What in the World? Riverside Temples

There is a city in Southeast Asia featuring multiple Buddhist temples along or not straying very far from the Chao Phraya river. These temples include Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn, which contains over one million colorful ceramic tiles), Wat Khrua Wan Worawihan, Wat Molilokkayaram Ratchaworawihan, Wat Nak Klang, Wat Phitchaya Yatikaram Worawihan, Wat Phra Chetuphon, Wat Phraya Tham, and Wat Prayurawongsawat Worawihan. What in the World is the city containing these magnificent sites? Choose an option and find out below!

A — Yangon, MYANMAR
B — Bangkok, THAILAND
C — Kolkata, INDIA





















Answer:
B . . . . . Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand Exports

According to National Geographic MapMaker (mapmaker.nationalgeographic.org) and MIT's Observatory of Economic Complexity (atlas.media.mit.edu), the following items are major exports of THAILAND: animal food, animal hides, automobiles (especially delivery trucks) and parts, baked goods, beverages, cassava, chemicals, clothing and textiles, coconuts, computer parts, construction materials, corn (maize), costume jewelry, electric appliances, electronics, equipment and machinery, flavored water, fluorite, footwear, furniture, gemstones, gypsum, integrated circuits, iron structures, jewelry, LCD screens, lead, lignite, meat, natural gas, paper, pearls, plastic, platinum, rice, rubber, sauce, scrap metal, seafood, seasonings and spices, silver, soybeans, sugarcane, tantalum, telephones, tin, tires, tobacco, toys, tree nuts, tropical fruit, tungsten, and wood. According to February 2017 statistics from the International Monetary Fund (data.imf.org), countries and territories buying and importing most of those exports include China (top importer), United States, Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, India, Laos, Myanmar, the Netherlands, South Korea, Germany, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates.

Thailand Endangered Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ for THAILAND in Southeast Asia and Indochina lists 2 extinct species (Schomburgk's Deer and Siamese Flat-Barbelled Catfish), 78 critically endangered species, and 144 endangered species. Critically endangered species in Thailand include the Asian Narrow-headed Softshell Turtle, Baer's Pochard, Chinese Pangolin, Christmas Frigatebird, Eagle Wood tree, Giant Pangasius shark catfish, Gratix's Paphiopedilum orchid flower, Kouprey bovine, Krabi Mouth Brooding Betta fish, Mekong Giant Salmon Carp, Siamese Crocodile, Siamese Tiger Perch, Southern River Terrapin turtle, Sumatran Rhinoceros, White-Rumped Vulture, and White-Shouldered Ibis.

Endangered species include the Banded Green Cat Snake, Big-headed Turtle, Burmese Rosewood, Flat-Headed Cat, Golden Dragon Fish (a symbol of good luck and wealth!), Hog Deer, Jullien's Golden Carp, Kanburi Pit Viper, Mekong Freshwater Stingray, Mini Dragon Loach, Mottled Eagle Ray, Ornate Eagle Ray, Smoky Flying Squirrel, Thai Onion Plant (Water Onion), White-Winged Duck, Wild Water Buffalo, and Yellow-Headed Temple Turtle. Species named after Thailand include the Thai Flying Dragon lizard, Thai Gizzard Shad fish, Thai Golden-Throated Bat, Thai Horseshoe Bat, Thai Paphiopedilum orchid flower, Thai River Sprat fish, Thailand Roundleaf Bat, and Thailand Worm Snake.

"Land" Countries

Several countries in Asia, Europe, and Oceania have the word land in their names. I nickname them the "Land Countries," which are listed right here: FINLAND, ICELAND, IRELAND, MARSHALL ISLANDS, The NETHERLANDS, NEW ZEALAND, POLAND, SOLOMON ISLANDS, SWAZILAND, SWITZERLAND, and THAILAND. Somaliland in northeast Africa is another entity with land in its name. However, it is an autonomous region in SOMALIA fighting for its independence, not a recognized country currently.

