Cambodia

Cambodia, located in Mainland Southeast Asia, has a population of around 17 million individuals distributed over an area of 181,035 square kilometers. Officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, this country enjoys a southwestern coastline along the Gulf of Thailand and holds a strategic position in the area with borders to Vietnam to the east, Laos to the north, and Thailand to the northwest. The capital and most populous city of this varied nation is Phnom Penh, a vibrant city acting as Cambodia’s political, business, and cultural hub.

Rising from the ancient Khmer Empire, the rich tapestry of Cambodian history spans a millennium. Beginning in 802 AD, Jayavarman II declared himself king, so uniting the warring Khmer princes under the banner of “Kambuja.” This crucial period in Southeast Asian history started This historic occasion signaled the beginning of a strong empire destined to permanently change the religious and cultural scene of the area. With its seat of power in the fabled city of Angkor, the Khmer Empire became a vehicle for Hinduism and subsequently Buddhism to proliferate over Southeast Asia. Angkor Wat is the crown gem of the magnificent architectural wonders that dot the Cambodian countryside, so reflecting the legacy of the empire.

Known as the Post-Angkor Period, the once-powerful Khmer Empire began a downturn as the fifteenth century dawned. Centuries of political unrest and foreign influence followed from this slow decline in power, leading to the founding of the French Protectorate of Cambodia in 1863. Though it presented certain difficulties, the colonial era brought fresh ideas to Cambodian government and culture that would still be influencing the country long after the French left.

Like much of Southeast Asia, Cambodia underwent dramatic transformation in the middle of the 20th century. After Japanese occupation during World War II, Cambodia gained its freedom in 1953 and started a fresh chapter as a sovereign country. But this period of increased autonomy was fleeting since the nation soon became enmeshed in the more general Vietnam War conflict. With the Ho Chi Minh and Sihanouk trails providing vital supply routes for North Vietnamese forces, the war spilled into Cambodian territory in 1965.

Cambodia sank into a sequence of political upheavals and strife that would leave severe psychological scars over the country in the next years. Only five years later, the Khmer Rouge toppled the US-aligned Khmer Republic that had been established during 1970. With the terrible Cambodian genocide claimed to have claimed millions of lives, the rule of the Khmer Rouge from 1975 to 1979 remains among the darkest events in Cambodian memory. The Cambodian-Vietnamese War saw the installation of the Vietnamese-backed People’s Republic of Kampuchea as the de facto government, so ending the terrible rule of the regime.

For Cambodia, the road toward healing and peace has been long and difficult. Offically ending the war with Vietnam, the 1991 Paris Peace Accords opened the path for a United Nations-supervised transition period between 1992 and 1993. This resulted in the remarkable turnout of almost 90% of registered voters in the 1993 Cambodian general election, so attesting to the great demand for peace and stability among the Cambodian people.

Though not without difficulties, Cambodia has made progress towards reconstruction of its institutions and economy in the years since. Since a coup d’état in 1997, Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) have dominated the political terrain. Although Cambodia is constitutionally a multi-party state, the CPP’s breakup of the main opposition party in 2017 has essentially turned the nation into a de facto one-party state, so compromising the integrity of its democracy.

In spite of these political obstacles, Cambodia has shown extraordinary economic development resilience. Employing a sizable fraction of the population, agriculture continues to be the pillar of Cambodia’s economy. But in recent years, expansion in industries including textiles, construction, apparel, and tourism has attracted more foreign capital and global trade, so diversifying the national economic base.

Particularly tourism has become a pillar of Cambodia’s economy, second only to the textile sector in terms of hard cash generating. Since the turn of the twenty-first century, the industry has seen explosive expansion; international visitor arrivals in 2018 exceeded six million, a ten-fold rise in less than two decades. With the sector now accounting for almost 26% of the nation’s workforce, this explosion in tourism has had a significant impact on employment; for Cambodians, this means almost 2.5 million jobs.

Cambodia appeals to tourists in many different ways; it provides a mix of modern events, immaculate beaches, and historic beauties. Although Phnom Penh and the famous Angkor Wat complex still attract most visitors, other locations have become rather popular. Sun-seekers have come to love Sihanoukville’s gorgeous beaches; Battambang in the northwest draws backpackers with its colonial architecture and laid-back vibe. Comprising the fascinating Bokor Hill Station among other sites, the Kampot and Kep area provides a window into Cambodia’s colonial past set against a backdrop of natural beauty.

With receipts of US$4.4 billion in 2018, almost ten percent of Cambodia’s gross national income comes from the tourism industry, so contributing significantly to the nation’s economy. An influx of Chinese visitors, who today account for the biggest number of foreign arrivals, has helped to drive this development in part. Attracting tourists, especially from neighboring nations where gambling is prohibited, has also been influenced by Cambodia’s growing casino sector, which saw the number of outlets more than double from 57 in 2014 to 150 in 2018.

Still, Cambodia’s path to top tourism destination has not been without challenges. Concerns about civil instability and isolated cases of major crime directed against visitors have periodically tarnished the nation’s reputation. These difficulties highlight the need of ongoing efforts to raise security standards and enhance the whole visitor experience.

The rise in tourism has also spurred a boom in the souvenir business, which gives many Cambodians work possibilities near important sites. The industry struggles to satisfy the needs of the growing number of visitors, though, since a good amount of souvenirs sold in markets are imported from nearby nations including China, Thailand, and Vietnam. For local artists and legislators, this offers a chance as well as a challenge to create and market real Cambodian goods and crafts.

Cambodia’s appeal stems mostly from its rich and varied culture, molded by Theravada Buddhism, Hinduism, French colonialism, Angkorian legacy, and modern globalization among many other influences. Preserving and enhancing this cultural riches depends much on the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, which guarantees that it will flourish in face of fast modernization.

Though it is not monolithic, Cambodian culture includes the customs and beliefs of many ethnic groups. Although the lowland ethnic majority defines most of what is thought to be Cambodian culture, the nation also boasts roughly 20 distinct hill tribes, together referred to as the Khmer Loeu. Originally proposed by the late King Norodom Sihanouk, this term was meant to promote harmony between the highland and lowland populations by appreciating the important contributions made by every ethnic group to the national cultural mosaic.