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ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រ កម្ពុជា
(Preăh Réachéa Nachâkr Kâmpŭchea)
Motto: Nation, Religion, King
Anthem: Nokoreach
Location of Cambodia
Capital
and largest city
Phnom Penh
Official languagesKhmer (official) 95%, French, English
GovernmentDemocratic const. monarchy
Independence
• Water (%)
2.5%
Population
• July 2004 estimate
13,363,421 (65th)
• 1998 census
11,437,656
GDP (PPP)2003 estimate
• Total
$29,344 million (86th)
• Per capita
$2,189 (122nd)
Currency៛ Riel 1 (KHR)
Time zoneUTC+7
• Summer (DST)
UTC+7
Calling code855
ISO 3166 codeKH
Internet TLDkh
1 Local currency, although US Dollars are widely used.

The Kingdom of Cambodia (Khmer short form: Kampuchea) is a constitutional monarchy in Southeast Asia with a population of over 13 million people, most of whom are Theravada Buddhists of Khmer origin. A citizen of Cambodia is usually identified as Khmer or Cambodian.

The country is bordered to the west by Thailand, to the north by Laos, to the east by Vietnam and to the south by the Gulf of Thailand. Its geography is dominated by the Mekong river and the Tonle Sap, a lake whose fish account for 60% of the nation's protein intake. The capital is Phnom Penh. There are three main political parties, of which the Cambodian People's Party is the current ruling party.

From the 9th century to the 15th century Cambodia was the centre of the Khmer Empire, which for most of this period was based at Angkor. Angkor Wat, the empire's main temple, remains a symbol of the country and its greatest tourist attraction. Cambodia was a protectorate of France from 1863 until independence in 1953. During the 1970s and 1980s the country suffered from civil war and the Khmer Rouge genocide. Many people were killed or tortured, or fled abroad as refugees. In the 1990s, however, Cambodia has gained some stability and has begun rebuilding the infrastructure that was lost during those years.

Naming

The name Cambodia is derived from that of the ancient Khmer kingdom of Kambuja or Kambujadesa. Kambuja was originally the Sanskrit name of an early north Indian tribe, which was named after its founder Kambu Svayambhuva. The French name for Cambodia, Cambodge, was derived from Kambuja. Since independence in 1953 the official name of Cambodia has changed several times, going through the following:

  • Kingdom of Cambodia (French: Royaume du Cambodge);
  • Khmer Republic under the rule of Lon Nol from 1970 to 1975;
  • Democratic Kampuchea under the Khmer Rouge from 1975 to 1979;
  • People's Republic of Kampuchea under the Vietnam-sponsored government of 1979 to 1989;
  • State of Cambodia (French: L'État du Cambodge, Khmer: Roet Kampuchea) from 1989 to 1993;
  • Kingdom of Cambodia again since the restoration of the monarchy in 1993.

Kampuchea remains the most popular name for the country in the Khmer language. Other names used by Khmers to refer to their country include Srok Khmae (Khmer state or State of Cambodia) and Prateh Khmae (Khmer nation or Cambodian nation). The national language is generally referred to as Khmer rather than Cambodian.

History

Main article: History of Cambodia

The first known advanced civilizations in Cambodia appeared in the first millennium AD, and from the 9th to the 13th century the Khmer civilization flourished here.

The history of Cambodia can be split into three major sections:

Angkorian

Main article: Early history of Cambodia

A Khmer army going to war against the Cham, from a relief on the Bayon.

The Angkorian period was 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 Khmers had adopted religious ideas and political institutions from India to establish a centralized kingdom which dominated Southeast Asia for much of this period.

The rule of Jayavarman VII (1181 - ca. 1218) saw the rapid expansion of the empire. Unlike his predecessors, who had adopted the cult of the Hindu god-king, Jayavarman VII was a patron of Mahayana Buddhism. He started building activity that included the Angkor Thom complex and the Bayon, a temple whose stone towers bear faces which have been variously identified as Avalokitesvara, the king himself and/or guardians of the cardinal points (Kerlogue, p. 109). He also built over 200 rest houses and hospitals throughout his kingdom and maintained a system of roads between his capital and provincial towns. According to historian George Coedès, "No other Cambodian king can claim to have moved so much stone." Often, quality suffered for the sake of size and rapid construction, as is illustrated by the beautiful but poorly constructed Bayon.

