Knowing Cambodia

Monument of Independence

CAMBODIA AND ITS HISTORY

Cambodia is a jewel of a country bordered by Vietnam, Thailand and Laos.

It is just beginning to be recognized by the outside world. Once known as Kampuchea it went through a horrifying genocide during 1975 –1979 during the rulership of Pol Pot, a dictator. It is estimated three million people died during this time due to execution, starvation and disease. From 1979 to 1991 Cambodia continued to go through civil war.

Since 1998 it has only really began to see political stability as a nation and the final surrendering of Khmer Rouge forces which ruled during the Pol Pot era.

Cambodia is a constitutional Monarchy. The government is headed by a democratically elected Prime Minister. The King’s duties are mainly ceremonial. The present prime minister is Hun Sen. This government is still unsteady and much is still needed to be done to renew this nation. From the oldest to the youngest alike, all are still effected by decades of unrest. It has been said that the only hope for Cambodia is the unborn.

RELIGION
The main religion in this nation is Theraveda Buddhism at 95%. This kind of buddhism is a mixture of religions. The king of Cambodia has ordered that every village must have a buddhist temple of some sort.
RESOURCES

There are a number of large cities in this nation, the largest and capital being Phnom Penh. The population of Cambodia is around fourteen million. The primary occupation is agriculture. Its chief products being rice, rubber, wood, corn, garments and precious stones.

Much of the land is made up of low flat plains with some small mountains. Only around 1/5th of this land is suitable to be used for crops etc. Many people are heading to the cities for work and this is putting a lot of pressure on Cambodia’s economy adding to the increased poverty, corruption and crime. We bring many of our children at LIA from these outer provinces as those that do have parents cannot provide for them.

The major waterway is the Mekong river which originates in Tibet and flows through China down through to Cambodia. The Mekong is one of the largest rivers in the world and changes its direction of flow for six months of each year due to snow melting in the Himalayas.

SICKNESS AND DISEASE

Even though Cambodia has this great source of water, CARE ( a large organization that assists in aid to poorer nations) estimates that only 36% of the population has access to safe drinking water. Much sickness is spread through water born disease. In the poorer provinces near Vietnam there is a high percentage of arsenic and strychnine in the underground water supply. This is due to the chemicals of warfare that were spread during the Vietnam war, such as agent orange. This one reason why so much medical assistance is needed in such remote and poorer areas. LIA’s medical clinics help meet some of this great need.

Cambodia is a tropical country with two seasons, rainy (May through October) and dry (October through May) . The temperature rarely falls below 27 degrees Celsius.

WILDLIFE
The animals found in Cambodia include monkeys, water buffalo, tigers, elephants, leopards and crocodiles.

LANGUAGE
The national language is Khmer. Chinese and Vietnamese is also spoken. English is widely taught and spoken as it gives greater job opportunities and communication skills for the people. Ninety percent of the people are Khmer while the other ten percent are made up of Chinese, Vietnamese and others.

CURRENCY
Cambodia’s national currency is reil but the US dollar is constantly used.

LIFE EXPECTANCY
The average life expectancy is around fifty-five years of age. Life is often cut short due to serious health issues such as aids. Many also lose their lives due to untreated diseases and injuries. The level of literacy amongst the Cambodian people is around sixty-five per cent. Many children have to drop out of school at an early age in order to work so that they can assist in supporting themselves and their families. One major emphasis at LIA is education

http://www.cambodia.org/ (click on this link for more detailed information on Cambodia. )

http://www.smarttraveller.gov.au/index.html

(click on this link to register your departure from Australia & information on cultural customs within Cambodia.)