Name of the country: The Kingdom of Cambodia

Capital city: Phnom Penh

Government: Constitutional monarchy

Population: About 12 million

Land Area: Over 181.000 sq km.

Geography: It is bordered by Thailand, Laos to the North and the East by Vietnam with the water of the gulf of Thailand of the southern beaches.

Climate: The cool, dry North-eastern monsoon occurs from around November to April, the South-western monsoon brings strong wind, high humidity and heavy rain from May to October. During the wet season, it rarely rains in the morning and in the dry season, regular high temperature is 95 0F / 35 0C. The most important river is the Mekong which helps create the Southeast Asia’s largest lake, Tonle Sap.

Security: generally speaking, it is now safe to travel around.

Religion: The main religion is Theravada Buddhism

Ethnic group: 95% Ethnic Khmer. Other groups: Cham Muslims (Khmer Islam) and some minorities groups living in the moutainous regions.

Language: The main language is Khmer. English is nowadays popular. French is still spoken by the people who grew up before 1970s

Characteristics: Cambodian people are friendly and hospitable

Culture: Cambodia classical dance , A psara dance and fo l k dance are performed to the accompaniment of an orchestra and choral narration. The strucures of Angkor temples and Buddhist temples, the traditional handicrafts of black smith, silk weaving, wood carvings, and many other fine works of art are admirable.

Holiday: Cambodia National Day: 9 th November

Khmer New Year : Mid April

Economy: Cambodia became a member of A SEAN in 1999 , based on agriculture (80%) . A ll fuel and most raw materials, capital equipment and consumer goods must be imported.

Tourism looks to be the trade of the future

Other economic mainstays are gems, the transhipment of gold and cigarettes.

Electricity: Mostly 220 V, AC circuitry

Shopping: Silver, woodcarving s , tribal crafts, ceramics, jewelry, gems, colourful cloth for sarongs, antiques, oil paintings, brass figurines , papier-mché masks . . .

Telecommunication: Telephone, fax, email, and internet access are all available in Cambodia

Internet Access: You can get accesss to internet or make a phone call almost everywhere

Radio and TV: Radio: BBC, FM, BBC world . T.V: CNN, Star TV, MTV, Cartoon Network, TV5

Tourist highlights: Phnom Penh with the interesting Royal Palace, Silver pagoda, and museums; Impressive Angkor Temples in Siem Reap (UNESCO’s world heritage list in 1992 ); Sihanoukville with empty beautiful beaches; Ratanakiri with fantastic eco-tours.

Money Currency: The Riel (R) - Bank notes: 100, 500, 1.000, 2.000, 5.000 , 10.000, 20.000, 50.000, 100.000 (r)

Tips: Not compulsory but widely accepted in hotels, restaurants, cafes’

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