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        1. Cambodia

About Cambodia

Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Beyond Angkor Wat

Cambodia’s emblematic and world-famous temple, Angkor Wat, puts the country on the world map. But this is also a kingdom of untouched forests, little-known cultures and peoples’ march to carve themselves a safer, more peaceful tomorrow.

Find out more

Geography & climate

Wedged between Thailand to the west, Laos to the northeast and Vietnam to the east, Cambodia is a Southeast Asian country that mostly sits near sea level.

The country’s heartland is the Tonle Sap, a lake which expands from 2,590 km2 during the dry season to about 24,605 km2 during the rainy season. The few elevated areas in the country include the Cardamom Mountains with their southeast extension, the Dâmrei Mountains ("Elephant Mountains"), and the escarpment of the Dângrêk Mountains.

Cambodia is a tropical monsoon country, with monsoons blowing inland from the Gulf of Thailand and Indian Ocean from May to October (rainy season), and the northeast monsoon bringing in the dry season (November to March).
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Nature

Despite major deforestation, the forests of Cambodia remain diverse and comprise a variety of evergreen, deciduous, mixed and mangrove forest types.

Four of WWF’s Global 200 ecoregions (the Earth's most biologically outstanding terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats) are located in Cambodia. These include the Lower Mekong Dry Forests Ecoregion, which consists of a mosaic of open dry forests, semi-evergreen forests and small ponds and seasonally wet grasslands.

Cambodia’s marine and coastal habitat types include mangroves, coral reefs, estuaries and sea grass beds. These habitats support a wide variety of aquatic species, including various marine turtle species, dugongs and dolphins.
Population & religion

More than 90% of Cambodians are of Khmer origin, a civilization which flourished in the area from the 9th century to the 13th century. Khmer is also the official language, one the oldest written records of any Southeast Asian language. The Cambodian population includes other ethnic groups such as Cham, Khmer Loeu, and people of Chinese, Vietnamese, and Indian descent.

Following intense repression during the Khmer Rouge communist rule in the late 1970s, Theravada Buddhism is flourishing again. Other religious beliefs include Islam and Christianity, along with animism.
Economy & development

Cambodia’s economy is largely reliant on the garment and tourism industries, with most rural people depending on agriculture. Major exports include rice, fish, timber, garments and rubber

Economic progress has been slowed by the underlying consequences of civil war and internal conflict. Living conditions are particularly hard in rural areas. In 2004, life expectancy at birth was 57 years, and adult literacy rates for those aged 15 and older was 74%.

Sources

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