French colonial

Main article: Colonial Cambodia

French colonial buildings in Phnom Penh

After centuries of domination by neighboring Siam and Vietnam (a period sometimes called the "dark ages of Cambodia"), the country was made a French protectorate in 1863 and became part of French Indochina. Cambodia's chief colonial official was the Résident Supérieur (Resident General), while residents, or local governors, were posted in all the principal provincial centers. In 1897 the incumbent Resident General complained to Paris that King Norodom I was no longer capable of ruling, and received permission to assume the king's authority to issue decrees, collect taxes, and appoint royal officials. Norodom and his successors were thereafter mere figureheads. In the colonial bureaucracy French nationals held the highest positions, while on the lower rungs of the bureaucracy the colonial government preferred to hire Vietnamese.

After the Second World War, king Norodom Sihanouk demanded independence. With the military situation deteriorating throughout Indochina, the French government agreed in 1953 to grant full independence to the three states of Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. King Sihanouk, now a hero in the eyes of his people, returned to Phnom Penh in triumph, and independence day was celebrated on November 9 1953. Control of residual matters affecting sovereignty, such as financial and budgetary affairs, passed to the new Cambodian state in 1954.

Khmer Rouge

Main article: Democratic Kampuchea

File:Pol=pot.jpg
The leader of the Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot

During the Second Indochina War, the Nixon administration of the United States conducted massive bombing campaigns in 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.

Led by the organization's leader, Pol Pot (Saloth Sar) who later became the Prime Minister during his rule. The Khmer Rouge captured the capital Phnom Penh in 1975 and renamed the country as Democratic Kampuchea. The Khmer Rouge program included:

  • closing schools, hospitals and factories;
  • abolishing banking and currency;
  • outlawing religion;
  • confiscating private property; and
  • relocating people from urban areas to collective farms where they were subject to forced labour.

The Khmer Rouge justified such actions by claiming that the Cambodia was on the brink of famine due to the American bombing campaigns, and that this required evacuating the cities to the countryside so that people could become self-sufficient. However during the rule of the Khmer Rouge, approximately 1.7 million people were killed. The Killing Fields shocked journalists and commentators in Western countries, and the government was accused of genocide and autogenocide. In addition to deaths from work exhaustion and starvation, the regime set out to kill anyone suspected of connections with the former government, as well as professionals, intellectuals (Pol Pot defined anyone who wore glasses as automatically an intellectual) and ethnic Vietnamese. The Tuol Sleng Museum maintains evidence of this period's history.

A 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge from power and forced them towards the western border with Thailand. They continued fighting the Vietnamese-sponsored government for a further 13 years before UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some stability. 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 years in which they held power.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Cambodia

File:Newcambodiaking.jpg
The current King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihamoni

The country underwent turbulent events from the mid-1970s until the early 1990s, when elections were held for the first time in almost two decades. Since then, however, Cambodia has seen greater stability and peace. One sign of this was the smooth transition from king Norodom Sihanouk to his son Norodom Sihamoni on October 14 2004.

Cambodia is now a constitutional monarchy under which executive power is held by the prime minister. The legislature comprises a 61-member Senate (chosen mainly through functional constituencies) and a 122-member lower house, the National Assembly, elected under proportional representation by popular vote for 5-year terms. The judiciary is still extremely young, having been established only in 1997.

Since 1998 Hun Sen, the leader of the Cambodian People's Party or CPP, has been the sole prime minister (after ousting his former co-prime minister, Prince Norodom Ranariddh). In the 2003 National Assembly election, the CPP won 73 seats with 47% of the vote, Sam Rainsy Party 24 seats (22%), and FUNCINPEC 23 seats (21%). Eleven women were among those elected.

See also: List of political parties in Cambodia

Provinces

Main article: Provinces of Cambodia

Map 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):

  1. Municipalities (Krong):
  2. Province (Khaet):
  3. Islands (Koah):

Geography

Main article: Geography of Cambodia

Climate of Phnom Penh

Cambodia has an area of about 181,040 square kilometers, sharing an 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 distinctive geographical feature is the lacustrine plain formed by the inundations of the 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, is the heartland of Cambodia. Most (about 75 percent) of the country lies at elevations of less than 100 meters above sea level, the exceptions being the Cardamon Mountains (highest elevation 1,771 meters), their north-south extension to the east, the Elephant Range (elevation range 500-1,000 meters), and the steep escarpment of the Dangrek Mountains (average elevation 500 meters) along the border with Thailand's Isan region.

Temperatures range from 10°C to 38°C and Cambodia experiences tropical monsoons. Southwest monsoons blowing inland bring moisture-laden winds from the Gulf of Thailand and Indian Ocean from May to October, and the country experiences the heaviest precipitation from September to October. The northeast monsoon ushers in the dry season, which lasts from November to March, with the driest period from January to February.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Cambodia

Despite the recent progress, the Cambodian economy continues to suffer from the effects of decades of civil war and internal strife. The per capita income, is rapidly increasing, but is low compared with other countries in the region. Most rural households depend on agriculture and its related sub-sectors. Rice, fish, timber, garments and rubber are Cambodia's major exports, and the United States, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Malaysia are its major export partners.

