WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Only Siam remained largely intact and independent. By 1886 the rest of the region had been divided among the British, French, Dutch, and Spanish (who soon were replaced by the Americans), with the Portuguese still clinging to the island of Timor.

Detailed explanation-2: -Siam was able to maintain independence during the year 1900 because of its modernization through reform and nationalism, creating a sense of identity that was parallel to much of the world.

Detailed explanation-3: -After the short-lived kingdom of Sukhothai founded in 1238, a unified Thai kingdom (Ayutthaya) was established in the mid-14th century; it was known as Siam until 1939. Thailand is the only southeast Asian country never have been taken over by a European power.

Detailed explanation-4: -Most of Southeast Asia continues to be colonized during the first half of the twentieth century: Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos by the French; Malaysia and Myanmar (Burma) by the British; Indonesia by the Dutch; and the Philippines by the United States. Only Thailand remains independent.