Mekong River

Rivers around the world are important modes of transportation in both developed and developing countries, and the Mekong River in Southeast Asia is no exception! Providing a vital route for shipping goods like rice, cotton, vegetables, peanuts, timber, and minerals to the South China Sea and beyond, the Mekong originates in southern Qinghai Province in southern CHINA (where it is called the Lancang River), and then flows south and serves as part of the border for LAOS, MYANMAR (Burma), and THAILAND. Next, it flows through southern Laos and CAMBODIA before turning southeast through southern VIETNAM, then reaches the Mouths of the Mekong, Mekong Delta, and the South China Sea.

Cities Along the Mekong River
The largest city along the Mekong in southern China is Jinghong, which is in Yunnan Province. Laos' four largest cities - Louangphrabang, Vientiane (Laos' capital), Savannakhet, and Paxhé - are also located beside the Mekong. Further south, the Mekong flows past Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh. Finally, Vietnamese cities such as Cao Lanh, Sa Dec, Vinh Long, My Tho, Ben Tre, and Tra Vinh are located beside the river and the distributaries in the Mekong Delta.

Thailand Beachside National Parks

There are national parks in many scenic areas of THAILAND, including several parks located on islands and near coastlines. Located along the Gulf of Thailand coast (southeast Thailand) are Ko Samet National Park on Ko Samet island and Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park. Located about 150 kilometers south of Thailand's capital, Bangkok, Khao Sam Roi Yot N.P. is east of the Bilauktaung Range on the narrow land of central and south-central Thailand. Mu Ko Similan N.P. on the Similan Islands and Mu Ko Surin N.P. on the Surin Islands are east of southern Thailand, in the Andaman Sea. Near Malaysia, Mu Ko Phetra N.P. and Tarutao National Park are located in extreme southern Thailand, in the Strait of Malacca. Ao Phangnga N.P., Hat Chao Mai N.P., Hat Nai Yang N.P., Mu Ko Lanta N.P., and Thaleban (Thale Ban) N.P. are some other national parks in southern Thailand.

Top Ten New Species Discovered

On May 22nd, the SUNY-ESF Institute for Species Exploration announced ten recently discovered species that topped its list, ranging from a one-celled organism to a much larger tree species (SUNY stands for State University of New York and ESF stands for Environmental Science and Forestry). The Olinguito mammal (in the raccoon family) lives in the Andes mountains of Colombia and Ecuador. Kaweesak's Dragon Tree was discovered in Loei and Lop Buri provinces in Thailand. Named after the Antarctic Geological Drilling Program (ANDRILL), the ice-dwelling Andrill Anemone were discovered under a glacier on Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf. Aptly named for its appearance, tiny Skeleton Shrimp were found in a cave on Santa Catalina island in California, USA.

The Orange Penicillium fungus was discovered in Tunisia soil, while scientists found a type of one-celled Amoeboid Protist in underwater caves in the Mediterranean Sea, specifically off the coast of Spain. Northeastern Australia is a habitat for the rare Leaf-Tailed Gecko. Clean Room Microbes have an interesting discovery story. They were discovered in spacecraft assembly clean rooms, where most microscopic organisms cannot survive, in the USA (Florida) and French Guiana. Another interesting small organism is the Tinkerbell Fairyfly, a parasitic wasp discovered in Costa Rica. Finally, eyeless Domed Land Snails certainly have a ghostly appearance with their translucent shells. They were found in western Croatia's Lukina Jama-Trojama caves.

Thailand

THAILAND is a well-known country located in Southeastern Asia on the Indochinese Peninsula. There are over 70 million residents. There are four bordering countries: Cambodia to the southeast, Laos to the east, Malaysia to the south, and Myanmar (Burma) to the west and northwest. The Gulf of Thailand is southeast, and the country's coast is studded with small offshore islands. Southwest of Thailand's southwest coast, the Strait of Malacca separates Thailand from the northern part of Indonesia's Sumatra island, which is located to the southwest. The capital of Thailand is Bangkok, known as Krung Thep in the Thai language. Other cities in Thailand include Chiang Mai, Chon Buri, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phitsanulok, Phuket on the island of Phuket, Sara Buri, Songkhla, and Ubon Ratchathani. Thailand's currency is the Thai Baht, and its ISO 4217 currency code is THS.