Kingdom of Cambodia
The Kindom of Cambodia has existed in history since the 12th century, when it was successful during the Khmer Empire. Since then, it has seen invasion from Kingdoms of Thailand and Vietnam, and was part of French Indochina until 1953.
Cambodia is positioned with Thailand to the east, Laos to the north, Vietnam to the west, and the Gulf of Thailand to the south. The main sources of water include the Mekong River and Tonle Sap lake.
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About Cambodia
"Cambodia" is the English form of the French "Cambodge" which, in turn, is a transliteration of the Khmer name "Kâmpuchea."
The local long form for Cambodia is Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea.
The main industries of Cambodia include rice, rubber, wood, corn, garments, and rubies
Like Thailand and Laos, the primary religion of choice is Theraveda Buddhism. Here, 95% of the population are Buddhist.
Like Laos, Cambodia spent a period of their history as part of French Indochina. This was from 1863 to 1953.
The country of Cambodia has an area of about 70,000 square miles. That is about the same size as the state of Oklahoma
Cambodia is a tropical climate, much the same as Thailand and Laos. Their rainy season is from May to November, and dry season is December to April. Their highest peak is Phnum Aoral at 6,000 ft.
There are 212 mammal species, 536 bird species, 240 reptile species, 850 freshwater fish species, and 435 marine fish species. A lot of these animals are found around the large Tonle Sap lake.
Cambodian's love to play soccer, and also spend a lot of time practicing Bokator and Pradal Serey, which are types of martial arts. Bokator uses weapons, while Pradal Serey is like kick boxing.
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Cambodian Money
Currency: Cambodian Riel
*Most of Cambodia actually uses US Dollars for currency!
*$1 US will get you 4,060 Riel
Learn Khmer Phrases!
Hello Chum riep sueh
Thank You Aw khun
You're Welcome Unjuhn
How are you? Daa neh sok sabbai te?
Goodbye chum riep leah
Excuse me soum doh
Khmer Numbers!
one muŏy
two pi
three bei
four buŏn
five prăm
six prăm muŏy
seven prăm pi
eight prăm bei
nine prăm buŏn
ten dăp
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Animals
Siamese Crocodile: A critically endangered species of crocodile. They were believed to be extinct in 1992, but small populations have been found throughout Southeast Asia since then. Cambodia has been doing a lot of work to reintroduce more of these crocs back into the wild
Dhole: More related to the jackal than to a wolf. They are a pack animal, and have been known to exist in groups of up to 40, but in Southeast Asia, the pack usually has three members.
Mekong Giant Catfish: Weighing in at 660 lbs, measuring 10.5 ft long, this fish is currently the Guinness World Record holder for largest freshwater fish! They are critically endangered, but are found in the Mekong River, as well as Tonle Sap lake.
Asian Giant Softshell Turtle: Casey and I saw softshell turtles in the Australia Zoo while we were in Queensland! These turtles spend 95% of their life buried and motionless, waiting for dinner to swim by!
Giant Freshwater Stingray: These stingray are known to inhabit the Mekong River, and weigh from 1,000 to 1,300 lbs each!
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Fun Facts
Angkor Wat, the country's most prized temple, was built between 1131 and 1150. After being rediscovered in the Cambodian jungle in the 19th century, it was added as one of the eight wonders of the world
It is considered rude to point feet, particularly the soles, towards a person or things, so tuck them away when sitting on the floor or on a chair.
For the longest time, Cambodia was separated by the Mekong River, which flows down the middle of the country. The first bridge built over the river was finished in 2001!
Casey and I will be visiting a school in the town of Sihanoukville. Since it is a school for under-privileged children, we are bringing art supplies to help their creativity!
