About Cambodia
Cambodia is famous for the incredible Angkor Wat temple complex rightly considered to be one of the wonders of the world. There is also much more to see in the fascinating country, with a rich colonial history, a fascinating Buddhist culture and countless smiling faces.
Decades of war, communism and political unrest rendered Cambodia out of bounds for most travelers. It was only in the late 1990s that a peace treaty between the government and remnants of the Khmer Rouge forces ensured that foreigners could once again visit the country in safety and explore the attractions of this beautiful and fascinating land.
Phnom Penh, the capital, is literally a phoenix arisen from the ashes. (It is hard to believe that in 1979, during the final days of Pol Pot's regime, it was completely destroyed and virtually devoid of a living soul, much akin to Warsaw after the Second World War.) Tonle Sap is the largest lake in South East Asia and one of the world's greatest sources of freshwater fish.
The highlight is a visit to Angkor Wat and the surrounding ruins of the ancient Khmer kingdom, surely one of the greatest and most visually stunning archaeological sites in the world.
The Kingdom of Cambodia, as it is officially known, is bordered on the west and northwest by Thailand, on the northeast by Laos, the east and southeast by Vietnam, and the southwest by the gulf of Thailand. The total area is 181,035 sqare kilometers.
QUICK FACTS
Region: South East Asia
Geographic size: 181,916 square kilometers.
Population: 13.4 million (2008 census)
Major religion: Theravada Buddhism
Major language: Khmer, English, French, and Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese, and Techoew)
Major industry: Timber, rubber, shipping, rice milling, textiles and fishing
