Cambodia is a state that is located in the south of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. Recently, it has been very popular with tourists. In fact, this is a real tropical paradise, which offers guests a sufficiently high level of service. However, what do we know about this country?
Cambodia - where is it?
The state borders on Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. The total length of the state border of Cambodia is 2, 572 km. In the southwest, the state is washed by the Gulf of Thailand, which in turn is part of the South China Sea. The waters of the bay are also washed by several islands belonging to Cambodia. The largest is Kong, with an area of 100 square kilometers. The state is independent, but it has not always been so.
What do we know about her?
Cambodia used to be called Kampuchea (from Sanskrit Kambujadesa). The name, according to legend, came from the name of the founder of the former royal dynasty of Kambu.
The capital is Phnom Penh, one of the largest cities in the state. The total area of the country is 181, 000 square kilometers. The population is more than 16 million people. The official language is Khmer, which is one of the largest Austro-Asian languages.
The form of government is a constitutional monarchy. The head of state is the king, who is a symbol of national unity, but, in fact, does not possess special power, since all political issues are decided by parliament.
History of the state
The power that arose on the territory of modern Cambodia at the beginning of our era was much larger. Little is known about the Khmer state. It is possible to get acquainted in detail only with those events that took place starting from the middle of the 19th century. It is known that in 1863 Cambodia was in the power of France, and from 1942 to 1945 it was occupied by Japan. However, in 1953 it gained independence.
But it was after gaining independence that the peaceful life of the country's inhabitants ended for a long time. The civil war, coup d'etat and even genocide - all this survived the state. However, today Cambodia is a peaceful country where you can fly on vacation without fear. Time in Cambodia, as tourists say, flows in a completely different way.
Population
The inhabitants of Cambodia are mostly Khmers. In 2017, the country's population was just over 16 million. About 10% of the population are:
- Chinese (they are mainly engaged in trade);
- Tyam (descendants of the state that once existed on the territory of modern Vietnam);
- Khmer-ly (tribes living in the highlands);
- Vietnamese.
It is noteworthy that each of these minorities has its own differences. For example, the Vietnamese profess another direction of Buddhism - Mahayana. The Tyam are mainly engaged in weaving, and the Khmer-ly are engaged in the cultivation of crops.
Women in the country are slightly more than men. Literacy rate as of 2010 is 73%. The average life expectancy among men is 62 years, among women 64. Outwardly, Khmers are quite attractive. Men are mostly short and muscular, women are distinguished by magnificent figures and soft smiles. Many have white skin.
Cambodia's population density is uneven. Most of it is concentrated in the capital, in the central region of the country and in the Mekong Delta. It is noteworthy that one half of the population lives in miserable conditions, while the second flourishes. Middle-income Cambodians are not easy to find. At present, the issue of education is acute. On the one hand, children go to school for 12 years, that is, they must receive it at the proper level. However, due to the difficult financial situation, many miss classes because they are forced to earn extra money.
Religion
More than 95% of the population profess Buddhism, that is, it is the main religion in the country. The Theravada Doctrine is one of the most widespread - one of the most "classical" directions of Buddhism. It is based on tolerance. It is also interesting in that it does not imply belief in a higher being. That is, it is a religion without God. According to the Theravada commandments, each individual person is fully responsible only for his misconduct and deeds. Monks practicing Buddhism live apart: they are not allowed to participate in entertainment venues. They are required to obey the 10 commandments of the Buddha and another 227 rules. They eat twice a day.
Moreover, there are also Christians in the country (they profess Catholicism) and Muslims. The latter number about 30, 000, most of them live in Kampongtam province. The Chinese in Cambodia profess Confucianism and Taoism.
Tongue
Khmer is used by 95% of the population. He is the only state. Previously, French served as a second language, because Cambodia has long been under the protectorate of France. This beautiful language is remembered by many elderly residents of the country.
However, recently its popularity has declined significantly. Young people do not teach him, and members of the government use it very rarely. Chinese and English are popular. The languages of the national minorities of the country are also widespread: Lao, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese dialects. Mountain Khmers speak their own dialect.
Natural features
70% of the territory is plains surrounded by mountains. About 3/4 of the countries are in tropical rainforests. Among the valuable species stand out grease, rosewood, red, sandalwood. Mangrove forests predominate on the coast. Where once they were destroyed by fires, bamboo and wild banana grow.
In the forests you can find an elephant (although today they are mainly domesticated), a buffalo, a wild cat, a bear, a monkey. Reptiles abound. Many poisonous snakes, crocodiles are also found.
Cambodia is crossed by the largest Mekong River on the peninsula, which is the longest in the country. It flows into the South China Sea. The largest lake is Tonle Sap.
