Useful Information about Cambodia

The kingdom of Cambodia is located in Southeast Asia and is the 69th most populous state in the world. It has emerged as a strong state despite numerous civil wars and political instability experienced over a long period.

The kingdom of Cambodia is located in Southeast Asia and is the 69th most populous state in the world. It has emerged as a strong state despite numerous civil wars and political instability experienced over a long period. Cambodia gained independence in 1953 but the Vietnamese war eventually extended into the state and making it war ravaged. However, in 1993, the war torn country emerged and reunited under the monarchy.

Cambodia’s landscape is characterized by uplands and low lying plains as well as low mountains plains with the notable inclusion of the Tonle Sap popularly known as the Great Lake and is in the heartland of Cambodia. The country lies in the tropics and is characterized by monsoons, which are either wet or dry. The two distinct seasons mark Cambodia’s climate with the dry season lasting from November to April and the rainy season from May to October. In terms of wildlife, Cambodia is home to a wide variety of animals and plants. The Tonle Sap is home to the rich biodiversity found in Cambodia and forms a very unique biodiversity phenomenon known as the Tonle Sap Biosphere reserve. There are a total of nine provinces and the Lake within the Tonle Sap phenomenon. The greatest income earner for Cambodia is the textile industry and coming second is tourism, which has continued to rise steadily over the years.

The stability that Cambodia enjoys has been a huge contributing factor to the increase of tourists flocking the country each year. Some popular tourist destinations include Angkor Wat historical park in Siem Reap province, the capital city Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, which is located in the south east and has several beach resorts. Other areas are the Bokor Hill Station, and the area around Kampot and Kep. Many Cambodians speak English, which is also taught in their schools because of the influx of tourism thus a new person going there will not suffer from language problems. Religiously speaking, most of the Cambodian population practice Buddhism while the minority groups mostly practice Islam. Their staple food is rice owing to the kind of climate they experience, which is conducive for rice farming. Many Cambodians also enjoy fish from the Tonle Sap frequently.

Cambodia is a country that is rich in culture characterised by the conglomeration of the diverse ethnic groups and differences in lifestyles of the Cambodians. They showcase their culture in form of arts such as architecture, dance and sculpture. One of the most popular holidays in Cambodia is the Festival of boat racing, which is a contest held annually at the end of the rainy season. Many people come together to dance, give thanks to the moon, dine, watch fireworks and race in the carnival. Some of the common games played include cock fighting, soccer and kicking a sey. Another popular holiday in Cambodia is the New Year, which is observed every April according to the Indian calendar. Cambodia is a fairly developed country that continues to see improvements in the transportation and communication sector every year.

Cambodia is an ideal tourist destination made possible by the rich culture and lifestyle of the Cambodian people.

About the Author

Rajeef Rajeef. Saleed Nujar is the author of this article on Asia Travel. Find more information, about Cambodia here