Cambodia

Land
The Kingdom of Cambodia covers an area of 181, 040 square Kilometres and is bordered by the Gulf of Thaliand, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. It is divided into 21 provinces and much of the country is relatively flat with vast tracts of land being given over to rice production. There are a few mountain ranges including the Dangrek, Cardomen and Elephant ranges. The major rivers are the Mekong and the Tonlé Sap. The Mekong, which originates in Tibet, flows all the way through Cambodia and Vietnam before reaching the South China Sea. The Tonlé Sap is linked to the Mekong and the interplay between these rivers creates a unique phenomenon. During the summer months the Mekong river floods however it cannot accommodate the vast amount of water flowing down it, it therefore floods into the Tonlé Sap river causing it to reverse direction and flood the Tonlé Sap lake.

Climate
Cambodia has a tropical climate with two distinct seasons, the dry and the monsoon. The monsoon lasts from May to late October. Annual alternating high pressure and low pressure over the Central Asian landmass cause the monsoonal airflows. In the summer, moisture-laden air is drawn landward from the Indian Ocean. This flow is reversed during the winter and the north-east monsoon sends back dry air. There is little seasonal temperature variation. The maximum mean temperature is about 28 degrees Celsius and the minimum mean temperature is about 22 degrees Celsius.

History
From the 9th to the 15th century the Khmer Empire extended its sway far beyond the country's boundaries. This period produced the glorious temple complex and royal palace at Angkor. The Khmer kingdom gradually declined; it accepted French protection in 1863 and was later incorporated into French Indochina. Cambodia became independent in 1953, but it was soon entangled in the Vietnam War.

In April 1975, Cambodian Communists known as the Khmer Rouge took control of the country, which they renamed Democratic Kampuchea, and instituted policies that led to the deaths of at least 1 million people. The Khmer Rouge were driven out in 1979 by the Vietnamese army and Cambodian exiles. The Vietnamese-backed People's Republic of Kampuchea (renamed State of Cambodia in 1989) was opposed by the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea in exile (renamed the National Government of Cambodia in 1990), made up of the Chinese-backed Khmer Rouge, which had the largest army, and two non-Communist factions. With U.S. support this government in exile held Cambodia's seat in the United Nations until 1990. Under a 1991 peace accord the four factions formed a UN-supervised interim coalition government from which the Khmer Rouge later withdrew. Multiparty elections were nevertheless held in May 1993, after which Norodom Sihanouk again became king of Cambodia. Since then there has been a period of peace and development in Cambodia which has led to increased investment and tourism. Himalayan Kingdoms is proud to be able to offer interesting tours and holidays to Cambodia which remains a remarkable and undiscovered country.

Religion
Theravada Buddhism has been the major religion since the late 13th century. Today some 85% of the population live in villages whose symbolic centres are wats (temple monasteries). The wat isn't just the moral/religious centre of the village but also serves important educational, cultural and social functions as well.

The rest of the population is made up of Hindus or Muslims (plus a very small Christian community).

People
Khmer
Officially the Khmer people make up around 96% of the population with Vietnamese and Chinese making up the rest. However it is likely that these minority groups make up far more than 4% of the population and are underrepresented in the official statistics. The Khmer ethnic groups have inhabited Cambodia (and its former incarnations) since the beginning of recorded history, with evidence to suggest habitation in pre-history. The Khmer certain predate the Thais and Vietnamese and were arguably the first settlers in this region.

Vietnamese
The Vietnamese are the largest minority group in Cambodia. However their exact number is uncertain. Estimates range from 100,000 to 4 million. The truth is something more like one million. After centuries of antagonism between Cambodia and Vietnam there is a certain mistrust and dislike between the Khmer and the Vietnamese.

Chinese
The Chinese are a powerful economic force in Cambodia and there has been a large Chinese population in Cambodia for centuries.

Cham Muslims
There are around 500,000 Cham Muslims in Cambodia who live along the Mekong and the Tonlé Sap rivers. There is also a significant Cham population in Vietnam. The areas around the Cambodian and Vietnamese border had originally been a homeland of the Cham people dating back to the first millennia.

Economy
Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in Asia with the majority of its population being employed in agriculture. Today crop production accounts for 50 percent of agricultural output and accounts for nearly 30 percent of GDP.

For a long time rubber was the largest export however this has now been overtaken by timber exports. Timber however is also illegally logged and some figures suggest that illegal exports are almost as high as legal ones. The second largest income earner is the transhipment of goods. With low import tariffs goods are imported from elsewhere in the Far East and passed on (with a mark-up) to more restrictive markets for instance Vietnam.

Since the elections of 1993 foreign aid has flooded into the country. In recent years foreign aid has accounted for almost half of the country's annual budget. However corruption is rife in Cambodia and there have been few efforts to demobilise the vastly inflated army's numbers.

Today tourism and the garment industry have helped to shore up the Cambodian economy. The development of tourism has also had significant impact on other sectors of the economy. It has helped boost construction, transportation, petrol and electricity, the wholesale and retail trades and agricultural products. The garment industry has shown a notable expansion since 1997, however there are still worries over social issues and working conditions within the industry.

Cities
Phnom Penh
Situated at the confluence of three great rivers - the ‘four arms’ of the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac - Phnom Penh is the commercial and political hub of Cambodia as well as home to nearly a million of the county’s 12 million people.

The capital of Cambodia dates back to an event in the year 1327. It is said that a rich widow named Don Penh found a tree with 5 Buddhas in it. She thus founded a pagoda, Wat Phnom Don Penh, "The Monastery on the Hill of Lady Penh". In 1434 the city founded some years earlier by King Ponhea Yat was finished and soon after became the capital.

Today Phnom Penh has around 1 million residents but still remains very laid back in comparison to other Asian cities. Every evening residents congregate on the banks of the Tonlé Sap to watch the sunset, meet up with friends, pass time and drink 'Angkor' beer.

Siem Reap
Nestled between rice paddies and stretched along the Siem Reap River lies the provincial capital of Siem Reap - old colonial town, developing tourist area and most importantly, gateway to the temples of Angkor. If it were not for Angkorian-era temples north of town, Siem Reap would be unknown to most of the world.

Siem Reap is where you will stay during your visit to Angkor. The area has been receiving visitors to the temples for more than 100 years but has managed to maintain a certain quaintness. The town is really a cluster of villages with a French colonial center. There is a wide range but not an over-abundance of hotels, restaurants, pubs and shops. There is now a selection of European, Thai, pizza, budget, Cambodian and Chinese restaurants as well as a few nightspots from which to choose.