Cambodia is located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. In 802 AD, Jayavarman II declared himself king and united the warring Khmer princes. This marked the beginning of the Khmer Empire which flourished for over 600 years, allowing successive kings to control and exert influence over much of Southeast Asia. The kingdom built monumental temples including Angkor Wat and facilitated the spread of first Hinduism, then Buddhism to much of Southeast Asia.
After the fall of Angkor in the 15th century, a weakened Cambodia was later ruled as a vassal state by its neighbours. In 1863 Cambodia became a protectorate of France, which doubled the size of the country by reclaiming the north and west from Thailand. Cambodia gained independence in 1953. With a long complex history and unique culture, Cambodia has many museums and historic sites of interest.
- Country: Kingdom of Cambodia
- Khmer: ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា
- Capital: Phnom Penh
- Population: 16 million
“If you are patient in a moment of anger, you will spare yourself one hundred days of tears.” Cambodian Proverb
Photo Credits: 1) By Jwslubbock (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons