James Baquet

The Kingdom of Cambodia is a Southeast Asian country located south and east of Thailand, south of Laos, and west of Vietnam. The Gulf of Thailand lies to the southwest.

With over 15 million people, it is a mid-sized nation, ranking 65th in population of some 195. In area, though, it’s somewhat smaller, placing at 88th of 196. The majority population is the Khmer (their word for “Cambodian”) and speaks the Khmer language. The other 20 percent or so is made up of Vietnamese, Chinese, Chams (an Austronesian group also found in Vietnam and Thailand), and others. Khmer is the dominant language, with French and Cham also spoken.

Interestingly, there are 30 groups of people referred to as “hill tribes.” They live in the upland area of the country, mainly in the northeast, and most are Mon-Khmer, distantly related to the majority people. Two of them are more closely related to the Chams, with a distinct language and culture. The Chams had migrated west when their Champa kingdoms, located on the east coast of Vietnam, dissolved in the early 19th century.

Cambodia’s official religion, practiced by around 95 percent of the people, is Theravada Buddhism, the form typically found in South Asia.

Cambodia has an elective constitutional monarchy, meaning the king is elected by a Royal Throne Council. He is the head of state, but a prime minister is the head of government.

The Khmer Empire ruled from 802 for about 600 years, and among other accomplishments built the famed temple complex at Angkor Wat. Called “the largest religious monument in the world,” this World Heritage Site is the country’s main tourist attraction. Tourism is Cambodia’s second-greatest source of hard currency, after its textile industry. The Khmer Empire brought Hinduism and, later, Buddhism to the area.

The Ayutthaya Kingdom conquered the Khmer in the 15th century, and the country became a vassal state of its neighbors. In 1863 it became a protectorate of France, and gained independence in 1953. Today, though the per capita income is relatively low, Cambodia’s economy is one of the fastest-growing in Asia.

Vocabulary:

Which word above means:

1. not in a close way, remote

2. as one would expect

3. money easily traded with other countries

4. country subject to another

5. for each person

6. the dominant religion of India

7. group of buildings

8. something built as a memorial

9. country being protected by another

10. chief representative of a country