Preăh Réachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchea Royaume du Cambodge Kingdom of Cambodia
Flag Royal Arms
Motto:  "Nation, Religion, King"
Anthem: "Nokoreach"
Capital (and largest city)		Phnom Penh 11°33′N, 104°55′E
Official languages		Khmer
Demonym		Cambodian
Government		Constitutional monarchy
-	King	Norodom Sihamoni
-	Prime Minister	Hun Sen
Independence
-	from France	November 9, 1953
Area
-	Total	181,035 km² (89th) 69,898 sq mi
-	Water (%)	2. The national flag of Cambodia was readopted in 1993 after elections returned the monarchy to rule The royal Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Cambodia are the symbol of the Cambodian Monarchy. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's "Nokoreach" (Royal Kingdom is the National anthem of Cambodia. Between 1874 and 1921 the total population of Cambodia increased from about 946000 to 2 Phnom Penh ( Khmer: ភ្នំពេញ official Romanization Phnum Pénh; pʰnum pɯɲ is the Capital An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Khmer (ភាសាខ្មែរ or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place Between 1874 and 1921 the total population of Cambodia increased from about 946000 to 2 For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is The current title of the Head of State of Cambodia is King.This is a complete list of all Heads of States of Cambodia, both Presidents, Norodom Sihamoni (នរោត្តម សីហមុនី born 14 May 1953 is the King of Cambodia. List of Heads of Government of Cambodia (1945-Present Protectorate of Cambodia (1945-1949 King Norodom Sihanouk ( 18 March Hun Sen (ហ៊ុន សែន (born April 4 1951 or August 5 1952) is the Prime Minister of Cambodia. Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events 694 - Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims sentencing all Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. M^2 redirects here For other uses see M². CM2 redirects here This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" 5
Population
-	2007 estimate	13,995,904 (63rd)
-	1998 census	11,437,656
-	Density	78/km² (112th) 201/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2006 estimate
-	Total	$36. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 82 billion (89th)
-	Per capita	$2,600 (133rd)
HDI (2007)		▲ 0. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 598 (medium) (131st)
Currency		Riel (៛)1 (KHR)
Time zone		(UTC+7)
-	Summer (DST)	(UTC+7)
Internet TLD		.kh
Calling code		+855
1	Local currency, although US dollars are widely used. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The riel ( Khmer: រៀល Symbol ៛ is the Currency of Cambodia. ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Daylight saving time ( DST A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been

The Kingdom of Cambodia (pronounced /kæmˈboʊdɪə/, formerly known as Kampuchea (/kampuˈtɕiːə/), , transliterated: Preăh Réachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchea) is a country in South East Asia with a population of over 13 million people. Transliteration is the practice of Transcribing a Word or text written in one Writing system into another writing system or system of rules for such practice Cambodia is the successor state of the once powerful Hindu and Buddhist Khmer Empire, which ruled most of the Indochinese Peninsula between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries. Succession of states is a theory in International relations regarding the recognition and acceptance of a newly created State by other states based on A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices The Khmer Empire was the largest empire of South East Asia based in what is now Cambodia. Indochina, or the Indochinese Peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia.

A citizen of Cambodia is usually identified as "Cambodian" or "Khmer," though the latter strictly refers to ethnic Khmers. The Khmer people are the predominant Ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the 14 Most Cambodians are Theravada Buddhists of Khmer extraction, but the country also has a substantial number of predominantly Muslim Cham, as well as ethnic Chinese, Vietnamese and small animist hill tribes. History Origin of the school The Theravāda school is ultimately derived from the Vibhajjavāda (or 'doctrine of analysis' grouping which was a continuation A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion The Cham people ( Vietnamese: người Chăm or người Chàm) are an ethnic group in Southeast Asia. Animism (from Latin anima ( Soul, Life) commonly refers to a religious belief that Souls or Spirits exist in Animals

The country borders Thailand to its west and northwest, Laos to its northeast, and Vietnam to its east and southeast. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Laos (ˈlɑːoʊs or /ˈlaʊs/ officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a Landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially In the south it faces the Gulf of Thailand. The Gulf of Thailand (or Gulf of Siam) is a gulf that borders but is not part of the South China Sea ( Pacific Ocean) The geography of Cambodia is dominated by the Mekong river (colloquial Khmer: Tonle Thom or "the great river") and the Tonlé Sap ("the fresh water lake"), an important source of fish. The Mekong is one of the world’s major Rivers It is the 11th-longest river in the world and 7th longest in Asia Khmer (ភាសាខ្មែរ or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. The Tonlé Sap ( Khmer: ទន្លេសាប ie large body of water (Cambodian meaning "Large Fresh Water River" but more commonly translated as

Cambodia's main industries are garments, tourism, and construction. Clothing (also called clothes, accoutrements, accouterments, or habiliments) protects the Human body from extreme Weather Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel In 2007, foreign visitors to Angkor Wat alone almost hit the 4 million mark. Angkor Wat (or Angkor Vat) (អង្គរវត្ត is a Temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for King Suryavarman II ^[1] In 2005, oil and natural gas deposits were found beneath Cambodia's territorial water, and once commercial extraction begins in 2011, the oil revenues could profoundly affect Cambodia's economy. ^[2]

Contents 1 History 2 Politics and government 3 Military 4 Geography 4.1 Climate 4.2 City and province sizes 5 Foreign relations 6 Wildlife of Cambodia 7 Economy 8 Demographics 9 Culture and society 10 Transport 11 International rankings 12 See also 13 References 14 External links

History

Main article: History of Cambodia

The first advanced civilizations in present-day Cambodia appeared in the 1st millennium AD. Archaeological evidence indicates that parts of the region now called Cambodia were inhabited from around 1000-2000 BCE by a Neolithic culture that may have migrated from South Eastern The Khmer Empire was the largest empire of South East Asia based in what is now Cambodia. The kingdom of Champa ( Chăm Pa in Vietnamese or Chiêm Thành in Hán Việt records was an Indianized kingdom and controlled what The Bayon ( Khmer: ប្រាសាទបាយ័ន is a well-known and richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia. The first millennium is a period of time that commenced on January 1, 1, and ended on December 31, 1000, of the Julian calendar. During the 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries, the Indianised states of Funan and Chenla coalesced in what is now present-day Cambodia and southwestern Vietnam. The 3rd century is the period from 201 to 300 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 4th century (per the Julian calendar and Anno Domini / Common era) was that Century The 5th century is the period from 401 to 500 in accordance with the Julian calendar in Anno Domini / Common Era. Funan (Old Khmer Bnam, Modern Khmer Phnom, Khmer script នគរភ្នំ (i Chenla ( Khmer: ចេនឡា known as Zhenla ( 真[[wikt 腊|腊]] in Chinese and Chân Lạp in Vietnamese, was an These states, which are assumed by most scholars to have been Khmer,^[3] had close relations with China and India. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country ^[4] Their collapse was followed by the rise of the Khmer Empire, a civilization which flourished in the area from the 9th century to the 13th century. The Khmer Empire was the largest empire of South East Asia based in what is now Cambodia. The 9th century is the period from 801 to 900 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era.

