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Cambodia is located in Southeast Asia, in the
tropical zone, just 10-13 degrees north of the equator. Like most of Southeast
Asia, Cambodia is warm to hot year round and the climate is dominated by the
annual monsoon cycle with its alternating wet and dry seasons.
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With
a total land area of 181,035 square kilometres, the Kingdom of Cambodia
is the smallest of the former Indochinese countries.
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Archaeological
evidence indicates that the Mekong delta and its immediate environs
have been inhabited since at least 4000 BCE. Whilst the exact origins of
the ethnic Khmers is still a subject for debate, they are believed to
have migrated to the area along with their Mon cousins from either south
west China or north east India in around 2000 BCE. Certainly their
presence in what is now Indochina substantially predates the arrival of
the ancestors of today's Thai, Lao and Vi?t peoples.
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Executive
power in Cambodia is invested in the National Assembly and a Council of
Ministers; under the current power-sharing arrangement CCP currently
controls 12 ministries and Funcinpec 11, with the Ministries of Defence
and Interior shared between the two. |
At
the time of the Paris Peace Accord Cambodia?s economy was in ruins.
Decades of turmoil had devastated the country?s primary industries of
agriculture, forestry and fishing and inflation was running rampant. |
This presentation is mainly based on an article in Flag Bulletin [tfb]
(No. 133, p. 3-15; title: "New flags - State of Cambodia"; author:
presumably Whitney Smith [smi90]). Further sources: Flaggenbuch
[neu39], Die Zeichen der Menschen und V?lker: Unsere Welt in Fahnen und
Flaggen and Lexikon Flaggen und Wappen [smi75d]. Especially difficult
are, of course, the political circumstances leading to the fact, that at
certain times (at least) three flags of different governments and
counter-governments had been used to represent Cambodia. |
According
to the General Population Census of 1998 the total population of
Cambodia is 11.4 million, with an annual growth rate of some 2.8 per
cent. The population density is approximately 45 people per square
kilometre. |
The
official Cambodian language, known in English as Khmer, belongs to the
Eastern Mon-Khmer group of the Mon-Khmer language family. |
Approximately
90 per cent of the Cambodian population follows Therevada or Hinayana
Buddhism, though this is strongly overlaid with ancestor-worship and
animist practices. |
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Education in Cambodia was traditionally offered by the wats (Buddhist temples), thus providing education exclusively for the male population.
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Cambodia has a wealth of traditional and international festivals. Most of
these are a time of great rejoicing for the predominantly rural populace, many
of whom flock to the capital to join in the celebrations and witness the
organized fireworks displays which accompany the festivals. It is at these times
the nation unites with a shared common understanding of values and traditions
and they are looked forward to with great expectation.
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Cambodian Art music is highly influenced by ancient forms as well as Hindu
forms. Religious dancing, many of which depict stories and ancient myths, are
common. Some dances are accompanied by a pinpeat orchestra, which includes a ching
(cymbal), roneat (bamboo xylophone), pia au (flute), sralai (oboe), chapey
(bass banjo), gong (bronze gong), tro (fiddle), and various kinds of drums.
Each movement the dancer makes refers to a specific idea, including abstract
concepts like today (pointing a finger upwards). The 1950s saw a revival
in classical dance, led by queen sisowath Kosmak Monyrat
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Most Cambodians dress up casually except when they are attending formal events.
It is common to see men and women using Krama, a Long, Narrow checked cotton
cloth round their neck. The krama is just like a piece of clothe. Lightweight,
loose-fitting, cotton clothing is recommended and long-sleeved items should be
included for protection from mosquitoes and the sun. During the rainy season an
umbrella is more convenient than a rain coast. A jacket may be needed in hotels
and restaurants using excessive air-conditioning.
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The house of the local people in ancient Khmer
was more or less similar to those found today in villages of modern Cambodia. It
was elevated about two and a half meters above the ground with the wooden ladder and was built by wooden piles which supported
the floor, the walls and the roof. The wall
was made up of either the straws or the bamboo with the roof covered with the
thatched leaves of dry coconut palms.
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