General Information
Cambodia
- Population: 17,304,000
- Religion: 97.9% Buddhist
- Language: Khmer
- Area: 181,040 sq km (slightly smaller than Oklahoma)
- Climate: Tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation
- Form of Government: Parliamentary monarchy
- King: Norodom Shihamoni
- Prime Minister: Hun Sen
- Capital: Phnom Penh
Current Statistics
Population Information
- The average annual income is about $306
- Cambodia has the highest rate of amputation due to landmine injury in the world. Currently, there are about 40,000 people with amputations in the population.
- More than 47% of the total population is under 24
- More than 75% of Cambodians continue to live in rural areas
Education
27% of adults are illiterate The average Cambodian adult has had only three and one-half years of schooling. Of every 1000 children;
- 290 will never go to school
- 390 will repeat the first grade
- 500 will not even complete the primary education they begin
- only 27 of every 1000 who enter primary school will graduate from high school
Of the 47,000 primary school teachers, half had been recruited without having completed their own primary education of five or six years, and less than 1% had finished the eleventh grade
Recent History
- 1953 – Cambodia is granted independence from France.
- 1958 – Communist party of Cambodia (Khmer Rouge) is formed, civil war begins.
- March 18, 1970 – Prince Sihanouk is ousted in a coupe, Cambodia is declared a republic, and Lon Nol becomes prime minister.
- April 17, 1975 – The capitol city of Phnom Penh falls to the communist, and the Khmer Rouge complete their conquest of Cambodia. During the next three years more than 2 million Cambodians (1/4 of the population) are killed.
- January 7, 1979 – Vietnam invades Cambodia and installs a new communist government in Phnom Penh made up of Khmer Rouge defectors. The Khmer Rouge and 2 other resistance groups continue to fight a renewed civil war.
- October 23, 1991 – The Cambodian government and the 3 resistance groups sign the Paris Peace Accords, however, the Khmer Rouge pull out of the agreement within a few months, and the civil war continues.
- May 1993 – Elections are held and bring King Sihanouk back to the throne. A power sharing agreement leads to the formation of a tenuous coalition government.
- July 5, 1997 – Factional fighting breaks out in Phnom Penh, and ends the coalition government..
- 1999 – The last remaining Khmer Rouge units surrender to government forces and end the civil war.
- 2004 – King Norodom Sihanouk abdicates the throne and his son, Norodom Shihamoni becomes king
- July, 2008 – Landside victories in national elections give the Cambodia Peoples Party a clear parliamentary majority and solidify their control of the government.
Recipes from Cambodia
Cambodian food is different and delicious – we’ve put together a few of our favourite recipes for you to try if you want a flavour of our home!