Full name of country: Kingdom of Cambodia
Size of Cambodia: 11,224 square miles
Population: 10.5 million
Capital city: Phnom Penh (1 million people)
Language: Traditionally Khmer -- also French and English
Religion: 95% Buddhist, also Muslim and animist. Christianity (now that it is no long outlawed) is gaining a following as well
Government: Transitional democracy
Head of State: King Norodom Sihanouk
Prime Minister: Hun Sen
Major products / industries: Rice milling, fishing, wood, textiles and rubber
Cambodia's history stretches back for thousands of years. Over the course of their history they have been ruled by the Thai, the Spanish and Portuguese, and the French, and have been independent since 1953. Archaeological evidence shows that prior to 1,000 BC Cambodians were living on a diet of rice and fish, and were living in houses on stilts -- just as they do today.
Siem Reap: This is the capital of the province of the same name. The town is nestled between rice paddies and stretches along the Siem Reap River. It is a developing tourist destination due to its proximity to the Angkor temples, which have been compared in architectural significance to the Great Pyramids, the Taj Mahal, and Machu Pichu. However, there is so much more to Siem Reap and Cambodian culture than can be explored in a brief summary.
