Cambodia

Cambodia

GEOGRAPHY.  With a total land area of 181,035 square kilometres, the Kingdom of Cambodia is the smallest of the former Indochinese countries. It is bounded to the west and north west by Thailand, to the north by Laos, to the east and south east by Viet Nam and to the south by the Gulf of Thailand.
The country's most prominent topographical features are the Mekong River, which descends from Laos and continues down into southern Việt Nam, and the Tonle Sap (Great Lake), which drains into the Mekong at Phnom Penh. The central lowlands are surrounded by transitional plains covered by savannah grasses. The heavily forested southern coastline is isolated from the rest of the country by the mountainous expanse of the Cardamom and Elephant Ranges, whilst the northern border abuts the Dangkret Mountains and the Eastern Highlands.

Climate. Cambodia has a tropical monsoon climate. While December and January are the coolest months, March and April are the hottest. Rainfall is experienced from the months of May to October. Average annual rainfall is about 1,400 mm on the central plain and increases to as much as 3,800 mm in the mountains and along the coast. The average annual temperature is about 27°C. Maximum temperatures of higher than 32°C, however, are common and, just before the start of the rainy season, they may rise to more than 38°C. Minimum temperatures rarely fall below 10°C.

Politics and government. The politics of Cambodia formally take place, according to the nation's constitution of 1993, in the framework of a constitutional monarchy operated as a parliamentary representative democracy. The Prime Minister of Cambodia is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system, while the king is the head of state. The Prime Minister is appointed by the King, on the advice and with the approval of the National Assembly; the Prime Minister and his or her ministerial appointees exercise executive power in government. Legislative power is vested in both the executive and the two chambers of parliament, the National Assembly of Cambodia and the Senate. Cambodia is a member of the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. It is an Asian Development Bank (ADB) member, a member of ASEAN, and joined the WTO on October 13, 2004. In 2005 Cambodia attended the inaugural East Asia Summit.

PEOPLE AND CULTURE. According to the General Population Census of 2009 the total population of Cambodia is 14 million, with an annual growth rate of some 2.8 per cent. The population density is approximately 48 people per square kilometre.
An estimated 1.5 million people reside in the capital, Phnom Penh. Other major centres of population include Sihanoukville, Siem Reap, Battambang, Takeo, Kompong Cham and Kompong Thom. Ethnic Khmers make up some 96 % of Cambodia's total population. Other groups include Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai and Burmese and various ethnic hill tribes, many of the latter living in the mountainous regions to the north and southwest. The Khmer account for 80 % of agricultural workers, while the Vietnamese and Chinese dominate the business sector. 

LANGUAGES. The Cambodian language is Khmer, which is inherited itself - and advanced in education with application of Indic languages Pali and Sangkrit from India. Some technical languages are borrowed from French. However, English is commonly communicated in hotels and business compounds at present days.

RELIGION. The majority of the people (90-95%) of Cambodia are followers of Thervada and Hinayana school of Buddhism which was introduced to Cambodia between the 13th and 14 centuries and was the state religion until 1975. Over the centuries Buddhist temples (wats) developed an important role in the preservation of culture and the provision of education, especially in rural areas.

VISA. A fifteen-day tourist visa can be obtained at US$ 20 upon arrival at Pochentong Airport. Visitors should bring along at least 4 photos, and sign the visa applications form upon arrival. Visa extensions are possible through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Office of Immigration.