Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1369

 AREA AND POPULATION 1247

and those in the south, as Singora, and others, with very full powers. The Monthon of Bangkok is under the coutrol of the Minister of Local Government.

Area and Population.

The limits of the Kingdom of Siam have varied much at different periods of its history most of the border lands being occupied by tribes more or less independent. The boundary between Burma and N.W. Siam was delimited in 1891. By the Anglo-French Convention ofj^April, 1904, the agreement of 1896 Avas confirmed, and its provisions more clearly defined, the terri- tories to the west of the Menam and the Gulf of Siam being recognised as in the British sphere, and those to the east in the French. Various changes have recently been made in the Franco-Siamese frontier-line. In 1904, the Luang Prabang territory to the west of the Mekong was acknowledged by Siam to belong to France, and the provinces of Maluprey and Barsak (west of the Mekong) were also transferred to French rule, so that an area of about 7,800 square miles passed from Siamese possession. On March 23, 1907, a new boundary in this region was accepted by Siam whereby the provinces of Battambang, Siem Reap, andSisophon are ceded to France, while the strip of coast to the south with the port of Ivrat returns to Siam. At the same time a rectification of the boundary was made in the Luang Prabang region, whereby a tract of the Laos country was restored to Siam. It was agreed also that four ports on the Mekong are to be held by France on perpetual lease. By these arrangements the territory of Cambodia is increased by about 7,000 square miles. The treaty also provides for the future juris- diction of the Siamese courts over all French Asiatic subjects and proteges in Siam, under certain conditions.

A treaty for a modification of British extra-territorial rights in Siam and for the cession of the Siamese tributary States of Kelantan, Trengannu and Keda to Great Britain was signed at Bangkok on March 10, 1909. The three states have an area of about 15,000 square miles, and a population estimated at over 600,000, of whom about 300,000 are in Kelantan.

The area of Siam is now about 195,000 square miles, about 45,000 being in the Malay Peninsula. The numbers of the population have hitherto been even more imperfectly known than the extent of territory, and the difficulty of any correct result is the greater on account of the Oriental custom of numbering only the men. The work of taking the first detailed census in Siam was, however, completed in 1904. Unfortunately, this census included only 12 of the provincial circles, or Monthons. In November, 1910, full statistics were issued for the Avliole kingdom. Accord- ing to these figures the total population of the country is given as 8,117,953. The number of Siamese in the Bangkok Monthon is 639,920, and in the remaining Monthons, with the exception of Payap and Isaru (now Abou and Roiet) where no details are given, there are 3,779,586 of the Siamese or Thai race. The population of Monthon Puket is put at 222,802. The town of Bangkok includes 628,675 inhabitants. The population of Puket is y>ut at 179,600, Siam is called by its inhabitants Thai, or Muang-Thai, which means 'free,' or 'the kingdom of the free.' The word Siam is probably identical with Shan, applied in Burma to the Lao race, as well as to the Shan proper and the Siamese.

In recent years the results of Western civilisation have to a considerable extent been introduced. Much excellent work has been done by a General Adviser of American nationality, and with the assistance of a British Judicial Adviser, a French Legislative Adviser and Legal Advisers of various nationalities important progress has been made in the administration of