some interesting comparisons about the US and Thailand:

The population of Thailand is nearly 66 million.  The population of the US is over 307 million.  That means the population of Thailand could reside in the US 5 times over before catching up. 

Thailand is nearly 200,000 square miles.  The US is 3.6 million square miles.  18 Thailands can fit inside the US.

In Thailand, the GDP per capita is $8100.  In the US, it is nearly $46,000, over five times more!!  More than 80% of Americans live in metropolitan/urban areas, while only about a third of Thais live in urban areas.  Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, has 7 million inhabitants.  Washington DC, the US capital, has less than a million.

The adult literacy rate in Thailand is 93% and in the US it is 99%.  The life expectancy for Thai men is 65 and for Thai women is 72.  In the US, it is 77 for men and 81 for women.

Thailand is 11 hours ahead of the US’s Eastern time zone.

The color of both flags are red, white, and blue.  Thailand’s colors stand for the monarchy (blue), blood of martyrs (red), and Buddhism and purity (white).  The US’s stripes represent the 13 original colonies and the blue field of stars represent the 50 states.

Just some interesting facts about a place I’ve never even considered going that is now going to be so important in our lives!

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