Cambodia

Preăh Réachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchea Kingdom of Cambodia
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: (Khmer: "Nation, Religion, King")
Anthem: Nokoreach
Capital (and largest city)	Phnom Penh 11°33′N 104°55′E
Official languages	Khmer
Government	Democratic constitutional monarchy
- King	Norodom Sihamoni
- Prime Minister	Hun Sen
Independence	from France
- Declared	1949
- Recognized	1953
Area
- Total	181,035 km² (89th) 69,898 sq mi
- Water (%)	2.5
Population
- July 2006 estimate	14,971,000
- 1998 census	11,437,656
- Density	78/km² 201/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2006 estimate
- Total	$36.82 billion
- Per capita	$2200
HDI  (2004)	0.583 (medium)
Currency	Riel (៛)1 (KHR)
Internet TLD	.kh
Calling code	+855
1 Local currency, although US Dollars are widely used.

The Kingdom of Cambodia is a country in Southeast Asia, the successor state of the once powerful Hindu and Buddhist Khmer Empire, which ruled most of the Indochinese Peninsula between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries.

In 2005, oil and natural gas deposits were found beneath Cambodia's territorial water, and once commercial extraction begins in 2009 or early 2010, the oil revenues could have a "profound" impact on the future of Cambodia's economy.

Cambodia is the traditional English transliteration, taken from the French Cambodge, while Kampuchea is the direct transliteration, more faithful to the Khmer pronunciation. The Khmer Kampuchea is derived from the ancient Khmer kingdom of Kambuja. Kambuja is the ancient Sanskrit name of the Kambojas, an early tribe of north India, named after their founder Kambu Svayambhuva.

Since independence, the official name of Cambodia has changed several times, following the troubled history of the country. The following names have been used since 1954.

• Kingdom of Cambodia under the rule of the monarchy from 1953 through 1970;
• Khmer Republic under the Lon Nol led government from 1970 to 1975;
• Democratic Kampuchea under the rule of the communist Khmer Rouge from 1975 to 1979;
• People's Republic of Kampuchea under the rule of the Vietnamese-sponsored government from 1979 to 1989;
• State of Cambodia (a neutral name, while deciding whether to return to monarchy) under the rule of the United Nations transitional authority from 1989 to 1993;
• Kingdom of Cambodia reused after the restoration of the monarchy in 1994.

Geography

Cambodia has an area of about 69,900 square miles (181,040 square kilometres). The country shares a border with Thailand to its west and northwest, with Laos to its northeast, and with Vietnam to its east and southeast. In the south it faces the Gulf of Thailand.

The geography of Cambodia is dominated by the Mekong river, colloquially known as Tonle Thom or "the great river", an important source of fish. Its low geography means much of the country sits near to below sea level, and its main source of water from the Mekong reverses its water flow in the wet season into the neighbouring Tonle Sap River.

Cambodia falls within several well-defined geographic regions. The largest part of the country—about 75 percent of the total— consists of the Tonle Sap Basin and the Mekong Lowlands. This densely populated Tonle Sap plain, which is devoted to wet rice cultivation, is the heartland of Cambodia. To the southeast of this great basin is the Mekong Delta, which extends through Vietnam to the South China Sea. The basin and delta regions are rimmed with mountain ranges to the southwest (the Cardamom Mountains the Elephant Range) and to the north (Dangrek Mountains). Higher land to the northeast and to the east merges into the Central Highlands of southern Vietnam.

Map of Cambodia

About 75 percent of the country lies at elevations of less than 330 feet (100 metres) above sea level. The highest elevation is Phnom Aoral, near Pursat in the centre of the country, at 5948 feet (1813 metres).

Temperatures range from 50° to 100°F (10°–38°C) (and Cambodia experiences tropical monsoons. Southwest monsoons blow inland bringing moisture-laden winds from the Gulf of Thailand and Indian Ocean from May to October, and the country experiences the heaviest precipitation from September to October. The northeast monsoon ushers in the dry season, which lasts from November to March, with the driest period from January to February.

Natural resources include timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese, phosphates, and hydropower potential.

Natural hazards include monsoon rains (June to November), flooding and occasional droughts.