The Khmer Empire declined yet remained powerful in the region until the 15th century. The Khmer Empire was the largest empire of South East Asia based in what is now Cambodia. The empire's center of power was Angkor, where a series of capitals was constructed during the empire's zenith. Angkor is a name conventionally applied to the region of Cambodia serving as the seat of the Khmer empire that flourished from approximately the 9th century to Angkor Wat, the most famous and best-preserved religious temple at the site, is a reminder of Cambodia's past as a major regional power. Angkor Wat (or Angkor Vat) (អង្គរវត្ត is a Temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for King Suryavarman II

After a long series of wars with neighbouring kingdoms, Angkor was sacked by the Thai and abandoned in 1432. The Thai (or Tai) are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries ^[5] The court moved the capital to Lovek where the kingdom sought to regain its glory through maritime trade. Lovek was a city in ancient Cambodia that became the nation's capital in the 16th century after Civil War Between Sdech Kan And Ponhea Chan The attempt was short-lived, however, as continued wars with the Thai and Vietnamese resulted in the loss of more territory and the conquering of Lovek in 1594. Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially During the next three centuries, The Khmer kingdom alternated as a vassal state of the Thai and Vietnamese kings, with short-lived periods of relative independence between.

In 1863 King Norodom, who had been installed by Thailand,^[6] sought the protection of France. Norodom ( Khmer:ព្រះបាទនរោត្តម (1834-1904 ruled as king of Cambodia from 1860 to 1904 In 1867, the Thai king signed a treaty with France, renouncing suzerainty over Cambodia in exchange for the control of Battambang and Siem Reap provinces which officially became part of Thailand. Suzerainty (ˈsjuːzərənti RP or /ˈsjuːzəreɪnti/ RP) (/ˈsuːzərənti/ GA) is a situation in which a Region or people is a Battambang (pronounced /bɐtdəmbɒŋ/ (the Siamese name was Phratabong founded during the height of the Khmer empire in the 11th Siem Reap City is the capital of Siem Reap Province, Cambodia. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj The provinces were ceded back to Cambodia by a border treaty between France and Thailand in 1906. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj

Cambodia continued as a protectorate of France from 1863 to 1953, administered as part of the French colony of Indochina. In International law, a protectorate is a autonomous territory that is "protected" by a stronger state or entity hense the protector which engages to protect This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. This article is about a type of political territory For other uses see Colony (disambiguation. Indochina, or the Indochinese Peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. After war-time occupation by the Japanese empire from 1941 to 1945, Cambodia gained independence from France on November 9, 1953. The Empire of Japan ( {{unicode|Kyūjitai}}: ja 大日本帝國 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国 pronounced Dai Nippon Teikoku This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events 694 - Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims sentencing all Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. It became a constitutional monarchy under King Norodom Sihanouk. Names and titles Since his abdication Sihanouk's official Cambodian title (short version the most-widely used is Preah Karuna Preah Bat Sâmdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk Preahmâhaviraksat

In 1955, Sihanouk abdicated in favour of his father in order to be elected Prime Minister. Upon his father's death in 1960, Sihanouk again became head of state, taking the title of Prince. As the Vietnam War progressed, Sihanouk adopted an official policy of neutrality until ousted in 1970 by a military coup led by Prime Minister General Lon Nol and Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak, while on a trip abroad. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia For other uses of Neutral and Neutrality see Neutral A neutral country takes no side in a War between other parties The Cambodian coup of 1970 refers to the removal of Prince Norodom Sihanouk and the subsequent elevation of Prime Minister Lon Nol as head of state under the Lon Nol (​ November 13, 1913 - November 17, 1985) was a Cambodian Politician and Soldier who served as Prime Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak ( January 22 1914 &mdash April 21 1975) was born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and was a From Beijing, Sihanouk realigned himself with the communist Khmer Rouge rebels who had been slowly gaining territory in the remote mountain regions and urged his followers to help in overthrowing the pro-United States government of Lon Nol, hastening the onset of civil war. Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based The Khmer Rouge (ខ្មែរក្រហម Kmae Krɑhɑɑm was the Communist ruling political party of Cambodia &mdashwhich it renamed The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Cambodian Civil War was a conflict that pitted the forces of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (known as the Khmer Rouge) and their allies the Democratic Republic of ^[7]

Operation Menu, a series of secret B-52 bombing raids by the United States on alleged Viet Cong bases and supply routes inside Cambodia, was acknowledged after Lon Nol assumed power; U. Operation Menu was the codename of a covert US Strategic Air Command (SAC bombing campaign conducted in eastern Cambodia from 18 March 1969 The United States of America —commonly referred to as the S. forces briefly invaded Cambodia in a further effort to disrupt the Viet Cong. The Cambodian Campaign (also known as the Cambodian Incursion) was a series of military operations conducted in eastern Cambodia during the late spring and summer The bombing continued and, as the Cambodian communists began gaining ground, eventually included strikes on suspected Khmer Rouge sites until halted in 1973. ^[8]

