SIAM

kingdom, Indo-China (4°-20° center of Indo-China peninsula, with in Brit. Burma on the N. and W., and Fr. Indo-China on the N.E., E., and S.E. It has a long strip running down N. half of Malay Peninsula between Strait of Malacca and Gulf of Siam, with the Brit. Malay po e ions to the 8. The W. half of main portion consists of valley of the Menam and E. half of Korat lateau, which stretches to Mekong basin The N.. is mountainous, rising to heights of 6,000 to 8,000 ft. The S. fis an alluvial plain, drained by rivers mentioned and their tributaries, chief of which is the Meping, joining the Menam. Bangkok is the capital. Climate not unhealthy; mean temp. in lower ground is about 80° F., and average rainfall 54 in.; wet season, May to October. Chief wealth lies in the rice of the S., teak and other timber trees of the N. Forestry almost entirely in foreign hands; Rice to_value of over $50,000,000 was exported, other exports including teak, hides, pepper, silk. Chief imports are textiles, machinery, provisions.’ Mineral resources are hardly known, but gold, coal, petroleum, tin, and iron occur in various places; tin mining on Puket Railway mileage, c. 1,333, connects with Federated Malay States lines. The pop., besides Siamese themselves, includes large number of Shans or Laos, Chinese, Malays, and other Eastern races. Government is absolute monarchy; king is advised by cabinet of ministers, and there is a legislative council of 40, some of whom are ministers of state, while remainder are chosen by king. Siam is divided for administrative purposes into 18 provinces (month ons), 17 of which are under lords-lieutenant, while Bangkok is directly controlled by minister of local government. Europe ans a ist the government. Buddhism is principal religion; education chiefly carried out by priests, but public schools are under Dep. of Education; the Chulalongkorn Univ. dates from 1917. Military service compulsory; peace strength of army, 20,000. The navy has no fighting value. In early times there existed various independent states in Siam, but by middle of the 14th cent. the Siamese had established their power over whole country, making Ayuthia, built c. 1350, seat of government. For long period struggle with Cambodia was carried on, and that country was for some time a tributary state. The 15th and 16th centuries were marked by Burmese invasions, and in 1555 the country temporarily lost its independence, regaining it under Phra Naret not long afterwards. In 17th cent. Phaulcon, a}h Cep halon i an Greek, became chief minis-| ter of Siamese king, whom he persuaded to send an emba y to Fr. court. About 1685, as a result of this, a number of French men and some Jesuits arrived ih Siam, only to be banished from the country some five years later. The 18th cent. was marked by an invasion of Burmese, who destroyed Ayuthia by fire in 1768; they were defeated and expelled by a Chin. general, Phya Tak, who usurped the throne, c. 1768 and removed seat of government from Ayuthia to Bangkok. He was subsequently killed, whereupon the ruling dynasty was established by another general, T's chakri, who became king in 1782. His descendVI.) succeeded his father, Chulalongkorn, in 1910. Boundary treaties with France were signed in 1893, 1904, and 1907, and with Britain in 1891 and 1909. Siam joined the Allied Powers in the World War, July 22, 1917; volunteers, comprising aviation units (including 104 pilots) and motor transport detachment, landed in France in July 1918. Former underwent a complete training before the Armistice, but latter was sent to the front, Sept. 15. Area, 195,000 sq. m.; pop. c. 8,924,000. See Map, 8. and E. Asta. SIAM, GULF OF, a large gulf lying N. of the South China Sea between the Malay Peninsula and Indo-China, with Siam situated at its N. extremity. SIAMESE TWINS, born of Chinese parentage in Siam in 1811. Their breast bones were united by a band of flesh, They married in America, having made money by self-exhibition, Both died in 1874.