The Kingdom of Cambodia Basic Information about Cambodia

The Kingdom of Cambodia 柬埔寨

Basic Information about Cambodia • Location: Southeast Asia(bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the northeast, Vietnam to the east and the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest) • • Land Area: 181035 square kilometers Capital: Phnom Penh Population: Over 14. 8 million (68 th most populous) Official Religion: Theravada Buddhism • Official Language: Khmer language • Head of Government: Hun Sen • Minority Groups: Vietnamese, Chinese, Chams and 30 various hill tribes

The history of Cambodia • 9 th century— 15 th century : Khmer Empire • 15 th century—mid 19 th century: Ruled as a vassal between its neighbors. • 1863– 1953: French colonization • 1942— 1945: Japan colonization • 1953: Independence • 1969— 1973: Republic of Vietnam forces and U. S. forces bombed and briefly invaded Cambodia • 1975: The Khmer Rouge took power and build Democratic Kampuchea

The history of Cambodia • 1978: Vietnamese troops invaded Cambodia and built PRK • 1993: Cambodia united

POLITICS • The government is a constitutional monarchy operated as a parliamentary representative democracy. The Prime Minister of Cambodia, an office held by Hun Sen since 1985, is the head of government, while the King of Cambodia (currently Norodom Sihamoni) is the head of state. The prime minister is appointed by the king, on the advice and with the approval of the National Assembly.

POLITICS • The Parliament of Cambodia, which consists of a lower house, the National Assembly or Radhsphea and an upper house, the Senate or Sénat. Members of the 123 -seat Assembly are elected through a system of proportional representation and serve for a maximum term of five years. The Senate has 58 seats, two of which are appointed by the king and two others by the National Assembly, and the rest elected by the commune councilors from 24 provinces of Cambodia. Senators serve five year terms.

FOREIGN RELATION • Cambodia is a member of the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. It is a member of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), ASEAN, and joined the WTO on October 13, 2004

FOREIGN RELATION • China's geopolitical interest in Cambodia changed significantly with the end of the Cold War. It retains considerable influence, including close links with former King Norodom Sihanouk, senior members of Cambodian Government, and the ethnic Chinese community in Cambodia. There are regular high level exchanges between the two countries.

FOREIGN RELATION • In recent years, bilateral relations between the United States and Cambodia have strengthened. The U. S. supports efforts in Cambodia to combat terrorism, build democratic institutions, promote human rights, foster economic development, eliminate corruption, achieve the fullest possible accounting for Americans missing from the Vietnam War-era, and to bring to justice those most responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law committed under the Khmer Rouge regime.

FOREIGN RELATION • Japan has been a vital contributor to Cambodia’s rehabilitation and reconstruction since the high-profile UN Transitional Authority (UNTAC) mission and elections in 1993. Japan provided some US$1. 2 billion in total overseas development assistance (ODA) during the period since 1992 and remains Cambodia’s top donor country.

ECONOMY • In 2011 Cambodia's per capita income in PPP is $2, 470 and $1, 040 in nominal per capita. Cambodia's per capita income is rapidly increasing but is low compared to other countries in the region. Most rural households depend on agriculture and its related subsectors. Rice, fish, timber, garments and rubber are Cambodia's major exports.

ECONOMY • Tourism was Cambodia's fastest growing industry. • China is Cambodia's biggest source of foreign direct investment. • The National Bank of Cambodia is the central bank of the kingdom.

TOURISM • The tourism industry is the country's secondgreatest source of hard currency after the textile industry. • Most of the tourists were Japanese, Chinese, Filipinos, Americans, South Koreans and French people.

RELIGION • Theravada Buddhism is the official religion of Cambodia, which is practiced by more than 95 percent of the population. Theravada Buddhist tradition is widespread and strong in all provinces, with an estimated 4, 392 monastery temples throughout the country. The vast majority of ethnic Khmers are Buddhist, and there are close associations between Buddhism, cultural traditions, and daily life.

RELIGION • Islam is the religion of the majority of the Chams and Malay minorities in Cambodia. The majority of Muslims are Sunnis of the Shafi'i school and are highly populated in Kampong Cham Province. Currently there are more than 300, 000 Muslims in the country.

CUISINE • The cuisine of Cambodia contains tropical fruits, soups and noodles. Key ingredients are kaffir lime, lemon grass, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, curry, tamarind, ginger, oyster sauce, coconut milk and black pepper.