Some two million Cambodians were made refugees by the bombing and fighting and fled to Phnom Penh. Estimates of the number of Cambodians killed during the bombing campaigns vary widely. Views of the effects of the bombing also vary widely. The US Seventh Air Force argued that the bombing prevented the fall of Phnom Penh in 1973 by killing 16,000 of 25,500 Khmer Rouge fighters besieging the city. The Khmer Rouge (ខ្មែរក្រហម Kmae Krɑhɑɑm was the Communist ruling political party of Cambodia &mdashwhich it renamed ^[9]Journalist William Shawcross and Cambodia specialists Milton Osborne, David P. Chandler and Ben Kiernan argued that the bombing drove peasants to join the Khmer Rouge. William Shawcross (born 28 May, 1946, Sussex) is a British writer broadcaster and commentator Milton Osborne is an Australian Historian, Author, and Consultant specializing in Southeast Asia. David P Chandler is a American Historian who is regarded as one of the foremost western scholars of Cambodia's modern history Benedict F Kiernan (born 1953 in Melbourne, Australia) is the Whitney Griswold Professor of History Professor of International and Area Studies The Khmer Rouge (ខ្មែរក្រហម Kmae Krɑhɑɑm was the Communist ruling political party of Cambodia &mdashwhich it renamed Chandler writes that the bombing provided "the psychological ingredients of a violent, vengeful and unrelenting social revolution. "^[10]Cambodia specialist Craig Etcheson argued that it is "untenable" to assert that the Khmer Rouge would not have won but for US intervention, and that while the bombing did help Khmer Rouge recruitment, they "would have won anyway. The Khmer Rouge (ខ្មែរក្រហម Kmae Krɑhɑɑm was the Communist ruling political party of Cambodia &mdashwhich it renamed The Khmer Rouge (ខ្មែរក្រហម Kmae Krɑhɑɑm was the Communist ruling political party of Cambodia &mdashwhich it renamed "^[11] As the war ended, a draft US AID report observed that the country faced famine in 1975, with 75% of its draft animals destroyed by the war, and that rice planting for the next harvest would have to be done "by the hard labor of seriously malnourished people. " The report predicted that

without large-scale external food and equipment assistance there will be widespread starvation between now and next February. . . Slave labor and starvation rations for half the nation's people (probably heaviest among those who supported the republic) will be a cruel necessity for this year, and general deprivation and suffering will stretch over the next two or three years before Cambodia can get back to rice self-sufficiency. ^[12]

The Khmer Rouge reached Phnom Penh and took power in 1975, changing the official name of the country to Democratic Kampuchea, led by Pol Pot. The Khmer Rouge (ខ្មែរក្រហម Kmae Krɑhɑɑm was the Communist ruling political party of Cambodia &mdashwhich it renamed Democratic Kampuchea (កម្ពុជាប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ (Kampuchéa Démocratique Vietnamese: Kampuchea Dân chủ) was a Saloth Sar ( May 19, 1925 – April 15, 1998) also known as Pol Pot, was leader of the Communist movement known as They immediately evacuated the cities and sent the entire population on forced marches to rural work projects. They attempted to rebuild the country's agriculture on the model of the 11th century. They also discarded Western medicine, with the result that while hundreds of thousands died from starvation and disease there were almost no drugs in the country. ^[13]

Estimates vary as to how many people were killed by the Khmer Rouge regime, ranging from approximately one to three million. The Killing Fields were a number of sites in Cambodia where large numbers of people were killed and buried by the Khmer Rouge regime during its rule of the country The Khmer Rouge (ខ្មែរក្រហម Kmae Krɑhɑɑm was the Communist ruling political party of Cambodia &mdashwhich it renamed ^[14][15] Hundreds of thousands more fled across the border into neighbouring Thailand. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj

In November 1978, Vietnam invaded Cambodia to stop Khmer Rouge incursions across the border and the genocide of Vietnamese in Cambodia. Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially The Vietnamese people (người Việt or vi ''người Kinh'' are an Ethnic group originating from what is now northern Vietnam and southern China. ^[16] Violent occupation and warfare between the Vietnamese and Khmer Rouge holdouts continued throughout the 1980s. Peace efforts began in Paris in 1989, culminating two years later in October 1991 in a comprehensive peace settlement. After the fall of the Pol Pot regime ( Democratic Kampuchea) Cambodia was under Vietnamese occupation and in a Civil war during the 1980s Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city The United Nations was given a mandate to enforce a ceasefire, and deal with refugees and disarmament. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security ^[17]

After the brutality of the 1970s and the 1980s, and the destruction of the cultural, economic, social and political life of Cambodia, it is only in recent years that reconstruction efforts have begun and some political stability has finally returned to Cambodia. The stability established following the conflict was shaken in 1997 during a coup d'état,^[18] but has otherwise remained in place. Cambodia has been aided by a number of more developed nations like Japan, France, Canada, Australia and the United States, primarily economically. Money raised in schools and community groups in these countries has gone towards the rebuilding of infrastructure and housing.

Politics and government

Main article: Politics of Cambodia

The politics of Cambodia formally take place, according to the nation's constitution of 1993, in the framework of a constitutional monarchy operated as a parliamentary representative democracy. The politics of Cambodia formally takes place according to the nation's Constitution (enacted in 1993 in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Hun Sen (ហ៊ុន សែន (born April 4 1951 or August 5 1952) is the Prime Minister of Cambodia. List of Heads of Government of Cambodia (1945-Present Protectorate of Cambodia (1945-1949 King Norodom Sihanouk ( 18 March A constitution is a system for government often Codified as a written document that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of the people's representatives The Prime Minister of Cambodia is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system, while the king is the head of state. List of Heads of Government of Cambodia (1945-Present Protectorate of Cambodia (1945-1949 King Norodom Sihanouk ( 18 March This article focuses on the cases where the Head of Government is a separate office from the Head of State A multi-party system is a system in which three or more political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition The current title of the Head of State of Cambodia is King.This is a complete list of all Heads of States of Cambodia, both Presidents, Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state The Prime Minister is appointed by the King, on the advice and with the approval of the National Assembly; the Prime Minister and his or her ministerial appointees exercise executive power in government. The National Assembly of Cambodia ( Radhsphea ney Preah Recheanachakr Kampuchea) is one of two chambers of the Cambodian Parliament. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. Legislative power is vested in both the executive and the two chambers of parliament, the National Assembly of Cambodia and the Senate. A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation The National Assembly of Cambodia ( Radhsphea ney Preah Recheanachakr Kampuchea) is one of two chambers of the Cambodian Parliament. The Senate ( Sénat) is one of the chambers of Parliament of Cambodia.

On October 14, 2004, King Norodom Sihamoni was selected by a special nine-member throne council, part of a selection process that was quickly put in place after the surprise abdication of King Norodom Sihanouk a week before. Norodom Sihamoni (នរោត្តម សីហមុនី born 14 May 1953 is the King of Cambodia. Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Norodom Sihamoni (នរោត្តម សីហមុនី born 14 May 1953 is the King of Cambodia. Sihamoni's selection was endorsed by Prime Minister Hun Sen and National Assembly Speaker Prince Norodom Ranariddh (the new king's brother), both members of the throne council. Hun Sen (ហ៊ុន សែន (born April 4 1951 or August 5 1952) is the Prime Minister of Cambodia. Prince Norodom Ranariddh (born January 2, 1944) is the second son of King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia and a half brother of the current king He was crowned in Phnom Penh on October 29. Events 437 - Valentinian III, Western Roman Emperor, marries Licinia Eudoxia, daughter of his cousin Theodosius II The monarchy is symbolic and does not exercise political power. Norodom Sihamoni was trained in Cambodian classical dance. Due to his long stay in the Czech Republic (then part of Czechoslovakia) Norodom Sihamoni is fluent in the Czech language. The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Czech (ˈʧɛk čeština ˈʧɛʃcɪna in Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers it is the majority language in the

In 2006, Transparency International's rating of corrupt countries rated Cambodia as 151st of 163 countries of their Corruption Perceptions Index. ^[19] . The 2007 edition of the same list placed Cambodia at 162nd out of 179 countries ^[20]. According to this same list, Cambodia is the 3rd most corrupt nation in the South-East Asia area, behind Laos, at 168th, and Myanmar, at joint 179th. Laos (ˈlɑːoʊs or /ˈlaʊs/ officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a Landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. The BBC reports that corruption is rampant in the Cambodian political arena^[21] with international aid from the U. S. and other countries being illegally transferred into private accounts. ^[22] Corruption has also added to the wide income disparity within the population. ^[23]

Military

Main article: Royal Cambodian Armed Forces

The king is the Supreme Commander of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) and the country's prime minister effectively holds the position of commander-in-chief. The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF consists of the Supreme Command Headquarters (SCHQ located in Phnom Penh, three distinct forces the Army Navy Air Force The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF consists of the Supreme Command Headquarters (SCHQ located in Phnom Penh, three distinct forces the Army Navy Air Force The introduction of a revised command structure early in 2000 was a key prelude to the reorganization of the RCAF. This saw the ministry of national defense form three subordinate general departments responsible for logistics and finance, materials and technical services, and defense services. The High Command Headquarters (HCHQ) was left unchanged, but the general staff was dismantled and the former will assume responsibility over three autonomous infantry divisions. A joint staff was also formed, responsible for inter-service co-ordination and staff management within HCHQ.

The minister of National Defense is Tea Banh. Tea Banh has served as defense minister since 1979. The Secretaries of State for Defense are Chay Saing Yun and Por Bun Sreu.

Ke Kim Yan is the current commander of the RCAF. The Army Commander is Meas Sophea and the Army Chief of Staff is Chea Saran. Commander is a Military rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service HE General Meas Sophea, born 1955 is a senior General in the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF

Geography

Main article: Geography of Cambodia

Cambodia has an area of 181,035 square kilometres (69,898 sq mi), sharing an 800 kilometre (500 mi) border with Thailand in the north and west, a 541 kilometre (336 mi) border with Laos in the northeast, and a 1,228 kilometre (763 mi) border with Vietnam in the east and southeast. Yak Loum is a Lake and a popular tourist destination in the Ratanakiri province of northeastern Cambodia. Ratanakiri is a province in northeastern Cambodia that borders Laos to the north Vietnam to the east Mondulkiri Province to the Cambodia is a country in Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Laos (ˈlɑːoʊs or /ˈlaʊs/ officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a Landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially It has 443 kilometres (275 mi) of coastline along the Gulf of Thailand. The Gulf of Thailand (or Gulf of Siam) is a gulf that borders but is not part of the South China Sea ( Pacific Ocean)

The most distinctive geographical feature is the lacustrine plain, formed by the inundations of the Tonle Sap (Great Lake), measuring about 2,590 square kilometres (1,000 sq mi) during the dry season and expanding to about 24,605 square kilometres (9,500 sq mi) during the rainy season. A Lacustrine plain is a Plain that originally formed in a Lacustrine environment that is as the bed of a Lake, but from which the water has disappeared The Tonlé Sap ( Khmer: ទន្លេសាប ie large body of water (Cambodian meaning "Large Fresh Water River" but more commonly translated as This densely populated plain, which is devoted to wet rice cultivation, is the heartland of Cambodia. Most (about 75%) of the country lies at elevations of less than 100 metres (330 ft) above sea level, the exceptions being the Cardamom Mountains (highest elevation 1,813 m / 5,948 ft) and their southeast extension the Dâmrei Mountains ("Elephant Mountains") (elevation range 500–1,000 m or 1,640–3,280 ft), as well the steep escarpment of the Dângrêk Mountains (average elevation 500 m / 1,640 ft) along the border with Thailand's Isan region. The Krâvanh Mountains, or literally " Cardamom Mountains " ( Khmer regular script:, Chuor Phnom Krâvanh; Thai The Dâmrei Mountains ( Khmer regular script:) literally the " Elephant Mountains " are situated in the southwest of Cambodia. The Dângrêk Mountains ( Khmer regular script:, Chuor Phnom Dângrêk; Thai: ทิวเขาพนมดงรัก Thiu Khao Phanom Isan ( Isan /อีสาน also written as Isaan Isarn Issan or Esarn is the northeast region of Thailand. The highest elevation of Cambodia is Phnom Aoral, near Pursat in the centre of the country, at 1,813 metres (5,948 ft). Phnom Aoral is the highest mountain in Cambodia, located in the Cardamom mountain range at a height of 1813 metres(5949 ft high Pursat is the capital of Pursat Province, Cambodia.

Climate

Climate chart for Phnom Penh
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
7   31 21	10   32 22	40   34 23	77   35 24	134   34 24	155   33 24	171   32 24	160   32 26	224   31 25	257   30 24	127   30 23	45   30 22
temperatures in °C • precipitation totals in mm source: BBC Weather
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0. 3   88 70     0. 4   90 72     1. 6   93 73     3   95 75     5. 3   93 75     6. 1   91 75     6. 7   90 75     6. 3   90 79     8. 8   88 77     10. 1   86 75     5   86 73     1. 8   86 72 temperatures in °F • precipitation totals in inches

Cambodia's temperatures range from 10° to 38 °C (50° to 100 °F) and experiences tropical monsoons. A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind which lasts for several months Southwest monsoons blow inland bringing moisture-laden winds from the Gulf of Thailand and Indian Ocean from May to October. The Gulf of Thailand (or Gulf of Siam) is a gulf that borders but is not part of the South China Sea ( Pacific Ocean) The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface The northeast monsoon ushers in the dry season, which lasts from November to March. The country experiences the heaviest precipitation from September to October with the driest period occurring from January to February.

