About Cambodia
Cambodia (Listeni/kæmˈboʊdiə/;
Khmer: Kampuchea, IPA: [kɑmˈpuˈciə]), officially known as the Kingdom of
Cambodia (Khmer:Preăh Réachéanachâk Kâmpŭchéa) and once known as the Khmer
Empire, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula
in Southeast Asia. Its total landmass is 181,035 square kilometres (69,898 sq
mi), bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the northeast, Vietnam to
the east, and the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest.
With a population of over 15
million, Cambodia is the 69th most populous country in the world. The official
religion is Theravada Buddhism, practiced by approximately 95 percent of the
population. The country's minority groups include Vietnamese, Chinese, Chams,
and 30 hill tribes. The capital and largest city is Phnom Penh, the political,
economic, and cultural center of Cambodia. The kingdom is a constitutional
monarchy with Norodom Sihamoni, a monarch chosen by the Royal Throne Council,
as head of state. The head of government is Hun Sen, who is currently the
longest serving non-royal leader in South East Asia and has ruled Cambodia for
over 25 years.
Cambodia's ancient name is
"Kambuja" (Sanskrit: In 802
AD, Jayavarman II declared himself king and marked the beginning of the Khmer
Empire which flourished for over 600 years, allowing successive kings to
dominate much of Southeast Asia and accumulate immense power and wealth. The
Indianized kingdom built monumental temples including Angkor Wat, now a World
Heritage Site, and facilitated the spread of first Hinduism, then Buddhism to
much of Southeast Asia. After the fall of Angkor to Ayutthaya in the 15th
century, Cambodia was then ruled as a vassal between its neighbors.
Cambodia became a protectorate of
France in 1863, and gained independence in 1953. The Vietnam War extended into
Cambodia, during which the Khmer Rouge took Phnom Penh in 1975 and later
carried out the Cambodian Genocide from 1975 until 1979, when they were ousted
by Vietnam and then fought against the Vietnamese backed People's Republic of
Kampuchea in the Cambodian–Vietnamese War (1979-1991). Following the 1991 Paris
Peace Accords Cambodia was governed briefly by a United Nations mission
(1992-1993). The UN withdrew after holding elections in which around 90 percent
of the registered voters cast ballots. The 1997 coup placed power solely in the
hands of Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Cambodian People's Party, who remain in
power as of 2015.
Cambodia is a "vaguely
communist free-market state with a relatively authoritarian coalition ruling over
a superficial democracy." The country faces numerous challenges and
sociopolitical issues, including widespread poverty, pervasive corruption, lack
of political freedoms, low human development, and a high rate of hunger.
A low income economy, Cambodia
nonetheless has one of the best economic records in Asia, with growth averaging
6 percent over the last decade. Agriculture remains the dominant economic
sector, with strong growth in textiles, construction, garments, and tourism
leading to increased foreign investment and international trade.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodia
