Cambodia

Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in the south of the Indochina peninsula in Southeast Asia. This country is located in the center of the Mekong River Delta spanning in an area of 181,035 square kilometers. It is adjacent to Thailand in the northwest, Laos in the northeast, Vietnam in the east and the Thailand Gulf in the southeast. Cambodia has a population of over 15 million people. The main ethnic group of Cambodia is Khmer people. Besides that, the country is also home to Vietnamese, Chinese, Chams and 30 hill tribes. The official religion of Cambodia is Buddhism with 95% of the total population following. The capital of Cambodia is Phnom Penh, this city is also the largest city in the country which is the political, economic, and cultural center of Cambodia.

Cambodia used to be the colony of France along with Vietnam and Laos that created the States of Indochina of France. After nearly a century under the rule of the French, Cambodia gained independence in 1953. Hence, this country stepped into a new war when the Vietnam War extended into the country from 1969 to 1973. In 1975, the Khmer Rouge had taken the capital of Phnom Penh and emerged as a major power. They aimed to bring this country back to the Stone Era and carry out the Cambodian genocide from 1975 to 1979. They were defeated by the Vietnamese army and People’s Republic of Kampuchea under the supported by the Soviet Union. Now, Cambodia is one of the young fast economies in Southeast Asia under the leading of Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Cambodia People’s Party.

Cambodia is the cradle of water rice civilization in Southeast Asia. In the territory of this country during the 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries, this was home to the Indianised states of Funan. The Khmer Empire was established in 802 in the country when the King Jayavarman 2 declared the independence from Java, and from that time, Cambodia stepped into the most glorious period in its history and was one of the strongest empires in Asia. The empire’s center of power was Angkor where a range of structures and temples were constructed. Angkor Wat is the best well-known religious temple complex dating back the Khmer Empire period. It is the most attractive tourist site in this country where tourists can admire the sophisticated architecture and remain Cambodia’s past as a major regional power.