It has two distinct seasons. The rainy season, which runs from May to October, can see temperatures drop to 22 °C and is generally accompanied with high humidity. The dry season lasts from November to April when temperatures can raise up to 40 °C around April. The best months to visit Cambodia are November to January when temperatures and humidity are lower.

Main article: Law enforcement in Cambodia

City and province sizes

No. Kampong Speu is a province of Cambodia. Its capital is Kampong Speu. Sihanoukville, also known as Kampong Som, or Kampong Saom, is a Port city in southern Cambodia on Law enforcement in Cambodia is handled by the Cambodian police force which numbers 64000	City or province	Area
		km²	sq mi
1	City of Phnom Penh	290	112
2	Kandal Province	3,568	1,378
3	Takeo Province	3,563	1,376
4	Kampong Cham Province	9,799	3,783
5	Kampong Thom	13,814	5,334
6	Siem Reap Province	10,299	3,976
7	Preah Vihear Province	13,788	5,324
8	Oddar Meancheay Province	6,158	2,378
9	Banteay Meanchey Province	6,679	2,579
10	Battambang Province	11,072	4,275
11	City of Pailin	803	310
12	Pursat Province	12,692	4,900
13	Kampong Chhnang Province	5,521	2,132
14	Kampong Speu Province	7,017	2,709
15	Koh Kong Province	11,160	4,309
16	City of Sihanoukville	868	335
17	Kampot Province	4,873. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Phnom Penh ( Khmer: ភ្នំពេញ official Romanization Phnum Pénh; pʰnum pɯɲ is the Capital Kandal is a province of Cambodia. Its capital is Ta Khmau (lit Takéo is a province of Cambodia. Its capital is Takéo. Takeo town is an easygoing place that possesses a fair amount of natural and manmade beauty Kampong Cham is a province in the east of Cambodia. Its capital is Kampong Cham. Kampong Thom is the capital of Kampong Thom Province, Cambodia. Siem Reap, is a province located in northwestern Cambodia, on the shores of the Tonle Sap lake Preah Vihear is a northern province of Cambodia. Its capital is Phnom Tbeng Meanchey. Oddar Meanchey is a province of Cambodia. Its capital is Samraong. Banteay Meanchey is a Cambodian province. It is in the northwest of the country and its capital is Sisophon. Battambang (also Batdambang) is a province of Cambodia. It is in the northwest of the country and its capital is Pailin ( Khmer language: ក្រុងប៉ៃលិន is a City ( krong) in the west of Cambodia Pursat is the 4th biggest province of Cambodia, located in the western part of the country and borders clockwise from the north with Battambang Province Kampong Chhnang is a central province of Cambodia. Its capital is Kampong Chhnang. Kampong Speu is a province of Cambodia. Its capital is Kampong Speu. Koh Kong ( Khétt Kaôh Kŏng, Khêt Kaôh Kŏng before 1996 is a province of Cambodia. Sihanoukville, also known as Kampong Som, or Kampong Saom, is a Port city in southern Cambodia on Kampot is a southern province of Cambodia It's capital is Kampot. 2	1,881. 6
18	City of Kep	335. 8	129. 7
19	Prey Veng Province	4,883	1,885
20	Svay Rieng Province	2,966	1,145
21	Kratie Province	11,094	4,283
22	Stung Treng Province	11,092	4,283
23	Ratanakiri Province	10,782	4,163
24	Mondulkiri Province	14,288	5,517
25	Tonle Sap lake	3,000	1,158
TOTAL AREA		181,035	69,898

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Cambodia

Cambodia is a member of the United Nations and its specialized agencies such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Prey Veng is a province of Cambodia. Its capital is Prey Veng. Svay Rieng is a province in the southeast of Cambodia. Its capital is Svay Rieng. Kratié (ក្រចេះ also transliterated Kracheh is a province in northeastern Cambodia that borders Stung Treng Province to the north Mondulkiri Stung Treng is a northern province of Cambodia. Formerly called Xieng Teng, it was a part of the Khmer Empire, then the Lao kingdom of Lan Xang Ratanakiri is a province in northeastern Cambodia that borders Laos to the north Vietnam to the east Mondulkiri Province to the Mondulkiri is an eastern province of Cambodia. It is the most sparsely populated province in the country although being the largest province in Cambodia The Tonlé Sap ( Khmer: ទន្លេសាប ie large body of water (Cambodian meaning "Large Fresh Water River" but more commonly translated as The Royal Cambodian Government (RGC has established diplomatic relations with most countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, and France The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic It is an Asian Development Bank (ADB) member, a member of ASEAN, and joined the WTO on 13 October 2004. Asian Development Bank (ADB is a regional development bank established in 1966 to promote economic and social development in Asian and Pacific countries through loans and technical The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly referred to as ASEAN, ˈɑːsiːɑːn AH-see-ahn in English (the Official language Events 54 - Nero ascends to the Roman throne 409 - Vandals and Alans crossed the Pyrenees "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " In 2005 Cambodia attended the inaugural East Asia Summit. The East Asia Summit (EAS is a forum held annually by leaders of 16 countries in the East Asian region

Cambodia has established diplomatic relations with numerous countries; the government reports twenty embassies in the country^[24] including many of its Asian neighbours and those of important players during the Paris peace negotiations, including the US, Australia, Canada, China, the European Union (EU), Japan, and Russia. Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting Negotiations between representatives of groups or states ^[25]

While the violent ruptures of the 1970s and 80s have passed, several border disputes between Cambodia and its neighbours persist. A territorial dispute is a disagreement over the possession/control of land between two or more States or over the possession or control of land by one state after it has conquered There are disagreements over some offshore islands and sections of the boundary with Vietnam, and undefined maritime boundaries and border areas with Thailand.

