Cambodia — map and facts

About Cambodia

Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy in Southeast Asia with a population of approximately 17 million people. Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city. The country is ruled by King Norodom Sihamoni, who serves a largely ceremonial role, while political power has been concentrated in the hands of the Cambodian People's Party, led for decades by Hun Sen before his son Hun Manet assumed the prime ministership in 2023. Cambodia is a predominantly Buddhist country, with Theravada Buddhism practiced by over 95 percent of the population. The economy relies on garment manufacturing, tourism centred on the Angkor temple complex, agriculture, and construction. Despite significant economic growth over recent decades, Cambodia remains one of the lower-income countries in Southeast Asia. The Khmer language is the official language. Cambodia maintains close economic and political ties with China, which has become the dominant foreign investor in the country. The country is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Geography and Landscape

Cambodia occupies approximately 181,035 square kilometres in the heart of mainland Southeast Asia. The landscape is dominated by a large central alluvial plain surrounding the Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, which expands dramatically during the monsoon season from roughly 2,500 square kilometres to over 16,000 square kilometres as the Mekong River floods in reverse. The Mekong River flows through the eastern part of the country from north to south before entering the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. The Cardamom Mountains in the southwest reach elevations of approximately 1,813 metres at Phnom Aural, the country's highest point. The Dangrek Mountains form a natural escarpment along the northern border with Thailand. The southern and southwestern coastline along the Gulf of Thailand includes beaches, islands, and the deepwater port of Sihanoukville. The climate is tropical, with a pronounced wet season from May to October and a dry season the rest of the year. Dense rainforest still covers significant portions of the highlands.

History

The Khmer people have inhabited the Cambodian lowlands since prehistoric times. The Funan kingdom, one of Southeast Asia's earliest states, flourished from the 1st to 6th centuries CE. The Khmer Empire, centred at Angkor, became one of the most powerful states in Southeast Asia from the 9th to 15th centuries, constructing the vast Angkor Wat temple complex under King Suryavarman II in the 12th century and the Bayon temple under Jayavarman VII around 1200. The empire declined from the 15th century, and the capital was moved to Phnom Penh. Cambodia became a French protectorate in 1863. Independence was achieved in 1953 under King Norodom Sihanouk. The Vietnam War spilled into Cambodia, leading to a US bombing campaign and a 1970 coup. The Khmer Rouge regime under Pol Pot, in power from 1975 to 1979, caused the deaths of an estimated 1.5 to 2 million people in the Cambodian genocide. Vietnamese forces ousted the Khmer Rouge in 1979. UN-supervised elections in 1993 restored constitutional monarchy, though political freedoms have subsequently narrowed.