Illegal logging throughout the country and strip mining for gems in the western region along the border with Thailand have resulted in habitat loss and declining biodiversity. In particular, destruction of mangrove swamps threatens natural fisheries. There are problems of soil erosion. In rural areas, a majority of the population does not have access to potable water. Toxic waste dumping from Taiwan sparked unrest in Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville) in December, 1998.

Phnom Penh is the largest population center, with two million of Cambodia's 15 million people. Mondulkiri, the hill province in the northeast bordering Vietnam, is the largest province by area but ranks lowest in population density.

History

Map of Funan and Champa at around 3rd century AD.

Prehistoric Cambodia is sparsely known, as a large area of modern-day Cambodia was under water at 6000 years ago. Evidence of cave dwellers has been found in the northwest of Cambodia with carbon dating on ceramic pots found in the area shows that they were made around 4200 B.C.E., however historians find it difficult to directly relate them with the modern Khmer people. Archaeological evidence indicates that parts of the region were inhabited during the first and second millennia b.c.e., by a Neolithic culture that may have migrated from southeastern China.

The first advanced civilizations in present day Cambodia appeared in the first millennium C.E. During the third, fourth, and centuries, the Indianised states of Funan and Chenla coalesced in what is now present-day Cambodia and southwestern Vietnam. These states, which are assumed by most scholars to have been Khmer, had close relations with China and India. Their collapse was followed by the rise of the Khmer Empire, a civilization which flourished in the area from the ninth century to the thirteenth century.

A Khmer army going to war against the Cham, from a relief on the Bayon

Though declining after this period, the Khmer Empire remained powerful in the region until the fifteenth century. The empire's center of power was Angkor, where a series of capitals was constructed during the empire's zenith. Angkor Wat, the most famous and best preserved religious temple at the site, is a symbolic reminder of Cambodia's past as a major regional power.

After a long series of wars with neighbouring kingdoms, Angkor was sacked by the Thai and abandoned in 1432. The court moved the capital to Lovek where the kingdom sought to regain its glory through maritime trade. The attempt was short-lived, however, as continued wars with the Thai and Vietnamese resulted in the loss of more territory and the conquering of Lovek in 1594. During the next three centuries, The Khmer kingdom alternated as a vassal state of the Thai and Vietnamese kings, with short-lived periods of relative independence between.

In 1863 King Norodom, who had been installed by Thailand, sought the protection of France. In 1867, the Thai king signed a treaty with France, renouncing suzerainty over Cambodia in exchange for the control of Battambang and Siem Reap provinces which officially became part of Thailand. The provinces were ceded back to Cambodia by a border treaty between France and Thailand in 1906.

Cambodia continued as a protectorate of France from 1863 to 1953, administered as part of the French colony of Indochina. After war-time occupation by the Japanese empire from 1941 to 1945, Cambodia gained independence from France on November 9. 1953. It became a constitutional monarchy under King Norodom Sihanouk.

In 1955, Sihanouk abdicated in favour of his father in order to be elected Prime Minister. Upon his father's death in 1960, Sihanouk again became head of state, taking the title of Prince. As the Vietnam War progressed, Sihanouk adopted an official policy of neutrality until 1970 when he was ousted by a military coup led by Prime Minister General Lon Nol and Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak, while on a trip abroad. From Beijing, Sihanouk realigned himself with the communist Khmer Rouge rebels who had been slowly gaining territory in the remote mountain regions and urged his followers to help in overthowing the pro-United States government of Lon Nol, hastening the onset of civil war.

French colonial buildings in Phnom Penh

Operation Menu, a series of secret B-52 bombing raids by the United States on suspected Viet Cong bases and supply routes inside Cambodia, was acknowledged after Lon Nol assumed power; U.S. forces briefly invaded Cambodia in a further effort to disrupt the Viet Cong. The bombing continued and, as the Cambodian communists began gaining ground, eventually included strikes on suspected Khmer Rouge sites until halted in 1973. Estimates of the number of Cambodians killed during the bombing campaigns vary widely. The Khmer Rouge reached Phnom Penh and took power in 1975, changing the official name of the country to Democratic Kampuchea, led by Pol Pot.

File:Pol Pot.gif

Pol Pot, the Communist ruler of Cambodia (which he renamed Democratic Kampuchea) from 1975 to 1979.