In January 2003, there were riots in Phnom Penh prompted by rumored comments about Angkor Wat by a Thai actress wrongly attributed by Reaksmei Angkor, a Cambodian newspaper, and later quoted by Prime Minister Hun Sen. In January 2003 a Cambodian newspaper article falsely alleged that a Thai actress claimed that Angkor belonged to Thailand. Angkor Wat (or Angkor Vat) (អង្គរវត្ត is a Temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for King Suryavarman II Hun Sen (ហ៊ុន សែន (born April 4 1951 or August 5 1952) is the Prime Minister of Cambodia. ^[26] The Thai government sent military aircraft to evacuate Thai nationals and closed its border with Cambodia to Thais and Cambodians (at no time was the border ever closed to foreigners or Western tourists) while Thais demonstrated outside the Cambodian embassy in Bangkok. Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (krūŋtʰêːp máhǎːnákʰɔn) or Krung Thep ( for short is the Capital, largest The border was re-opened on March 21, after the Cambodian government paid $6 million USD in compensation for the destruction of the Thai embassy and agreed to compensate individual Thai businesses for their losses. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been

Wildlife of Cambodia

Main article: Wildlife of Cambodia

See also: Deforestation in Cambodia

Cambodia has a wide variety of plants and animals. The Indochinese tiger or Corbett's tiger ( Panthera tigris corbetti) is a Subspecies of Tiger found in Cambodia, Laos, Cambodia is home to a diverse array of wildlife There are 212 Mammal species 536 Bird species 240 Reptile species 850 freshwater Fish species (Tonle Deforestation in Cambodia occurs at one of the highest rates in the world There are 212 mammal species, 536 bird species, 240 reptile species, 850 freshwater fish species (Tonle Sap Lake area), and 435 marine fish species. Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia are air-breathing Cold-blooded Vertebrates that have skin covered in scales as opposed to hair or feathers Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two

The country has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world. Deforestation is the conversion of Forested areas to non-forest land for use such as Arable land, Pasture, urban use logged area or wasteland Since 1970, Cambodia's primary rainforest cover fell dramatically from over 70 percent in 1970 to just 3. 1 percent in 2007. In total, Cambodia lost 25,000 square kilometres (9,700 sq mi) of forest between 1990 and 2005—3,340 km² (1,290 sq mi) of which was primary forest. As of 2007, less than 3,220 km² (1,243 sq mi) of primary forest remain with the result that the future sustainability of the forest reserves of Cambodia is under severe threat, with illegal loggers looking to generate revenue. Sustainability, in a general sense is the capacity to maintain a certain process or state indefinitely ^[27]

Economy

Main article: Economy of Cambodia

Final economic indicators for 2007 are not yet available. The economy of Cambodia has seen rapid progress in the last decade 2006 GDP was $7. 265 billion (per capita GDP $513), with annual growth of 10. 8%. Estimates for 2007 are for a GDP of $8. 251 billion (per capita $571) and annual growth of 8. 5%). Inflation for 2006 was 2. 6%, and the current estimate for final 2007 inflation is 6. 2%. ^[28]

Per capita income is rapidly increasing, but is low compared with other countries in the region. Per capita income means how much each individual receives in monetary terms of the yearly income generated in the country Most rural households depend on agriculture and its related sub-sectors. Rice, fish, timber, garments and rubber are Cambodia's major exports. The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) reintroduced more than 750 traditional rice varieties to Cambodia from its rice seed bank in the Philippines (Jahn 2006,2007). The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI is an autonomous Non-profit, Agricultural Research and training organization with offices in more The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP These varieties had been collected in the 1960s. In 1987, the Australian government funded IRRI to assist Cambodia to improve its rice production. By 2000, Cambodia was once again self-sufficient in rice (Puckridge 2004, Fredenburg and Hill 1978).

The recovery of Cambodia's economy slowed dramatically in 1997–98, due to the regional economic crisis, civil violence, and political infighting. Angkor Wat (or Angkor Vat) (អង្គរវត្ត is a Temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for King Suryavarman II The Asian Financial Crisis was a period of Financial crisis that gripped much of Asia beginning in July 1997 and raised fears of a worldwide economic meltdown ( Foreign investment and tourism also fell off drastically. Foreign direct investment ( FDI) in its classic definition is defined as a company from one country making a physical investment into building a factory in another country Since then however, growth has been steady. In 1999, the first full year of peace in 30 years, progress was made on economic reforms and growth resumed at 5. Economic growth is the increase in the amount of the goods and services produced by an economy over time 0%. Despite severe flooding, GDP grew at 5. 0% in 2000, 6. 3% in 2001, and 5. 2% in 2002. Tourism was Cambodia's fastest growing industry, with arrivals increasing from 219,000 in 1997 to 1,055,000 in 2004. During 2003 and 2004 the growth rate remained steady at 5. 0%, while in 2004 inflation was at 1. 7% and exports at $1. 6 billion US dollars. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been As of 2005, GDP per capita in PPP terms was $2,200, which ranked 178th (out of 233) countries. ^[29]

The older population often lacks education, particularly in the countryside, which suffers from a lack of basic infrastructure. Infrastructure typically refers to the technical structures that support a society such as Roads Water supply, Wastewater, Power grids Fear of renewed political instability and corruption within the government discourage foreign investment and delay foreign aid, although there has been significant assistance from bilateral and multilateral donors. Donors pledged $504 m to the country in 2004,^[30] while the Asian Development Bank alone has provided $850m in loans, grants, and technical assistance. ^[31]

The tourism industry is the country's second-greatest source of hard currency after the textile industry. Hard currency or strong currency, in Economics refers to a globally traded Currency that can serve as a reliable and stable Store of value. ^[17] 50% of visitor arrivals are to Angkor, and most of the remainder to Phnom Penh. Angkor is a name conventionally applied to the region of Cambodia serving as the seat of the Khmer empire that flourished from approximately the 9th century to Phnom Penh ( Khmer: ភ្នំពេញ official Romanization Phnum Pénh; pʰnum pɯɲ is the Capital ^[32] Other tourist destinations include Sihanoukville in the southeast which has several popular beaches, and the nearby area around Kampot including the Bokor Hill Station. Sihanoukville, also known as Kampong Som, or Kampong Saom, is a Port city in southern Cambodia on Bokor Hill Station is an abandoned French town built in 1922 high upon Bokor Hill, just outside the town of Kampot, southern Cambodia.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Cambodia

More than 90% of its population is of Khmer origin and speaks the Khmer language, the country's official language. Between 1874 and 1921 the total population of Cambodia increased from about 946000 to 2 The Khmer people are the predominant Ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the 14 Khmer (ភាសាខ្មែរ or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. The remainder include Chinese, Vietnamese, Cham, Khmer Loeu and Indians. Chinese Cambodians are Cambodian citizens of Chinese descent During the late 1960s and early 1970s they were the largest ethnic minority in Cambodia there were an The Cham people ( Vietnamese: người Chăm or người Chàm) are an ethnic group in Southeast Asia. The Khmer Loeu are the non- Khmer highland tribes in Cambodia. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

