Language and Content
Success in Social Studies
Learn About Maps
Thailand is a country.
country
On a map, a dot shows a city.
city
A star on a map shows the capital. The government of a country is located in the capital city.
capital
A border divides one country from another. The black lines on this map show borders.
border
Listen to the article and study the map below. Then do the Review.
• How do people in Southeast Asia celebrate the new year?
People in Southeast Asia celebrate the new year at different times and in different ways. Some countries celebrate in winter after the shortest day of the year. In Vietnam, people celebrate for an entire week in January or early February. During this time, the Vietnamese people of Ho Chi Minh City decorate their homes with small fruit trees full of orange-colored fruit.
Other countries celebrate the new year at the beginning of spring. In Thailand, people celebrate the new year from April 13 to April 15. All over Thailand, especially in the city of Chiang Mai, people splash water on each other to wash away bad luck.
Border
River
Capital
City
1. Check Your Understanding How do people in Thailand and Vietnam celebrate the new year?
2. Vocabulary Name a country that has a border with Thailand.
3. Use Maps List the capitals shown on the map.