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Ancient
temples, empty beaches, mighty rivers, remote forests ...
and (outside Angkor) only a handful of tourists. But the word
is out - Cambodia has emerged from the decades of war and
isolation that made it a byword for atrocities, refugees,
poverty and political instability. Those magical Angkor temples
are drawing gaping travellers by the busload once more, and
Cambodia is well and truly back on the South-East Asian travel
map.
The
successor-state of the mighty Khmer Empire - which ruled much
of what is now Vietnam, Laos and Thailand - Cambodia boasts
a rich culture, French-era (albeit a little weathered) capital
and impressive natural scenery. The peace is young but relatively
stable, and the country is slowly attracting the tourism currently
sweeping neighbouring Vietnam. However, the proliferation
of land mines and banditry in remote areas means the picture
isn't all rosy, and for now the beaten path remains by far
the one best travelled.
Full
country name: Kingdom of Cambodia
Area: 181,035 sq km (11,224 sq mi)
Population: 12 million (growth rate 2.2%)
Capital city: Phnom Penh (pop one million)
People: 94% ethnic Khmers, 4% Chinese, 1% Vietnamese
Language: Khmer, English and French
Religion: 95% Buddhist, Cham Muslim and Roman Catholic
Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Head of state: King Norodom Sihanouk
Prime Minister: Hun Sen
GDP:
US$3 billion
GDP per head: US$300
Annual growth: 4%
Inflation: 4%
Major products/industries: Timber, rubber, shipping, rice
milling, textiles and fishing
Major trading partners: Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, USA,
Hong Kong, Taiwan
Cambodia
Flight from UK
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