The Khmer language is a member of the Mon-Khmer subfamily of the Austroasiatic language group. The Mon-Khmer languages are the autochthonous Language family of Southeast Asia. The Austro-Asiatic languages are a large Language family of Southeast Asia, and also scattered throughout India and Bangladesh. French, once the lingua franca of Indochina and still spoken by some, mostly older Cambodians as a second language, remains the language of instruction in various schools and universities that are often funded by the government of France. A lingua franca (from Italian, literally meaning Frankish language, see etymology under Sabir and Italian below is any Language widely Indochina, or the Indochinese Peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. Cambodian French, a remnant of the country's colonial past, is a dialect found in Cambodia and is frequently used in government. Cambodian French or French Cambodian may refer to Cambodian French (linguistics, the dialect of French spoken in Cambodia Colonial However, in recent decades, many younger Cambodians and those in the business-class have favoured learning English. In the major cities and tourist centers, English is widely spoken and taught at a large number of schools due to the overwhelming number of tourists from English-speaking countries. Even in the most rural outposts, however, most young people speak at least some English, as it is often taught by monks at the local pagodas where many children are educated.

Cambodia religiosity
religion			percent
Buddhism			95%
Islam			3%
Christianity			2%

The dominant religion, a form of Theravada Buddhism (95%), was suppressed by the Khmer Rouge but has since experienced a revival. Battambang (pronounced /bɐtdəmbɒŋ/ (the Siamese name was Phratabong founded during the height of the Khmer empire in the 11th History Origin of the school The Theravāda school is ultimately derived from the Vibhajjavāda (or 'doctrine of analysis' grouping which was a continuation Islam (3%) and Christianity (2%) are also practiced. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings ^[33]

Civil war and its aftermath have had a marked effect on the Cambodian population. The median age is 20. 6 years, with more than 50% of the population younger than 25. At 0. 95 males/female, Cambodia has the most female-biased sex ratio in the Greater Mekong Subregion [3]. In the Cambodian population over 65, the female to male ratio is 1. 6:1. ^[30] UNICEF has designated Cambodia the third most mined country in the world,^[34] attributing over 60,000 civilian deaths and thousands more maimed or injured since 1970 to the unexploded land mines left behind in rural areas. The United Nations Children's Fund (or UNICEF) was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946 A land mine is an Explosive device designed to be placed on or in the ground to explode when triggered by an operator or the Proximity of a vehicle person ^[35] The majority of the victims are children herding animals or playing in the fields. ^[34] Adults that survive landmines often require amputation of one or more limbs and have to resort to begging for survival. ^[35] In 2006, the number of landmines casualties in Cambodia took a sharp decrease of more than 50% compared to 2005, with the number of landmines victims down from 800 in 2005 to less than 400 in 2006. The reduced casualty rate continued in 2007, with 208 casualties (38 killed and 170 injured). ^[36]"

Culture and society

Main articles: Culture of Cambodia and Sport in Cambodia

Khmer culture, as developed and spread by the Khmer empire, has distinctive styles of dance, architecture and sculpture, which have strongly influenced neighbouring Laos and Thailand. The culture of Cambodia has had a rich and varied history dating back many centuries and has been heavily influenced by India. Cambodia has increasingly become involved in sports over the last 30 years The Khmer Empire was the largest empire of South East Asia based in what is now Cambodia. Laos (ˈlɑːoʊs or /ˈlaʊs/ officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a Landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Angkor Wat (Angkor means "city" and Wat "temple") is the best preserved example of Khmer architecture from the Angkorian era and hundreds of other temples have been discovered in and around the region. Angkor Wat (or Angkor Vat) (អង្គរវត្ត is a Temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for King Suryavarman II The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, the infamous prison of the Khmer Rouge, and Choeung Ek, one of the main Killing Fields are other important historic sites. The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is a museum in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. Choeung Ek (ជើងឯកcəəŋ aek the site of a former orchard and Chinese graveyard about 17km south of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, is the best-known of the sites The Killing Fields were a number of sites in Cambodia where large numbers of people were killed and buried by the Khmer Rouge regime during its rule of the country

Bonn Om Teuk (Festival of Boat Racing), the annual boat rowing contest, is the most attended Cambodian national festival. Bon Om Thook, the Khmer Water Festival is a Cambodian festival celebrated in November Held at the end of the rainy season when the Mekong river begins to sink back to its normal levels allowing the Tonle Sap River to reverse flow, approximately 10% of Cambodia's population attends this event each year to play games, give thanks to the moon, watch fireworks, and attend the boat race in a carnival-type atmosphere. ^[37] Popular games include cockfighting, soccer, and kicking a sey, which is similar to a footbag. A cockfight is a Blood sport between two Roosters held in a ring called a cockpit Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered A footbag is a small and round bag or ball used in sports which are also referred to as footbag Recent artistic figures include singers Sinn Sisamouth and Ros Sereysothea (and later Meng Keo Pichenda), who introduced new musical styles to the country. Sinn Sisamouth (ស៊ីន ស៊ីសាមុត(1935&ndashc Meng Keo Pichenda (ម៉េង កែវ​ពេជ្ជតា is a popular singer in Cambodia, and has been contracted to many companies for her services

Rice, as in other Southeast Asian countries, is the staple grain, while fish from the Mekong and Tonle Sap also form an important part of the diet. The Cambodian per capita supply of fish and fish products for food and trade in 2000 was 20 kilograms of fish per year or 2 ounces per day per person. The avoirdupois (ˌævərdəˈpɔɪz French avwaʀdypwɑ system is a system of weights (or properly Mass) based on a pound of sixteen Ounces ^[38] Some of the fish can be made into prahok for longer storage. Prahok ​​ (ប្រហុក is a crushed Salted and fermented Fish paste (usually of Mud fish) that is used in Cambodian Overall, the cuisine of Cambodia is similar to that of its Southeast Asian neighbours. Khmer cuisine ( Khmer សិល្បៈខាងធ្វើម្ហូបខ្មែរ is another name for the food widely The cuisine is relatively unknown to the world compared to that of its neighbours Thailand and Vietnam. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj

Football is one of the more popular sports, although professional organized sports are not as prevalent in Cambodia as in western countries due to the economic conditions. The Cambodia national football team managed fourth in the 1972 Asian Cup but development has slowed since the civil war. The Cambodia national football team is the national team of Cambodia and is controlled by the Cambodian Football Federation. The Asian Football Confederation 's 1972 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in Thailand between May 7 and May 19. Western sports such as volleyball, bodybuilding, field hockey, rugby union, golf, and baseball are gaining popularity while traditional boat racing maintains its appeal as a national sport. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Martial arts is practiced in Cambodia, as well the native art of Pradal Serey and Bokator. Kun Khmer (also Pradal Serey ( Khmer: ប្រដាល់សេរី English: Free Boxing) ( English: Khmer Boxing) is Bokator/Boxkator, or more formally Labokator ល្បុក្កតោ is a Khmer Martial art that may be a predecessor of the Southeast Asian

Transport

Main article: Transport in Cambodia

The civil war severely damaged Cambodia's transport system, but with assistance and equipment from other countries Cambodia has been upgrading the main highways to international standards and most are vastly improved from 2006. National Highway 1 or National Road No1 (10001 is one of the national Highways of Cambodia. War and continuing fighting severely damaged Cambodia 's transportation system &mdash a system that had been inadequately developed in peacetime Most main roads are now paved. Cambodia has two rail lines, totalling about 612 kilometers (380 mi) of single, one meter gauge track. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International ^[39] The lines run from the capital to Sihanoukville on the southern coast, and from Phnom Penh to Sisophon (although trains often run only as far as Battambang). Sihanoukville, also known as Kampong Som, or Kampong Saom, is a Port city in southern Cambodia on Sisophon is the capital city of Banteay Meanchey, Cambodia. The city separates Cambodia's National Road 5 and National Battambang (pronounced /bɐtdəmbɒŋ/ (the Siamese name was Phratabong founded during the height of the Khmer empire in the 11th Currently only one passenger train per week operates, between Phnom Penh and Battambang.

The nation's extensive inland waterways were important historically in international trade. The Mekong and the Tonle Sap River, their numerous tributaries, and the Tonle Sap provided avenues of considerable length, including 3,700 kilometers (2,300 mi) navigable all year by craft drawing 0. The Mekong is one of the world’s major Rivers It is the 11th-longest river in the world and 7th longest in Asia The Tonlé Sap ( Khmer: ទន្លេសាប ie large body of water (Cambodian meaning "Large Fresh Water River" but more commonly translated as The Tonlé Sap ( Khmer: ទន្លេសាប ie large body of water (Cambodian meaning "Large Fresh Water River" but more commonly translated as 6 meters (2 ft) and another 282 kilometers (175 mi) navigable to craft drawing 1. 8 meters (6 ft). ^[39] Cambodia has two major ports, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, and five minor ones. Phnom Penh ( Khmer: ភ្នំពេញ official Romanization Phnum Pénh; pʰnum pɯɲ is the Capital Sihanoukville, also known as Kampong Som, or Kampong Saom, is a Port city in southern Cambodia on Phnom Penh, located at the junction of the Bassac, the Mekong, and the Tonle Sap rivers, is the only river port capable of receiving 8,000-ton ships during the wet season and 5,000-ton ships during the dry season. The Bassac River (commonly called Tonle Bassac ទន្លេ​បាសាក់ is a Distributary of the Tonle Sap and Mekong River. The Mekong is one of the world’s major Rivers It is the 11th-longest river in the world and 7th longest in Asia The Tonlé Sap ( Khmer: ទន្លេសាប ie large body of water (Cambodian meaning "Large Fresh Water River" but more commonly translated as ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo Units of mass There are three similar units of Mass called the ton: Long ton (simply ton in countries such as the United Units of mass There are three similar units of Mass called the ton: Long ton (simply ton in countries such as the United

With increasing economic activity has come an increase in automobile and motorcycle use, though bicycles still predominate; as often in developing countries, an associated rise in traffic deaths and injuries is occurring. ^[40] Cycle rickshaws ("pʰʊt-pʰʊts") are an additional option often used by visitors. The cycle rickshaw, being a small-scale local means of transport is also known by a variety of other names such as rickshaw, pedicab, bugbug, cyclo

The country has four commercial airports. Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh is the second largest in Cambodia. Phnom Penh International Airport (អាកាសយានដ្ឋានអន្តរជាតិភ្នំពេញ Aéroport International De Phnom Penh is the main airport Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport is the largest and serves the most international flights in and out of Cambodia. Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport (អាកាសយានដ្ឋានអន្តរជាតិសៀមរាបអង្គរ Aéroport International De Siem Reap is The other airports are in Sihanoukville and Battambang. Sihanoukville, also known as Kampong Som, or Kampong Saom, is a Port city in southern Cambodia on Battambang (also Batdambang) is a province of Cambodia. It is in the northwest of the country and its capital is

International rankings

Organization
Heritage Foundation	Index of Economic Freedom	100 out of 157
Reporters Without Borders	Worldwide Press Freedom Index	85 out of 169
Transparency International	Corruption Perceptions Index	162 out of 179
United Nations Development Programme	Human Development Index	131 out of 177
World Economic Forum	Global Competitiveness Report	110 out of 131
Nation Master	Terrorist Acts 2000-2006 Incidences (most recent) by country ,112 being the least reports of Terrorist Acts	42 out of 112

See also

References

External links

Official

• King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihanouk Official Website of former King Norodom Sihanouk
• Cambodia.gov.kh Official Royal Government of Cambodia Website (English Version)
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
• Cambodia e-Visa, Applying Travel Visa Online

Overviews

• Cambodia entry at The World Factbook
• Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports regarding Cambodia
• V.R.Khmer - What you should know before you go to Cambodia. Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• Sharing Growth: Equity and Development in Cambodia - a report by the World Bank, launched on June 12, 2007 at the Cambodia Development Cooperation Forum (CDCF)
• Cambodia Country Factsheet from The Common Language Project
• Overview Article on Cambodia's Contemporary Political Economy: "The Neoliberal 'Order' in Cambodia: Political Violence, Democracy, and the Contestation of Public Space" by Simon Springer, PhD Candidate, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The first Cambodia Development Cooperation Forum (CDCF a restructured format for the Consultative Group (CG meeting was held in Phnom Penh on June 19-20 2007

Other

• CMDGs - Cambodia Millennium Development Goals
• Cambodia travel guide from Wikitravel
• Cambodia at the Open Directory Project
• Ka-set - Ka-set. Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide. The Open Directory Project ( ODP) also known as dmoz (from directory info, news about Cambodia and Cambodians in the world in khmer language

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