Solid estimates of the numbers who died between 1975 and 1979 are not available, but it is likely that hundreds of thousands were brutally executed by the regime. Hundreds of thousands died of starvation and disease (both under the Communist Party of Kampuchea and during the Vietnamese invasion in 1978). Some estimates of the dead range from one to three million, out of a 1975 population estimated at 7.3 million. The CIA estimated 50,000-100,000 were executed and 1.2 million died from 1975 to 1979. Many were in some way deemed to be "enemies of the state", whether they were linked to the previous regime, civil servants, people of education or of religion, critics of the Khmer Rouge or Marxism, or simply offered resistance to the brutal treatment of the cadres. Hundreds of thousands more fled across the border into neighbouring Thailand.

In November 1978, Vietnam invaded Cambodia to stop Khmer Rouge incursions across the border and the genocide of Vietnamese in Cambodia. Violent occupation and warfare between the Vietnamese and Khmer Rouge holdouts continued throughout the 1980s. Peace efforts began in Paris in 1989, culminating two years later in October 1991 in a comprehensive peace settlement. The United Nations was given a mandate to enforce a ceasefire, and deal with refugees and disarmament.

After the brutality of the 1970s and the 1980s, and the destruction of the cultural, economic, social and political life of Cambodia, it is only in recent years that reconstruction efforts have begun and some political stability has finally returned to Cambodia. The democracy established following the conflict was shaken in 1997 during a coup d'état, but has otherwise remained in place.

Politics

File:Norodom Sihamoni Image.jpg

The current King of Cambodia, HM Norodom Sihamoni

The politics of Cambodia formally take place, according to the nation's constitution of 1993, in the framework of a parliamentary, representative democratic monarchy. The prime minister is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system, while the king is the head of state. The prime minister is appointed by the king, on the advice and with the approval of the National Assembly. The prime minister and his or her ministerial appointees exercise executive power in government.

Legislative power is vested in both the executive and the two chambers of parliament, the National Assembly and the Senate. The National Assembly has 122 members, elected for a five-year term by proportional representation. The Senate has 61 members. The king appoints two members, the lower house elects two, and the remaining fifty-seven are elected popularly. Members in this house serve five-year terms.

On October 14, 2004, King Norodom Sihamoni was selected by a special nine-member throne council, part of a process put in place after the surprise abdication of King Norodom Sihanouk a week before. Prime Minister Hun Sen and National Assembly Speaker Prince Norodom Ranariddh (the new king's brother), both members of the throne council endorsed Sihamoni's selection. He was crowned in Phnom Penh on October 29. The monarchy is symbolic and does not exercise political power. Norodom Sihamoni was trained in Cambodian classical dance and is unmarried. Due to his long stay in the Czech Republic (then known as Czechoslovakia) Norodom Sihamoni is fluent in the Czech language.

The judiciary should be independent from the rest of the government, as specified by the Constitution. The highest court is the Supreme Council of the Magistracy. Other, lower courts also exist. Until 1997, Cambodia didn't have a judicial branch of government despite the nation's Constitution requiring one.

The main duties of the judiciary are to prosecute criminals, settling lawsuits, and, most importantly, protect the freedoms and rights of Cambodian citizens. However, the judicial branch in Cambodia is highly corrupt and often serves as a tool used by executive branch to silence civil society and its leaders

The BBC reports that corruption is rampant in the Cambodian political arena with international aid from the U.S. and other countries being illegally transferred into private accounts. Corruption has also added to the wide income disparity within the population. Cambodia is divided into 20 provinces (khett) and four municipalities (krong). There are further subdivisions into districts (“srok”), communions (“khum”), great districts (“khett”), and islands (“koh”).

Cambodia is a member of the United Nations and its specialized agencies such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. It is an Asian Development Bank member, a member of ASEAN, and joined the World Trade Organisatiom on in 2004. In 2005 Cambodia attended the inaugural East Asia Summit.

Following a return to political normalcy, Cambodia has established diplomatic relations with numerous countries; the government reports 20 embassies in the country including many of its Asian neighbours and those of important players during the Paris peace negotiations, including the US, Australia, Canada, China, the European Union (EU), Japan, and Russia.

