Cambodia
The Kingdom of Cambodia (Kampuchea, Khmer ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រ កម្ពុជា ) is a small constitutional monarchy in Southeast Asia with a population of over 13 million people, more than 90% of which are of Khmer origin. The nation is bordered in the south by the Gulf of Thailand, in the west by Thailand, Laos in the north, and Vietnam in the east. The country is what remains of the ancient Khmer Empire of Angkor that existed from the 9th century to 15th century and it was a protectorate of France between 1863 and 1953, when it gained independence. In recent years, Cambodia has gained the much-needed stability and rebuilding of infrastructure since the 1970s.
Origins of name
The name Cambodia is derived from the ancient Khmer Kingdom of Kambuja. Kambuja was originally the name of an early north Indian state. Since the independence from France in 1953 the official name of Cambodia has changed several times, going through the following:
- Kingdom of Cambodia (Royaume du Cambodge)
- Khmer Republic under the rule of Lon Nol from 1970 to 1975
- Democratic Kampuchea under the Khmer Rouge (Communists) from 1975 to 1979
- The Republic of Kampuchea when Vietnamese forces beat the Khmer Rouge from 1979 to 1989
- State of Cambodia (L'Etat du Cambodge, in Khmer: Roet Kampuchea) from 1989 to 1993
- The Kingdom of Cambodia was brought back to use as the official name in 1993 after the monarchy was restored
Uses of names
Today, almost no person uses "Cambodia" when talking in the Khmer language. The name Kampuchea is used instead. Other names equal in popularity used by Khmers to mean their country include: "Srok Khmaa" (Khmer state or State of Cambodia) and "Prateh Khmaa" (Khmer nation or Cambodian nation). Although the name "Kampuchea" was first introduced by the Khmer Rouge it is still used today locally.
History
Main article: History of Cambodia
The first known advanced civilizations in Cambodia appear in first millennium AD, and from the 9th to 13th century, the Khmer civilization flourished here.
The History of Cambodia can be split into three major sections:
Angkorian Period
The Angkorian Period was undoubtly (in terms of cultural accomplishments and political power) the golden age of Cambodia. The kingdom was founded by Jayavarman II, and the Khmer Empire lasted from the early 9th century to the early 15th century. The Khmer people were among the first people in Southeast Asia to adopt religious ideas and political institutions from India and to establish centralized kingdoms.
French Colonial
After centuries of territorial and population losses to neighboring Siam and Vietnam, Cambodia was made a French protectorate in 1863, and became part of French Indochina. Following Japanese occupation in World War II, the Cambodians declared independence on the 9 November 1953.
The Seventies
During the War in Indochina (1946-1975), the Richard Nixon administration of the United States conducted massive bombing campaigns against Cambodia. In 1970, General Lon Nol seized power and declared the Khmer Republic. The government was opposed by the nationalist and communist Khmer Rouge, which had gathered strength because of popular resentment against the U.S. bombing campaigns. The Khmer Rouge captured the capital Phnom Penh in 1975 and renamed the country Kampuchea. During the three year social revolution of the Khmer Rouge, approximately 1.7 million people were killed.
A 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge from power and into pockets along the western border with Thailand. A further 13 years of sporadic fighting took place before UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normality. A coalition government, formed after national elections in 1998, brought renewed political stability and the surrender of remaining Khmer Rouge forces. However, none of the Khmer Rouge leaders have been tried and convicted of crimes committed during the three years in which they held power.
Government and Politics
Main article: Politics of Cambodia
The country underwent turbulent events from the mid-seventies until the early nineties, when elections were held for the first time in almost 2 decades. Despite this troubled past, in recent years Cambodia has been steadily gaining much needed stability and peace. One sign of this was the smooth transition of power from from the monarch to his son.
Up until October 7, 2004, the country was reigned over by Norodom Sihanouk, who had been reinstated as king in September 1993. Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy and the role of the King is not to rule but to reign and serve as head of state. The head of government is Hun Sen, the leader of the current ruling party, the Cambodian People's Party (CPP). Cambodia is a member of the United Nations and ASEAN. The country has regained some political stability in recent years, since the Khmer Rouge regime of the 1970s.
On October 7, 2004, King Sihanouk's son Prince Norodom Ranariddh announced to the National Assembly that his father had abdicated. Senate President Chea Sim took over as interim head of state while a nine-member throne council met to choose a successor from among candidates with sufficiently royal blood. On October 14 the throne council appointed Prince Norodom Sihamoni, another of Sihanouk's 14 children, to be the new King.
Political figures
Political figures that have changed Cambodian history in one way, whether tyrannic or not include:
- Norodom Sihanouk Former King of Cambodia
- Hun Sen Prime Minister of Cambodia
- Pol Pot Leader of Khmer Rouge (Red Khmers)
Provinces
Main article: Provinces of Cambodia
Cambodia is divided into 20 provinces (khaet, singular and plural) and 4 municipalities* (krong, singular and plural) it is also divided by District (srok), Communion (khum), Greater districts (khaet), Sangkat and there are also Islands (koah):
Municipalities (Krong)
- Phnom Penh
- Preah Seihanu (Kampong Som or Sihanoukville)
- Pailin
- Keb
Province (Khet)
- Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Speu, Kampong Thom, Kampot, Kandal, Kaoh Kong, Kratié, Mondul Kiri, Oddar Meancheay, Pursat, Preah Seihanu, Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Ratanak Kiri, Siemreap, Stung Treng, Svay Rieng and Takéo
Islands (Kaoh)
Geography and climate
Main article: Geography of Cambodia
Cambodia is about 181,040 square kilometers, sharing a 800-kilometer border with Thailand on the north and west, a 541-kilometer border with Laos on the northeast, and a 1,228-kilometer border with Vietnam on the east and southeast. It has 443 kilometers of coastline along the Gulf of Thailand.
The most salient topographical feature is the lacustrine plain formed by the inundations of Tonle Sap (Great Lake), measuring about 2,590 square kilometers during the dry season and expanding to about 24,605 square kilometers during the rainy season. This densely populated plain, which is devoted to wet rice cultivation, constitutes the heartland of Cambodia. Most (about 75 percent) of the country lies at elevations of less than 100 meters above sea level, except for the Cardamon Mountains (highest elevation 1,771 meters), their north-south extension to the east, Elephant Range (elevation range 500-1,000 meters) and the steep escarpment of Dangrek Mountains (average elevation 500 meters) along northern border with Thailand.
Temperatures range from 10°C to 38°C and Cambodia experiences tropical monsoons. Southwest monsoons blowing inland in northeasterly direction brings moisture-laden winds from Gulf of Thailand/Indian Ocean from May to October and the country experiences the heaviest precipitation from September-October. Northeast monsoon blowing in a southwesterly direction towards the coast ushers in the dry season, which lasts from November to March, with period of least rainfall January-February.
Economy
Main article: Economy of Cambodia
Cambodia's economy slowed dramatically in 1997-1998 due to the regional economic crisis, civil violence, and political infighting. Foreign investment and tourism fell off drastically. In 1999, the first full year of peace in 30 years, progress was made on economic reforms and growth resumed at 5.0%. 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 up 34% in 2000 and up another 40% in 2001 before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US.
Even given these stout growth estimates, the long-term development of the economy after decades of war remains a daunting challenge. The population lacks education and productive skills, particularly in the poverty-ridden countryside, which suffers from an almost total lack of basic infrastructure. Fear of renewed political instability and corruption within the government discourage foreign investment and delay foreign aid. The government is addressing these issues with assistance from bilateral and multilateral donors.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Cambodia
Cambodia is ethnically homogeneous, as more than 90% of its population is of Khmer origin and speaks the Khmer language, the country's official language. National minorities comprise about 3 percent of total population. The Cham people, of Islamic faith, constitute the most significant minority group. Other scattered tribal minorities live in the upland and forested areas and there are also some minor Vietnamese and Chinese populations.
Theravada Buddhism, suppressed by Khmer Rouge, but now revived, is the main religion and other minor religions like Christianity are being gradually introduced into the country.
