ABOUT COUNTRY
ABOUT COUNTRY
Please contact us to get more information
GEOGRAPHY
The country has been called Kampuchea by its inhabitants the Khmers (Cambodia in English) since the l6th century. The name is derived from the word kambu-ja, meaning those born of Kambu (a god in Indian mythology).
Cambodia covers an area of 181,035 square kilometers (about the same size as Washington State in the USA or England). It is located in the southern part of the Indochina peninsula and is divided into 21 provinces. To the North of Cambodia are Thailand and Laos, to the East and South is Vietnam, to the South and Southwest is the Gulf of Siam. Click here to see the map of Cambodia.
Mekong River flows through Cambodia for about 500 km from Northeast to Southeast. The Tonle Sap River fills The Great Lake in the Central Part of Cambodia during the monsoon season, and the lake increases in size by up to six times. Those rivers, which are the largest and most important rivers for the rural peoples, join together at Phnom Penh and split again afterwards becoming the Mekong and the Tonle Bassac at Chaktomuk. Chaktomuk means four faces.
The central part of country is relatively flat and is used by local
peoples for rice production. The Dangreks (Northern area), the Cardamons (Northern and Eastern) and the Elephant Mountains (Southern) surround this flat area. The highlands are densely forested and sparsely populated.
Cambodia’s northeastern province of Ratanakiry is inhabited by several ancient and indigenous hill-tribes.
The official language is Khmer. It belongs to Mon-Khmer language family and has its roots in Sanskrit and Pali. In some tribal areas local dialects are used. Business and educated people speak English. Many of the older people speak French.
The Kingdom of Cambodia is an independent country. After the Khmer Rouge came to power in 1975, the population of Cambodia decreased from about 7.3 million to about 4 million because of genocide. Today there are approximately 10.6 million Cambodians; 83% of them live in the rural regions; 47% are below the age of 20. The Khmers are the dominant ethnic group (about 86%). There are also significant Chinese and Vietnamese communities; Cham-Malays Hmong, Pong, and Tai are known as Khmer Leu ethnic group.
After elections in May 1993, the Kingdom of Cambodia became safe to investing and tourism country.
The official religion in Cambodia is Theravada Buddhism, which is also practiced in Burma, Laos, Thailand and Sri
Lanka. King Yayavarman VII brought Theravada Buddhism to Cambodia in the middle of 12th century, as an alternative for Hinduism. Many of the Angkor Wat temples were rebuild to Buddhist at the time of Khmer Empire. Almost 90% of Cambodians are Theravada Buddhists. The rest include Christians, Muslim and Animists.
CLIMATE AND SEASONS
Cambodia is a tropical country with a high average temperature and humidity. There are two main seasons, the dry and the monsoon. The Northwest monsoon blows from November to March bringing dry and cooler weather with temperatures ranging from 17-28C. The Southwest monsoon brings rainfalls throughout the country from April to October and this provides 75-80% of the annual rainfall with temperatures range from 27-35C during this season.
Visitors should take preventive measures against tropical diseases and mosquitoes. Health insurance, especially medical evacuation cover is highly recommended.
Rice and fish are the main dishes of the typical Cambodian food. Beef, pork or chicken are also widely used. Seafood is
an integral part of coastal areas kitchens. The favorite local specialty is amok soup - fish cooked in coconut milk. Cambodian cuisine has many common features with the cuisines of Vietnam, Thailand and Laos.
The official currency in Cambodia is the Riel which comes in denominations of 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000, 50,000, and 100,000 notes. US dollars are accepted trough out the country. Cash is preferable. Only a few banks in the capital accept credit cards and traveler's checks. Smaller denomination notes are highly recommended. As of June 2000 the exchange rate is about 3900 CR to $1 US.
WORKING HOURS
Government offices: 07:30 to 11:30 and 14:00 to 17:00 M-F
Business offices: 08:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 17:00 M-S
Shops: 08:00 to 20:00
Banks: 08:00 to 15:00 M-F
Markets: 06:00 to 17:00
Cambodian fifteen-day tourist visas are obtainable upon arrival at Siem Reap International airport and Pochentong International Airport at Phnom Penh at US$ 20. Visitors should bring along 4 photos and fill in the visa application form.
Attention! If you are going to make trip to Cambodia from Thailand, please be sure that you have two-entries visa to Thailand.
HISTORY OF CAMBODIA
The first human settlements on territory of contemporary Cambodia arrived long before 4200 B.C. These tribes came from India, China and Southeast Asia. Very little is known about these times.In the 1st century A.D. the inhabitants created the first Cambodian civilization called Funan, which lasted until the 6th century. Then another country Chenla evolved from the absorbed Funan in the 7th century. Later instead of remaining one centralized country it became two, Water Chenla and Land Chenla. Javanese troops captured Water Chenla at the end of 7th century. This state became independent again during the reign of King Jayavarman II, which began the 600 yearlong Angkorian period. Myth has it that the beautiful temple Wat Angkor was built at that time, although there are others who feel that it was built long before this. It became a central part of the new capital of the Khmer state.
The Angkor Wat (City-Temple) complex and surrounding temples
can be compared with the famous historical complexes in Egypt and South America in terms of their constructional excellence and artistic harmony. Latest scientific thinking feels that all of these complexes were most probably built around the same time. The idea being explored by Western scientists is that these incredible monuments or working complexes were built around twelve to thirteen thousand years ago. At Angkor Wat the complex covers an area of about 124 square km.
These monuments, conventionally thought built between the 9th and 15th centuries, the classic period of Khmer art, are unrivalled in architectural greatness. They are, undoubtedly, one of the wonders of the world, astounding in their splendor and evoking a real sense of awe. The conventionally estimated time for construction of the temple is 30 years, using 20,000 workers. The huge temple was dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - the most respected gods of Hinduism.After the capital of Khmers was destroyed by Thai troops in 1431 and abandoned by its citizens, Cambodia lost its political and cultural role in South-East Asia.
In July 1863 King Narodom signed a French protectorate treaty, which made Cambodia a colony of France. After nearly 100 years of France ruling Cambodia was changed to independent state.
In April 1975 after being republic for five years, the Khmer Rouges
founded by Pol Pot took power in country. In the following four years more then three million peoples were killed out of population of over seven million people. This barbaric regime shocked the world with its brutal killing and the treatment of its citizens. From 1979, when Khmer Rouges power was broken by Vietnamese troops, civil war was continued till 1991. The civilian population welcomed the Vietnamese army, as they were able to stop the Khmer Rouge genocide. Another mayor problem arose when Khmer population realized, that the Vietnamese were not in a hurry to leave the country after defeating the Khmer Rouge. In 1993, general elections were held under the supervision of the United Nations, when a coalition government was formed. Narodom Sihanouk was reinstated as King. However the final end of the Khmer Rouge horror story only came in 1999 with the death of Pol Pot. (King Sihanouk's genealogical tree)
CAMBODIA’S FESTIVALS AND EVENTS
Most Cambodian festivals are connected with Buddhist or Hindu religious traditions or royal traditions. The tradition of celebrating festivals is still strong, especially in rural provinces. The following are the most important of the yearly celebrations:
Water Festival (October or November)
Pchum Ben (September)
King Sihanouk’s birthday celebration (October 31st)
Khmer New Year’s Day (Mid April)
Angkor Festival (November or December)
Royal Plowing Day (May)
Independence Day (9th of November)
Chinese New Year (January or February)
National Day (January 7)
To learn more about holydays and festivals
in Cambodia visit this page.