File:Postagestamp-etat du cambodge-remise armes.jpg

1993 stamp showing the name État du Cambodge

While the violent ruptures of the 1970s and 80s have passed, several border disputes between Cambodia and its neighbours persist. There are disagreements over some offshore islands and sections of the boundary with Vietnam, and undefined maritime boundaries and border areas with Thailand.

In January 2003, there were riots in Phnom Penh prompted by rumored comments about Angkor Wat by a Thai actress wrongly attributed by Reaksmei Angkor, a Cambodian newspaper, and later quoted by Prime Minister Hun Sen. The Thai government sent military aircraft to evacuate Thai nationals and closed its border with Cambodia while Thais demonstrated outside the Cambodian embassy in Bangkok. The border was re-opened on March 21, after the Cambodian government paid US$6-million in compensation for the destruction of the Thai embassy and agreed to compensate individual Thai businesses for their losses.

Economy

Despite recent progress, the Cambodian economy continues to suffer from the effects of decades of civil war, internal strife and rampant corruption. The per capita income is rapidly increasing, but is low compared with other countries in the region. Most rural households depend on agriculture and its related sub-sectors.

War and brutal totalitarianism in the 1970s created famine in Cambodia. Desperate farm families consumed their rice seeds and many traditional varieties became difficult to find. In the 1980s the International Rice Research Institute reintroduced more than 750 traditional rice varieties to Cambodia from its rice seed bank in the Philippines. These varieties had been collected in the 1960s. In 1987, the Australian government gave funding to assist Cambodia to improve its rice production. By 2000, Cambodia was once again self-sufficient in rice.

The recovery of Cambodia's economy slowed dramatically in 1997–98, due to the Asian financial crisis, civil violence, and political infighting. Foreign investment and tourism also fell off drastically. Since then however, growth has been steady. In 1999, the first full year of peace in 30 years, progress was made on economic reforms and economic growth resumed at 5 percent. Despite severe flooding, GDP grew at 5.0 percent in 2000, 6.3 percent in 2001, and 5.2 percent in 2002. Tourism was Cambodia's fastest growing industry, with arrivals increasing from 219,000 in 1997 to 1,055,000 in 2004. During 2003 and 2004 the growth rate remained steady at 5.0 percent. As of 2005, gross domestic product per capita was $2200, which ranked 178th (out of 233) countries.

Angkor Wat, the biggest tourist draw of Cambodia

The population often lacks education and productive skills, particularly in the poverty-ridden countryside, which suffers from a lack of basic infrastructure. Fear of renewed political instability and corruption within the government discourage foreign investment and delay foreign aid, although there has been significant assistance from bilateral and multilateral donors. Donors pledged $504-million to the country in 2004, while the Asian Development Bank alone has provided $850-million in loans, grants, and technical assistance.

The tourism industry is the country's second-greatest source of hard currency after the textile industry. About 50 percent of visitor arrivals are to Angkor, and most of the remainder to Phnom Penh. Other tourist hotspots include Sihanoukville in the southeast which has several popular beaches, and the nearby area around Kampot including the Bokor Hill Station. The BBC reports that Cambodia is also a major destination for sex tourism, and there is particular concern over child sex and forced prostitution.

Exports totalled $3.331-billion in 2006. Export commodities were clothing, timber, rubber, rice, fish, tobacco, and footwear, Export partners were US 48.6 percent, Hong Kong 24.4 percent, Germany 5.6 percent, Canada 4.6 percent. Imports totalled $4.477-billion in 2006. Import commodities were petroleum products, cigarettes, gold, construction materials, machinery, motor vehicles, and pharmaceutical products. Import partners were Hong Kong 16.1 percent, China 13.6 percent, France 12.1 percent, Thailand 11.2 percent, Taiwan 10.2 percent, South Korea 7.5 percent, Vietnam 7.1 percent, Singapore 4.9 percent, and Japan 4.1 percent.

Motorbike riders in Phnom Penh

The civil war severely damaged Cambodia's transport system, despite the provision of Soviet technical assistance and equipment. Cambodia has two rail lines, totalling about 380 miles (612 kilometers) of single gauge track, from the capital to Sihanoukville on the southern coast, and from Phnom Penh to Sisophon. In 2006, only one passenger train per week operated between Phnom Penh and Battambang. The nation's extensive inland waterways were important historically in domestic trade. Cambodia has two major ports, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, and five minor ones. The country has sixteen commercial airports.

