Cambodia – the country severely traumatized by the Khmer Rouge regime has only recently been re-accessible to tourism. So you shouldn’t have a perfect infrastructure when traveling, such as B. in neighboring Thailand, expect. But that’s also part of the country’s appeal.
The highlight of the country is the UNESCO World Heritage Site Angkor Wat, the vast abandoned jungle city.
Landmines
Although the tourist centers are now largely free of mines, one should definitely pay attention to the warning signs. Landmines are still a serious threat in remote areas.
Cambodia is still one of the countries with an extremely high number of landmines!
Pedophilia sex tourism
In Cambodia, due to the great poverty, this type of sex tourism is an immense problem. It should be noted that some countries, including Germany, hold their citizens accountable for such crimes at home.
Name of the country | Kingdom of Cambodia |
Form of government | Constitutional monarchy |
Geographical location | Southeast Asia on the Gulf of Thaila |
National anthem | Nokoreach |
Population | approx. 14.1 million (Credit: Countryaah: Cambodia Population) |
Ethnicities | 90% Khmer, 5% Vietnamese, 1% Chinese and 4% others. |
Religions | 95% are Theravade Buddhists and 5% belong to other religions. |
Languages | The official language is Khmer with 95%,but French and English are also spoken. |
Capital | Phnom Penh with more than 1.5 million residents |
Surface | 181,040 km² |
Highest mountain | Phum Aoral with a height of 1,810 m |
Largest lake | The largest lake in the country is the Tonle Sap, in English “Big Lake”,which during the rainy season covers an area of around 10,500 km²
and in the dry season an area of around 3,000 km² |
International license plate | K |
National currency | Riel |
Time difference to CET | + 6 h |
International phone code | +855 |
Mains voltage, frequency | 220 volts, 50 hertz |
Internet TLD (Top Level Domain) | .kh |
Cambodia: history
In the 1st century AD, the first Cambodian empire was founded under Fou-Nan. This was replaced by Chen-La in the 6th century.
According to Abbreviationfinder website, the Kingdom of Cambodia was founded in 802 by King Jayarvarman II. Its heyday was around 900-1200. At the time of its greatest expansion, the empire stretched from the Mekong Delta to Burma and Tonkin.
From the 13th to the 15th century AD, the empire disintegrated and lost large parts to Vietnam and Siam.
In 1864 it became a French protectorate. And in 1887 was united with the neighboring colonies to form Indochina.
In 1945, King Nordom Sihanouk proclaimed independence. However, France reestablished its rule in 1946 – in 1949 Cambodia became an associated state with France.
At the same time as independence from France in 1953, the Kingdom of Cambodia with King Sihanouk was proclaimed head. In 1955, however, he gave the throne to his father. In 1960, Prince Sihanouk became king.
He was deposed in the coup of 1970 and a Khmer republic was established.
On April 17, 1975, the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot took possession of the capital Phnom Penh. They establish the “Democratic Kampuchea”. Their political goals were a kind of agrarian communism. Around 2 million people died under this regime, some of them after barbaric torture. At that time the number corresponded to about a tenth of the population. The country should be made a pure peasant state. The intelligentsia was largely eradicated, so that in the end the people had no doctors, engineers and teachers.
1979 the occupation of Cambodia by Vietnam and the founding of the People’s Republic of Cambodia, VRK. A government in exile was established by Prince Sihanouk and the Khmer Rouge. Ten years later the Vietnamese withdrew and the state of Cambodia was proclaimed.
On September 10, 1990, the parties concerned agreed on a peace treaty.
This was signed on October 23, 1991 in Paris.
A little later, on March 28, 1992, a UN interim administration was set up.
The following year the constitutional elections were held.
On September 24, 1993, the Kingdom of Cambodia was proclaimed on the basis of the new constitution.
Prince Norodom Sihanouks was elected as King of Cambodia.
Pol Pot died on April 15, 1998 in hiding in the middle of the jungle.
On July 26, 1998, the country’s first autonomous national election took place. A little later, on December 7, 1998, Cambodia took its seat in the UN General Assembly. In early 1999, the last Khmer Rouge leader was finally captured.
The first free municipal elections were held on February 3, 2002.
The current King Norodom Sihamoni has been in office since October 29, 2004.