Weather and climate
The climate is hot and mostly humid, although the weather in Cambodia depends on the monsoon. In fact, four climatic seasons can be distinguished:
- November-February - the climate is dry and cool;
- March-May - dry, hot;
- June-August - the season is hot and humid;
- September-part of November - the season is wet and cold.
Tourists should visit the country from November to February. During this period, the average air temperature exceeds +26 degrees, there is little rain. The weather is just perfect, the sea is calm and calm. Some especially like the summer rainy season, as an abundance of various fruits appears on the market, and it is almost impossible to meet tourists.
Major Cities Of Cambodia
Phnom Penh is the capital of the country, so most tourists start getting to know it from here. It resembles a beautiful but provincial town. There is not even public transport, but many locals move on mopeds, motorbikes and cars. The population is 2, 234, 566.
Local attractions include the Royal Palace and several museums. Many shops, restaurants, hotels, as well as travel agencies that offer to get acquainted with the sights of Cambodia. It is noteworthy that plane tickets to Phnom Penh are among the most expensive in Asia.
The second largest city in Cambodia is Battambang. Despite the abundance of tourists, it has a calm provincial atmosphere. Here you can see the real life of the Cambodians, not embellished with a tourist splendor. Most often on the streets you can meet children and adolescents. This is because due to poor health care, many residents of the city die, even before they reach the age of 40. There are very few people aged here. Some areas of the city look abandoned, which is an echo of the troubled past. The population is 250, 000.
Siem Reap today is the third largest city in Cambodia. The population is 171, 800. It is especially popular with tourists due to access to the temples of the Angkor Archaeological Park. It was founded in 802, but until the French opened Angkor, it was a simple village. However, due to the interest in these ancient buildings, Siem Reap began to actively develop.
Standard of living
The standard of living in Cambodia is not high enough. 80% of the country's inhabitants are engaged in agricultural activities. About 70% of the population of Cambodia have an education. However, the standard of living is still quite low. Let's look at the reviews of people who live in Cambodia.
First you need to stop at supermarkets, as food is always of interest to a person in the first place. Many complain that the assortment in the shops is small, although the prices do not bite. Therefore, most acquire the necessary products in markets that do not differ in beauty: flies, crush, guts and stale meat on the shelves can make you a vegetarian.
In large cities, many local Cambodians speak English. In fact, only those who speak it well work in the tourism sector and have a stable financial income, since it is difficult to work in the country, and salaries are very low. The average salary is $ 200. By the way, the money of Cambodia is called riel. The dollar to riel rate for today is 1: 4000. However, tourists argue that the local currency is in equal terms with the treatment of dollars.
The level of healthcare is very low. So, those who visited Cambodia complain about the lack of qualifications of doctors. Hospitals are poorly equipped, especially compared to Thai, in which the Americans have invested a lot. You can’t count on serious medical care. Wealthy Cambodians, if necessary, turn to private clinics, but people with lower income can not afford such a luxury. In some villages, the care of people's health lies with the healers and paramedics.
Communication problems are also present. A few years ago, about 10, 000 people in the country used the Internet. However, tourists complain about the poor quality of the connection, which is constantly interrupted.
Education here is inexpensive by our standards, but not everyone can afford it. The state allocates to the needs of educational institutions only 1% of the total budget of the country. As a result, teachers receive a very modest salary, and the conditions in schools are not the best. In universities, the situation is just as sad. Due to their low pay, teachers do not seek to improve their knowledge. In universities, only 10% of teachers have a doctorate. Students, receiving budget places, do not even think about any cash payments - the state does not have money.
As a result, the following situation is observed: there is a high risk of unemployment and at least a high level of insufficiently qualified specialists.
Land of smiles
The people of Cambodia are incredibly kind and smiling people, many tourists say. And this is taking into account the fact that Cambodia is one of the poorest in Asia. But this does not affect its inhabitants. They are always in a good mood, never refuse to help. True, they are not very clean and can live peacefully near garbage dumps. However, this does not affect their good nature. Many tourists call Cambodia one of the best countries for life precisely thanks to its inhabitants.
The main thing is to get used to the local cuisine, which seems quite exotic to tourists. On sale you can find fried locusts, spiders and other insects. However, local restaurants (in particular in Sihanoukville) prepare tasty and inexpensive dishes that are familiar to many - rice, spaghetti, pizza, chicken. Moreover, local waiters are often so welcoming that they treat visitors while they wait for their order.
Timezone
There is no daylight saving time. Time in Cambodia is 4 hours ahead of Moscow. It is noteworthy that at this time the inhabitants of Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, the western region of Indonesia, the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Kemerovo Region, and the western part of Mongolia live.
