Where are we?
The Kingdom of Cambodia
Facts and Figures
Location SE Asia; 13 00 NArea 181,040 sq km (@ 69,900 sq mi); slightly smaller than Oklahoma
Land mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north; a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap
Natural Resources timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential
Climate tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation
Population 12,775,324 … 0-14 years: 40.7%; 15-64 years: 55.8%; 65 years and over: 3.5%
Ethnic Groups Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4%
Languages Khmer (official) 95%, French, English
Religions Theravada Buddhist 95%, other 5%
Life Expectancy total population: 57.1 years; female: 59.5 years; male: 54.81 years
HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate – 4.04%
Literacy definition – age 15+ and able to read &write – total population: 35%; female: 22%; male: 48%
Per Capita Income ~$300
History at a Glance
Ancient Times- 5th – 6th centuries AD, the Indianized Kingdom of Funan
- 9th – 15th centuries AD, Angkorian Kingdom/Empire
- The golden age of Khmer culture and political power
- First a Hindu, then a Mahayana Buddhist, and then a Theravada Buddhist kingdom
- 15th – 18th centuries AD, decline and domination by Vietnam &Thailand
- 1887-1953 - Colonized by France
- 1967-1975 - Civil War
- 1975-1979 - Khmer Rouge reign of terror (responsible for 1-2 million deaths)
- 1979-1989 - Puppet government established after Vietnamese invasion
- 1993 - UN established multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy
- 1997 - Coup
- 1998 - Renewed political stability after national elections and formation of a coalition government
Further Reading
If you would like ot learn more about Cambodia, including details about its history and culture, the Library of Congress has a Cambodia Country Study that you can browse at your leisure. It's informative, searchable, and best of all ... it's free!
From CIA - The World Fact Book, 2002 edition