The recovery of Cambodia's economy slowed dramatically in 1997-1998 due to the regional economic crisis, civil violence, and political infighting. Foreign investment and tourism also fell off drastically. 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 5.0%. 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. As of 2004 GDP was $1900 USD, which ranked it 175th (out of 232) countries [1].

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

File:Cambodia-demography.png
Population growth from Cambodia. From 1961 to 2001 (In thousands)

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. The remainder include Chinese, Vietnamese, Cham and Khmer Loeu.

The Khmer language is 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.

Theravada Buddhism, suppressed by Khmer Rouge but now revived, is the main religion, but Christianity is spreading in the country.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Cambodia

"Cambodia" in Khmer writing

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. Notable recent artistic figures include the singers Sin Sisamouth, who introduced new musical styles to the country, and later Meng Keo Pichenda.

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 its normal rate. Approximately 10% of Cambodia's population attends this event each year. Popular games include kicking a sey (similar to a hacky sack), cockfighting and soccer.

Rice, as in other South East Asian countries, is the staple grain, while fish from the Mekong and Tonle Sap also form an important part of the diet. The average Cambodian consumes 50kg of fish per year. Some of the fish can be made into prahok (a Khmer delicacy) for longer storage. Overall, the cuisine of Cambodia is similar to that of its Southeast Asian neighbours. The cuisine is relatively unknown to the world compared to that of it's neighbor Thailand, but has been described as similar to Thai cuisine, though not as spicy.

Customary Cambodian teachings include: that if a person does not wake up before sunrise he is 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 than you.

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in Cambodia

Motorbike riders in Phnom Penh

The civil war severely damaged the transportation system, despite the provision of Soviet technical assistance and equipment. Cambodia has two rail lines, totaling about 612 kilometers of single, one-meter-gauge track. The lines run from the capital to Preah Seihanu on the southern coast, and from Phnom Penh to Sisophon (although trains often run only as far as Battambang).

The nation's extensive inland waterways were important historically in domestic trade. The Mekong and the Tonle Sap River, their numerous tributaries, and the Tonle Sap provided avenues of considerable length, including 3,700 kilometers navigable all year by craft drawing 0.6 meters and another 282 kilometers navigable to craft drawing 1.8 meters. Cambodia has two major ports, Phnom Penh and Kampong Saom, and five minor ones. Phnom Penh, located at the junction of the Basak, 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 country possesses six commercial airports: Pochentong International Airport near Phnom Penh is the largest, while the others are at Siemriep, Battambang, Mondul Kiri, Ratanak Kiri, and Stung Treng.

The locals normally use cars, motorbikes and buses. Velotaxis are an additional option often used by visitors.

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Cambodia

Cambodia has diplomatic relations with most countries and is a member of most major international organizations, including the United Nations and its specialized agencies such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Cambodia is an Asian Development Bank (ADB) member, a member of ASEAN, and joined the WTO on 13 October 2004.

The country has several border disputes with its neighbours, including 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 comments about Angkor Wat wrongly attributed by a Cambodian newspaper to a Thai actress: the Thai government sent military aircraft to evacuate Thai nationals and closed its border with Cambodia, while Thais demonstrated outside the Cambodian embassy in Bangkok. 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.

Tourism

A market in Cambodia

The tourism industry is the country's second-greatest source of hard currency after the textile industry [2]. More than 60% of visitor arrivals are to Angkor, and most of the remainder to Phnom Penh [3]. Other tourist hotspots include Kompong Som (Cambodia's only port), which has a popular beach.

The Angkor Wat temple complex is the best preserved example of Khmer architecture. Angkor means "city" and Wat "temple". Out of bounds to tourists during the civil war, it gained particular worldwide attention after featuring in the movie Tomb Raider. The Bayon, also at Angkor, is located at the center of Angkor Thom. It has 54 towers, each bearing four smiling faces.

Many tourists also visit the Tuol Sleng Museum, the infamous prison of the Khmer Rouge, and Choeung Ek, one of the main Killing Fields; both display photographs, skulls and bones of victims of the genocide. Cambodia is also a major destination for sex tourism, and there is particular concern over child sex and forced prostitution [4].

Main article: List of Cambodia-related topics Template:Topics related to Cambodia

References

Official

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cambodia.

Other

Notes

  1. A 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.

minnan:Kampuchea

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