With increasing economic activity has come an increase in automobile and motorcycle use; as often in developing countries, an associated rise in traffic deaths and injuries is occurring. Cycle rickshaws ("cyclos") are an additional option often used by visitors.

The major economic challenge for Cambodia over the decade from 2006 was in fashioning an economic environment in which the private sector can create enough jobs to handle Cambodia's demographic imbalance. More than 50 percent of the population is less than 21 years old. The population lacks education and productive skills, particularly in the poverty-ridden countryside, which suffers from an almost total lack of basic infrastructure.

Demographics

File:Cambodia-demography.png

Number of inhabitants between 1961 and 2001 in thousands. Note the decrease during the Khmer Rouge years (1975–79). FAO Data,Cambodia

Civil war and its aftermath have had a marked effect on the Cambodian population. The median age is 20.6 years, with more than 50 percent of the population younger than 25. At 0.95 males/female, Cambodia has the most female-biased sex ratio in the greater Mekong sub-region. In the Cambodian population over 65, the female to male ratio is 1.6:1. UNICEF has designated Cambodia the third most land-mined country in the world, attributing over 60,000 civilian deaths and thousands more maimed or injured since 1970 to the unexploded landmines left behind in rural areas. The majority of the victims are children herding animals or playing in the fields. In 2006, the number of landmines casualties in Cambodia took a sharp decrease of more than 50 percent compared to 2005, with the number of landmines victims down from 800 in 2005 to less than 400 in 2006.

With a population of almost 15 million people, Cambodia is ethnically homogeneous. More than 90 percent of its population is of Khmer origin and speaks the Khmer language, the country's official language. The remainder include Chinese one percent, Vietnamese five percent, Cham, Khmer Loeu, and Indians. A citizen of Cambodia is usually identified as "Cambodian" or "Khmer", which strictly refers to ethnic Khmers.

The Khmer language is a member of the Mon-Khmer sub-family of the Austroasiatic language group. French, once the lingua franca of Indochina and still spoken by some, mostly older Cambodians as a second language, remains the language of instruction in various schools and universities that are often funded by the government of France. Cambodian French, a remnant of the country's colonial past, is a dialect found in Cambodia and is frequently used in government. However, in recent decades, many younger Cambodians and those in the business-class, have favoured learning English, which is gradually becoming more widely spoken.

Most Cambodians are Theravada Buddhists of Khmer extraction, but the country also has a substantial number of predominantly Muslim Cham, as well as small hill tribes. The Khmer Rouge suppressed Theravada Buddhism but has since experienced a revival. Islam (five percent) and Christianity (two percent) are also practiced.

In the communist period, communal work broke down gender barriers, and in the post-communist period, when conscription created a shortage of men in civilian occupations, women had to do more hard physical labor. Only men can enter the monkhood. Women tend to control the family finances, but have less access to positions of political and economic power. Domestic violence against women in villages is widespread, and those women have little legal recourse.

Marriage traditionally is arranged by the parents of the bride and groom or by a representative. The groom starts process by asking his parents to approach the parents of a woman to whom he is attracted. Neither is forced to take a marriage partner, although parents may have considerable influence. The groom pays bride-wealth to the family of the bride, to buy jewelry or clothing for the bride or pay for the wedding.

Polygyny was legal before 1989, but true polygyny, with both wives living in the same house, was rarely practiced outside of royalty. A mistress is called a second wife, and keeping a second or third wife is not disapproved of. There is strong pressure to marry and to have children. Divorce is socially recognized, although there is pressure against it,

The domestic unit is a nuclear family consisting of parents and children. Residence after marriage is often with the parents of the bride. Aged parents often live with their adult children. Inheritances are divided equally among children without regard to gender or age order, although the child who supported the parents in their old age may be favored. Cambodians have a strong sense of personal property shared within the domestic unit.

