cambodia

=Cambodia=

__Fast facts__
Country: The Kingdom of Cambodia Capital City: Phnom Penh Currency: Riel Population: 13,881,427 Area: 181,040 square km Language: Khmer (official), French, English Head of Country: King Norodom Sihamoni

__Location__
Cambodia is a small country in south eastern Asia located near Vietnam in the Northern Hemisphere. The geographic coordinates are 13 00º in the north and 150 00º in the east. Cambodia's surrounding countries are Vietnam, Thailand and Laos with the Gulf of Thailand as a surrounding body of water for 443km. The area of Cambodia is slightly smaller than the American state of Oklahoma. It has a total area of 181 040 square km and land borders for 2 572km. It lies completely within the tropics, its southern most point only 10° above the equator.

__Climate__
Cambodia's average temperature ranges from 10º celsius to 38° celsius. There are two distinct seasons in Cambodia, the first is the rainy season which runs from May to October. This can have temperatures of around 40° celsius in April that is usually accompanied by high humidity. The second season is the dry season and runs from November to April where temperatures can drop below 22° celsius. The best months to visit Cambodia are between November and January when the temperatures and humidity are lower.

This country has tropical monsoons where south west monsoons blow inland bringing moist wind with them from the Gulf of Thailand and the Indian Ocean from May to October. The northeast monsoon ushers in the dry season that lasts from November to March. The country experiences heaviest precipitation from September to October with the driest period between January and February. Natural hazards in Cambodia include monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding and occasional droughts.

__Geographical Features__
Dominant features are the large, almost centrally located, Tonle Sap (Great Lake) and the Mekong River, which runs through the country from north to south. The Mekong river also happens to be a part of Vietnam and flows for 4880 km and is the 11th longest river in the world. The most distinctive geographical feature is the lacusterine plain, formed by the Tonle Sap (Great Lake), measuring about 2,590 square kilometres during the dry season and expanding to about 24,605 square kilometres during the rainy season. This plain is both densely populated and mostly wet rice farm and the heart of Cambodia.

Most of the country lies less than 100 m above sea level with only a few exceptions. One of those exceptions is the Phnum Aoral 1,810 m and is the highest point in the whole of Cambodia. This mountain is positioned within the Cardamon Mountains but they have an extension towards the south east. These mountains are called the Damrei Mountians ("Elephant Mountains") and have and elevation range between 500–1,000 m. Much of the country's area consists of rolling, flat plains. There are a few mountains in the south west and north of the country.

__Economy__
Despite the recent progress Cambodia continues suffer economically caused by the affects of civil war and corruption. The per capita income is increasing rapidly but it is still low compared with other countries in the region. Most rural households and families depend greatly on agriculture and its similar sub - sectors. Their major import commodities are clothing, timber, rubber, rice, fish, tobacco and footwear. These goods are bought mainly by the countries Hong Kong, US, Germany and the UK. Many countries sell things to Cambodia including petroleum products, cigarettes, gold, construction materials, machinery, motor vehicles and pharmaceutical products. The countries that Cambodia buys from are Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore, South Korea and Japan.

Cambodia's main industries are tourism, garments, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining and textiles. In contrast to this their agriculture products are rice, rubber, corn, vegetables, cashews and tapioca. Forty percent of Cambodia's population is below the poverty line whereas only 2.5% are unemployed. The labour force of Cambodia is around the seven million mark. Its natural resources include: oil and gas, timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese, phosphates, and it has hydropower aptitude. War and other factors brought famine into Cambodia during the 1970's and left many homes without sufficient food. The population now suffers lack of basic infrastructure and education along with protective skills.

__Government__
The politics of Cambodia officially take place, according to the nation's constitution of 1993 is a representative democratic monarchy. The Prime Minister of Cambodia is the head of government, and is in 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 houses of parliament, the National Assembly of Cambodia and the Senate.

On October 14, 2004, King Norodom Sihamoni was appointed by a special nine-member throne council, part of a selection process that was quickly put in place after the resignation of King Norodom Sihanouk a week before. The suffrage age in Cambodia is 18 years of age and universal which means that every one over this age can vote unless the government disapproves (classed as mentally ill etc.). The consitution was approved on the 21st of September 1993 after independence from France in 1953.

__History__
The first advanced civilizations appeared in the first millennium AD. Later the Indianised states of Funan and Cheela merged to form modern day Cambodia and south west Vietnam which had strong contacts with China and India. This territory collapsed and was followed by the rise of the Khmer Empire which remained powerful until the 15th century. The empire's center of power was Angkor, where a series of capitals was constructed during the empire's peak. After continuous wars between it and its neighboring countries, Angkor was sacked by the Thai and abandoned in 1432. The court moved the capital to a city called Lovek where the kingdom gave its all to regain glory through maritime trade. This plan was soon proved impossible as wars left them with less territory and conquering of Lovek in 1594 by the Vietnamese. In 1863 King Norodom was looking for the protection of France. A few years later he signed a treaty with France renouncing Suzerainty over Cambodia in return for control over the provinces Battambang and Siem Reap which eventually became a part of Thailand. The provinces were returned back to Cambodia in 1906 when France and Thailand signed a border treaty.

Cambodia remained as a protectorate of France until 1953 when Cambodia gained independence on the 21st of September that year. It became a constitutional monarchy with King Nordom Sihanouk as the head. He resigned from his position in order to become Prime Minister and his father became King but when his father died Sihanouk had to become Prince. During the Vietnam war the Prince developed an official policy of neutrality and gathered in unnoticed areas to build an armed force. Two million Cambodians were made refugees by the bombings and fighting earlier. Many Cambodians weren't so lucky and didn't make it through all of the conflict. To make matters worse, Vietnam invaded Cambodia and violent occupation and warfare erupted through this. Peace efforts began in Paris around the late 1980's but took two years until the conflict between Vietnam and Cambodia was resolved.

Emily Plath 7L