The Kingdom of
Cambodia is an independent country with a population of more
than 7 million people. With a surface area of 181,035 sq. km and
once a French colony, is the least known
Indochinese country. Cambodia has a distinct geographical personality : it
is a wide basin surrounded by highlands. In this basin the farmer has
created a simple life - an original civilization and philosophy of
mildness. After many years of war, people rediscovered the meaning of
"PEACE". They started to rebuild and reconstruct in all fields. Cambodia
is divided into 20 provinces and rich in resources, forests, rubber, gems,
fish and has a big potential in tourism.
Following a
five-year struggle, communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom
Penh in 1975 and ordered the evacuation of all cities and towns; over 1
million displaced people died from execution or enforced hardships. A 1978
Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside and touched
off 13 years of fighting. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore
some semblance of normalcy, as did the rapid diminishment of the Khmer
Rouge in the mid-1990s. A coalition government, formed after national
elections in 1998, brought renewed political stability and the surrender
of remaining Khmer Rouge forces.
 Khmers
have called their country Kampuchea (usually rendered Kambuja), since the
l6th century. The name is derived from the word kambu-ja, meaning those
born of Kambu (a figure of Indian mythology), which was first used to
refer to the people of Cambodia in the 10th century. The Portuguese
Cambodia and French Cambodge from which the English name Cambodia is
derived, are adaptations of " Kampuja".
Most of the people who live in Cambodia are
ethnic Cambodian, averaging between 90-95% of the total population making
Cambodia the most homogenous country in South-East Asia.Vietnamese make up
the largest minority group with about five percent of the population and
Chinese make up another one percent. With one of the highest population
growth rates in Asia (2.5% per year), Cambodia had a population of a
little over 11million in 1998. Due to the Khmer Rouge rule during which
residents were forced to move out of the cities, most of the population
lives in rural areas, with only about a tenth living in urban areas.
The country's capital Phnom Penh is
renowned for its beauty, particularly the area surrounding the Royal
Palace where magificent Khmer towers share the boulevard with coloured
French villas overlooking the banks of the Tonle Sap river. The Mekong is
one of the longest rivers in Asia, flowing through many countries. Within
Cambodia, the Mekong meanders for 494 kilometres. Phnom Penh, Cambodia's
capital, is a vibrant, bustling city nestled majestically on the banks
where three mighty rivers, the Mekong, the Tonle Sap River and the Bassac
converge and then split apart again.In Phnom Penh, there are many
buildings and temples in the traditional Cambodian style . The French
added a distinctive stamp to the city while overseeing the construction of
several buildings in the classical Khmer style and several dozen grand
residences for the French administrations, many of which are stiil
standing.
It was the Khmer Rouge who insisted
that the outside world use the name Kampuchea.
Changing the country's official English name back to Cambodia (which has
been used by the US State Department all along) was intended as a symbolic
move to distance the present government in Phnom Penh from the bitter
connotations of the name Kampuchea, which westerners and overseas Khmer
alike associate with the murderous Khmer Rouge regime. As a result of the
United Nations sponsored and enforced election in May, 1993, the Kingdom
of Cambodia is now safe to travel and tourism has once again become
possible. Indeed, the country and Phnom Penh in partucular is undergoing
something of a renaissance. Often overshadowed by the traumatic events of
its recent past, Cambodia as home of the Khmer culture remains one of the
most important and exotic countries in South East Asia.
The glorious and world-famous
Angkor Wat situates in Siemreap
Province and is just a few kilometers from the town. One can reach
Siemreap by taking daily direct flight from Phnom Penh. Temples of Angkor
were built between 7th and 11th century when Khmer civilazation was at its
height of its extraordinary creativity. Angkor Wat is the cultural home of
the Khmer people and one of the ancient wonders of the world. Its
magnificent architecture was the evidence of the Khmer's strong belief in
religions - Hinduism and Buddhism. First discovered by Western
archeologists in the late 19th century, the lost city of Angkor is just
re-opening to the exploration to the modern civilization.
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