Under communism, the state promoted egalitarianism, and personal wealth was not easily detected. Since 1991, extremely wealthy individuals have appeared among government officials and business people. Otherwise, the population remains poor. Cambodians have exaggerated respect for a small class of civil servants and other "big men," perhaps defined more by influence than by wealth. There is sensitivity to wealth, especially in decisions about marriage partners. Wealth was traditionally worn on the person as jewelry. Poor families live in houses of bamboo and thatch. Better-off families live in traditional wood houses on stilts. Richer families live in houses of stone or cement. Cars and consumer goods mark wealth.

Culture sport

"Khmer Land" in Khmer writing, a local expression which refers to Cambodia

Khmer culture, as developed and spread by the Khmer empire, has distinctive styles of dance, architecture and sculpture, which have strongly influenced neighbouring Laos and Thailand. Angkor Wat (Angkor means "city" and Wat "temple") is the best preserved example of Khmer architecture from the Angkorian era and hundreds of other temples have been discovered in and around the region. The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, the infamous prison of the Khmer Rouge, and Choeung Ek, one of the main Killing Fields are other important historic sites.

Rice, as in other South East Asian countries, is the staple grain, while fish from the Mekong and Tonle Sap also forms an important part of the diet. The Cambodian per capita supply of fish and fish products for food and trade in 2000 was 20 kilograms of fish per year or two ounces per day per person. Some of the fish can be made into prahok (a Khmer delicacy) for longer storage.

Overall, the cuisine of Cambodia is similar to that of its Southeast Asian neighbours. The cuisine is relatively unknown to the world compared to that of its neighbors Thailand and Vietnam, but has been described not as spicy as Thai cuisine and similar to other Southeast Asia cuisines. A home meal is served on a mat on the floor or with the diners seated on a bamboo platform. Adult males and guests eat first and food preparers last. Breakfast consists of rice porridge or rice noodles. Lunch and dinner may include a spiced broth with fish or meat and vegetables, fish, fresh vegetables eaten with a fish-based paste, and stir-fried vegetables with chopped meat. A strong-smelling fermented fish paste called “prâhok” is the hallmark flavoring of Khmer food. Display of fruit is a mark of abundance. “Teuk tnaot,” a liquid tapped from sugar palms and fermented, generally is not taken with meals.

During festivals, elaborate and painstakingly seasoned dishes are prepared, such as curries, spiced fish sauces, complex stir-fries, and a variety of sweets. At a temple festival, each family brings dishes that are presented to the monks. After the monks have eaten, the lay community eats the remaining food.

Cambodian folk music is highly influenced by ancient forms as well as Hindu forms. Religious dancing, many of which depict stories and ancient myths, are common. Some dances are accompanied by a “pinpeat” orchestra, which includes a “ching” (cymbal), “roneat” (bamboo xylophone), “pia au” (flute), “sralay” (oboe), “chappay” (bass banjo), gong (bronze gong), “tro” (violin), and various kinds of drums. Each movement the dancer makes refers to a specific idea, including abstract concepts like today (pointing a finger upwards). The 1960s saw a revival in classical dance, led by Princess Norodom Bopha Devi.

The roneat has been described as a bamboo xylophone.

Close-up of the Roneat, Cambodia, September 2005

Cambodian pop music, or modern music, is divided into two categories: “ramvong” and “ramkbach.” Ramvong is slow dance music, while ramkbach is closely related to Thai folk music. In the province Siem Reap, a form of music called “kantrum” has become popular; originally Thai, kantrum is famous for Thai and Cambodian stars like Darkie.

Modern music is usually presented in Cambodian Karaoke VCDs, usually of an actor, actress or both making the actions, usually by mimicking the lyrics to the background song by moving their mouth as if they were actually singing the song. Noy Vannet and Lour Sarith are some of the modern singers who sing the songs for use with the karaokes usually of the songs composed by Sin Sisamouth or others, in addition to the songs sung and composed by Sin Sisamouth himself. Paypongrath.

Lady dancer, Siem Reap, September 2005.

Bonn Om Teuk (Festival of Boat Racing), the annual boat-rowing contest, is the most attended Cambodian national festival. Held at the end of the rainy season when the Mekong river begins to sink back to its normal levels allowing the Tonle Sap River to reverse flow, approximately 10 percent of Cambodia's population attends this event each year to play games, give thanks to the moon, watch fireworks, and attend the boat race in a carnival-type atmosphere.

