Geography
About 70 % of Phuket is mountainous. The main mountain chain runs north-south behind the west coast beaches. The highest peak is Mai Tha Sip Song, or Twelve Canes, at 529 metres. The remaining 30 % of land consists of low plains, mainly in the centre and south, and streams.

Climate
Phuket's climate is dominated by the monsoon winds that blow year round and ensure that the weather is always warm and humid. There are two distinct seasons, rainy and dry. The rainy season begins in May and lasts until October, during which time the monsoon blows from the southwest. The dry season is from November through April, when the monsoon blows from the northeast. March has the highest average temperatures of 33.4 degree Celsius. January is the coolest month, when nightly lows dip to 22 degree Celsius.

Economy
The early 1980's were a turning point for Phuket. The once all-important tin mining industry expired and the tourism industry has since been Phuket's chief source of income. Hotels, restaurants, tour companies, and souvenir shops have sprouted along much of the west coast.

However, tourism is by no means the island's only activity. Agriculture remains important to a large number of people and covers much of the island. The principal crops are rubber, coconuts, cashews, and pineapples. Prawn farming has largely taken over the east and south coasts. Pearl farming is also important. Phuket's fishing port is always full, and the processing of fish and marine products makes a significant contribution to the economy. As a consequence of so many healthy industries generating income, construction has become a major factor in employment. Construction projects range from massive public works projects to office buildings and hotels as well as large and small scale housing development.

Population
The size of Phuket's population varies considerably depending on the time of year, although the official census shows 231,206 people registered as Phuket residents. Additionally, the island receives about three million visitors per year and there is a sizable community of seasonal and temporary workers from other parts of Thailand.

The ethnic makeup of Phuket is roughly 35 % Chinese (14 % countrywide) and 35 % Muslim (4 % countrywide) and the Chao Nam, or sea gypsies.

The Chinese population of Phuket originates from the Hokkien region of China. The Chinese arrived to work the tin mines, but as elsewhere in Asia, they made the transition from providing cheap labour to being merchants. They married native Thais and assimilated into Thai culture. Today the descendants of the early Chinese settlers are responsible for much of the trade and commerce on Phuket.

Indonesian-Malayan culture is quite apparent in southern Thailand. Concentrated mostly around Surin and a few other big villages, they work as rice and rubber farmers. In Phuket, muslims of Malaysian extraction came largely to work on the rubber plantations.

The Chao Nam or Sea Gypsies are traditionally a nomadic people and there are three Sea Gypsy villages in Phuket. Little is known of their history and traditions as their language is not written. They follow their own animistic religion and are generally darker skinned and heavier with curly black hair. Sea Gypsies are said to have originated in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands between India and Burma.

History
With a history stretching back at least one thousand years, Phuket was a way station on the route between India and China as well as a wealthy tin and rubber manufacturing centre and a major trading city.

The Dutch established a trading post during the 16th century. The island's northern and central regions were then governed by the Thais, and the southern and western areas were given over to the tin trade, which was operated by a number of western countries under a power sharing relationship with the Thai monarchy.

The Burmese made many attempts to occupy the Thai kingdom that continued until Burma became a British colony. After a successful invasion, the Burmese were driven from the country in the late 1760s. They later sent a fleet to raid the southern provinces and take slaves to Burma. This led to Phuket's most memorable historic event. A passing sea captain sent word that the Burmese were en route to attack. Forces in Phuket were assembled and led by two heroines, Kunying Jan, wife of Phuket's recently deceased governor, and her sister Mook. After the Burmese were forced to depart in 1785, King Rama I bestowed noble titles upon the sisters in recognition of their heroism.

During the 19th century large numbers of Chinese immigrants arrived as labour for the tin mines. The ethnic makeup of the island's interior became predominantly Chinese, while the coastal settlements remained populated chiefly by Muslim fishermen.

Under Rama V, Phuket became the administration centre of a group of tin mining provinces called Monton Phuket. In 1933, when the government changed from an absolute monarchy to a parliamentary system, the island became a province.

The tin ore became depleted and world tin prices fell; the mining merchants turned to tourism around 1980.