The national language is Khmer, a member of the Mon-Khmer subfamily of the Austroasiatic language group. French is spoken by many Cambodians as a second-language and is often the language of instruction in various schools and universities. It is also frequently used in government. However, in recent decades, many younger Cambodians, as well as members of the business-classes, have favored learning English and it is gradually becoming the more widely-known second-language in the country.
Culture
Main article: Culture of Cambodia
The culture of Cambodia has had a strong influence on the architectural designs of neighbouring countries such as Thailand. The music such as those from 60s and 70s singing legend Sin Sisamouth can never be forgotten, due to the introduction of new types of musical styles by him into the country.
Cambodia has many different games events such as Kicking a 'Sey' (Traditional Cambodian game), Cockfighting. One of the more westernized sports to have gain considerable popularity is Soccer. Bonn Om Teuk (Water festival), the annual boat rowing contest, is the biggest Cambodian holiday. The festival is held at the end of the rainy season when the Mekong river sinks to it's normal rate. Approximately 10% of Cambodia's population attends this event each year.
Rice, as with other South East Asian countries is the core grain used in the main dishes. Fish is also an important part of the Cambodian diet, due to the Tonle Sap holding most of the supplies of fish for the country. Some of the fish can be made in Prahok for longer storage. The averge Cambodian consumes 50kg of fish meat per year.
In Cambodian culture, there are also some teachings that elders teach to their grandchildren. These include that if a person does not wake up before sunrise they are lazy; you have to tell your parents or elders where you are going and what time you are coming back home; close doors gently, otherwise you have a bad temper; sit with your legs straight down and not crossed (crossing you legs shows that you are an impolite person); and always let other people talk more then you.
See also
Tourism
The tourism industry is one important source of foreign money coming into the country. Tourist attractions such as Angkor Wat in Kompong Spoe, Koah Kong and the French influenced buildings in Phnom Penh are considered to be the top tourist hot spots. Angkor Wat gained some worldwide attention due to the Hollywood industries movie Tomb Raider shot on location at the ruins.
In Phnom Penh, disco nightclubs dominate the city at night and is popular among tourists. Other tourists such as Kompong Som (Cambodia's only port) is a popular beach.
International rankings
- Reporters without borders: Third annual worldwide press freedom index (2004) Cambodia is ranked 109 (Score 36.50) out of the 167 countries listed, equal with Sri Lanka.
Trivia
- The Khmer language (Cambodia's official) consists of both a large number of consonants and subscripts, which makes it one of the longest languages in the world. It is also one of the hardest languages to master in writing.
See also and Related topics
- List of Cambodia-related topics
- Communications in Cambodia
- Foreign relations of Cambodia
- Holidays in Cambodia
- Military of Cambodia
- Transportation in Cambodia
- Khmer Empire
- Colonial Cambodia
- Dark ages of Cambodia
- Timeline of Cambodian history
- Killing Fields
References and further reading
- CIA World Factbook - U.S. Department of State website
- Elizabeth Becker. 1986, 1998. When the War was Over: Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge. New York: Public Affairs.
Sources
- Cambodian Culture website Accessed December 11. 2004
- Tourism Cambodia Accessed December 11. 2004
External links
Official
- Cambodia.gov.kh Official Government of Cambodia Website (Khmer Version)
- Cambodia.gov.kh (English Version)
- King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihanouk Official Website of former King Norodom Sihanouk
Other
- BongThom.com Website with information on the language, food, employment and culture
- Khmer people online Online Khmer community
- Artweise.de German website with photos from Cambodia
- Santepheap A Cambodian weblog
- Tales of Asia Private Website about Cambodia
- LICADHO A Cambodian human rights NGO
Notes
1A figure of three million deaths between 1975 and 1979 was given by the Vietnamese-sponsored Phnom Penh regime, the PRK. Father Ponchaud suggested 2.3 million; the Yale Cambodian Genocide Project estimates 1.7 million; Amnesty International estimated 1.4 million ; and the United States Department of State, 1.2 million. Khieu Samphan and Pol Pot, who could be expected to give underestimations, cited figures of 1 million and 800,000, respectively.
