| The Kingdom of Cambodia is a constitutional | | | | exuberant vegetation which threatened to |
| monarchy situated in Southeast Asia and counting | | | | completely destroy the monuments, and |
| a population of more than 13 million people. Most | | | | restoration of the temples still undergoes. |
| Cambodians are Theravada Buddhists of Khmer | | | | The Angkor Wat complex is the most exquisite |
| extraction, but the country is home also to a | | | | example of Khmer architecture. Built in the early |
| substantial number of Cham and small hill tribes. | | | | 12th century for king Suryavarman II as his state |
| The country borders Thailand to its west, Laos to | | | | temple, it remained an important spiritual centre |
| its north, Vietnam to its east, and the Gulf of | | | | for centuries- first Hindu, and afterwards Buddhist. |
| Thailand to its south.From the 9th century to the | | | | Out of the reach of tourists during the civil war, it |
| 15th century, Cambodia represented the center | | | | has regained worldwide attention after being |
| of the Khmer Empire, with Angkor as a capital. | | | | displayed in the 2001 movie Lara Croft: Tomb |
| The Angkor Wat, the empire's main spiritual site, | | | | Raider. |
| is a symbolic reminder of the time when | | | | The Bayon is the other highlight of Angkor. Built in |
| Cambodia was a major powerrulung most of the | | | | the 13th century as the state temple of the king |
| Indochinese peninsule, and remains the country's | | | | Jayavarman VII, it was the centre of the then |
| top tourist attraction.From 1863 the country was | | | | capital and bears 54 towers, each decorated with |
| a protectorate of France, which lasted until 1953, | | | | four smiling faces. |
| when the country received independence. | | | | The largest and most populous city of Cambodia |
| Cambodia covers an area of about 181,040 | | | | (about 1 million citizens), Phnom Penh was known |
| square kilometers. It has 443 kilometers of | | | | in the 1920s as the Pearl of Asia. Renowned for |
| coastline along the Gulf of Thailand. | | | | its traditional Khmer and French influenced |
| The most distinctive geographical feature are the | | | | architecture, it is a major tourist destination in |
| lacustrine plains formed by the inundations of the | | | | Cambodia, as well as in Indochina as a whole. |
| Great Lake. It measures about 2 500 square | | | | The main tourist attractions in Phnom Penh are |
| kilometers during the dry season and expands to | | | | the Silver Pagoda and the Royal Palace. They sit |
| about 24 000 during the rainy season. This | | | | side by side on the Sothearos Blvd and, being two |
| densely populated plain, devoted to wet rice | | | | separate complexes, are though visited as one. |
| cultivation, is the heart of Cambodia. | | | | Built in 1866 by the French, the Royal Palace |
| Most of the country's territory lies at elevations | | | | comprises numerous buildings, the Throne hall |
| of less than 100 meters above the sea level, the | | | | ranking as the most important. Adjacent to the |
| exceptions being the Cardamom Mountains (1,813 | | | | Throne Hall is a 59 metre high tower. South of it |
| meters of elevation) and the steep escarpment | | | | is the Royal Treasury and the Vlla of Napoleon III, |
| of the Dângrêk Mountains situated along | | | | built in 1866 and given afterwards as a present to |
| the border with Thailand's Isan region. | | | | Cambodia. |
| The tourism industry is the country's | | | | At the northern part of the palace grounds is |
| second-greatest source of hard currency in | | | | situated the Silver Pagoda. The original pagoda, |
| Cambodia after the textile industry. More than | | | | constructed in 1866 by King Norodom, was |
| 60% of visitors go to Angkor, and most of the | | | | mostly made of wood and, in 1962 was |
| remainder to Phnom Penh. Other tourist highlights | | | | expanded by Sihanouk. It owes its name to the |
| include Sihanoukville (Cambodia's only port), whits | | | | fact that its floor is made of more than 5 000 |
| its popular beach, and the region around Kampot, | | | | silver blocks with a total weight of more than 6 |
| including the Bokor Hill Station. | | | | tons. The most important Buddha statue of the |
| The celebrated temples of Angkor constitute the | | | | temple is, similarly to Bangkok's royal temple, an |
| Cambodia's greatest tourist attraction. The nearly | | | | Emerald Buddha, which is in this case not made of |
| 100 temples represent now the sacred remains | | | | emerald, but of Baccarat crystal and dates back |
| of what was once a much larger administrative | | | | to the 17th century. |
| and religious centre, and were constructed | | | | On the Museum scene, well worth visiting are the |
| between the 9th and 13th centuries to glorify a | | | | Choeung Ek Genocidal Center- one of the main |
| number of Khmer kings. The three most splendid | | | | killing fields of Pol Pot and the Toul Sleng Museum |
| temples are Bayon, Ta Prohm and the enormous | | | | of Genocidal Crime (the infamous prison of the |
| Angkor Wat. Most of Angkor was abandoned in | | | | Khmer Rouge), both displaying horrific artifacts |
| the 15th century and it was gradually cloaked by | | | | from the dark era of Pol Pot, as well as the |
| jungle. Efforts were undertaken to clear away the | | | | National Historic Museum. |