Popular games include cockfighting, and kicking a sey, which is similar to a footbag. Notable recent artistic figures include the singers Sinn Sisamouth, who introduced new musical styles to the country, and later Meng Keo Pichenda.

Football (soccer) is one of the more popular sports, although professional organized sports are not as prevalent in Cambodia as in western countries due to the economic conditions. The Cambodia national football team managed fourth in the 1972 Asian Cup but development has slowed since the civil war. Western sports such as volleyball, bodybuilding, field hockey, rugby, and baseball are gaining popularity while traditional boat racing maintains its appeal as a national sport. Martial Arts is also practiced in Cambodia, the most popular being Pradal Serey, which is similar to Muay Thai and also considered a national sport. Other styles such as karate, kung fu and taekwondo are rapidly catching on.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Fredenburg, P. and B. Hill. 2006. Sharing Rice for Peace and Prosperity in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Sid Harta Publishers, Victoria. ISBN 1-921206-08-X.

• Jahn GC. 2006. The Dream is not yet over. In: P. Fredenburg P, Hill B, editors. Sharing rice for peace and prosperity in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Victoria,(Australia): Sid Harta Publishers.

• Puckridge, D. 2004. The Burning of the Rice. Sid Harta Publishers, Victoria. ISBN 1-877059-73-0. pp326

• Shawcross, William, Sideshow: Kissinger, Nixon and the destruction of Cambodia, Cooper Square Press, Revised edition (October 25, 2002), ISBN 0-8154-1224-X

• Shawcross, William, A history of Cambodia (2nd ed.), Westview Press, Boulder, CO , 1993.

• Kerlogue, Fiona Arts of Southeast Asia. Thames and Hudson 2004. ISBN 0-500-20381-4

• Sihanouk, Norodom, My War with the CIA, The Memoirs of Prince Norodom Sihanouk as related to Wilfred Burchett, Pantheon Books, 1973.

• Chandler, David, Voices From S21: Terror and History in Pol Pot's Secret Prison. University of California Press, 1999.

External links

• Business in Asia report on airports. observed February 4, 2007.
• Cambodian Culture website observed February 4, 2007.
• Cambodian Economy Information observed February 4, 2007.
• Encyclopaedia Britannica's Cambodia Country Page
• Cambodia CIA World Factbook,(2006), observed February 4, 2007.
• Corruption dents Cambodia democracy. Accessed July 24, 2006.
• Country Studies Handbook; information taken from US Dept of the Army. Accessed July 25, 2006.
• [History of Cambodia. Accessed July 25, 2006.
• [[1]] Craig Etcheson, Documentation Centre of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
• A Brief History of the Cambodian Genocide CambodianGenocide.org., Accessed July 25, 2006.
• Asia-Pacific Report. Accessed July 24, 2006.
• Cambodia Land Mines. Accessed July 24, 2006.
• King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihamoni Official Website of King Norodom Sihamoni
• King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihanouk Official Website of former King Norodom Sihanouk
• Cambodia.gov.kh Official Royal Government of Cambodia Website (English Version) (Cambodia.gov.kh)
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
• Cambodia e-Visa, Applying Travel Visa Online
• Cambodia Cultural Profile (Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts/Visiting Arts)
• CIA World Factbook - Cambodia
• Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports regarding Cambodia
• Cambodia Country Factsheet from The Common Language Project
• [Cambodia], Countries and their Cultures Bo-Co, observed February 4, 2007.
• Cambodia: Art - systematic directory of annotated links
• Ecosorn Project - Economic and Social Relaunch of the Northwest Provinces in Cambodia
• LICADHO - Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights
• Latest Cambodia News Delivery latest Cambodia News
• CambodiaWatch Cambodia Online Magazine
• NCLO (No Child Left Out) A U.S. Charity devoted to helping the children of Cambodia
• NCLO WORKS Sponsor or write to a Cambodian orphan
• Psah NCLO An online Cambodian Market where all proceeds benefit orphaned and impoverished Cambodian children
• Cambodia News Cambodia web directory.
• Cambodia Photo Gallery Photos from Ankar & Phnom Penh Cambodia.
• Cambodia slide show

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