Cambodia

Cambodia, located in South-East Asia, is bordered by Laos to the North East, Vietnam to the South and the East, Thailand to the North-West, and by the Gulf of Thailand to the South-West.

The recent history of Cambodia is marked by the recent terror-ridden regime of Pol Pot in the 1970s. The deposition of Sihanouk, who was the Head of State since 1960, by Lon Hol, and the added support of the United States, brought about an uprising of the Khmers Rouges, lead by Pol Pot.

Intellectuals and anyone else seen as standing in the way of the new social order were mercilessly killed, while many of those who escaped execution died from overwork and starvation.

It was April 17, 1975 that Pol Pot and his troops of Khmers Rouges entered Phnom Penh. This marked the start of a horrific regime that claimed over two million lives. He wanted to create an agricultural society cut off from Capitalism. His new political view had devastating consequences, and caused a countrywide famine. The reign of Pol Pot came to an end in 1979 thanks to a major intervention on the part of the Vietnamese Army. The latter remained in Cambodia until 1989.

Today, Cambodia has the difficult task of rebuilding itself after the destructive reign of Pol Pot, though the situation remains precarious.

Cambodia has a land area of approximately 181, 035 km², and a population of about 10.3 million people (as of 1995). It is divided into 17 provinces (Khet), and the capital of the country is Phnom-Penh. The average temperature across the country varies from 20–32 degrees Celsius, the hottest month being April, with a temperature of about 35 degrees Celsius. The coldest month of the year is January, where the temperature can fall to about 10 degrees Celsius.

Cambodia is a country that is essentially agricultural, and the main cultivated product is rice. Fishing in calm waters is a very important economic resource, and high fishing season is in December through February. The productivity of the Tonlé Sap River is the highest in the world. One of the most picturesque parts of the Khmer landscape is the presence of sugar palm trees or “thnot” throughout the country. It is of tropical origin, with a straight or slightly curved trunk, and can reach heights of up to 20m. Its bark is stripped and its leaves round, rigid, and olive-green. The tree is used for construction purposes, the trunks mainly being useful as support beams and floorboards. Once it is hollowed out, it is used as a means of transport in the form of a boat. Cambodia defies imagination and is a leap towards the unimaginable with its sunny grounds, ancient monuments (7^th wonder of the world) which lie in the heart of the Virgin Forest, beautiful flowers, and smiling faces of the people.

In order to truly understand Cambodia, one must visit one of the greatest archaeological and architectural sites in the world - the Angkor complex. It is also in fact, an identity of the Khmer people.

It spreads over an area of more than 400 sq. kilometres. Angkor stands as an unrivalled legacy of a powerful Khmer race. The beauty, symmetry and mystery of the temples defy description.

The ancient capital of the Khmer Empire is built on the vast plane north of the Tonle Sap, Great Lake, dominated the region from 900-1500, reaching its zenith in the 12th century.

When Jayavarman II (801-850), founder of the Khmer Empire, established his capital at Rolous, he started the cult of Indian deities. It is he who created all these marvellous temples.....

CAMBODIA VITAL STATISTIC
Land area	181,035km
Population	11,426,223
Population growth	2,4%
Density	64km
Infant mortality rate	90%
Life expectancy	54 years old
Life expectancy male	53,8 years ols
Life expectancy Female	58,7 years old
Urban population	15,7%
Size of family	5,2%
Khmer ethnic	95%
Buddhist religion	90%
Government system	Consitutional / Monarchic
Climate	Warm and humid
Annual Temperature	28,5C or 83.3F
Annual Seasons	2
November to April	6 months dry season
May to October	6 months rainy season

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