Cambodia

Location & geographical features: Cambodia borders with Thailand and Laos in the North and Vietnam in the South-East. It has a short coastline by the Gulf of Thailand. Most of the region consists of a large plain with Tonle Sap lake in the middle of it in the Western part and river Mekong basin in the Eastern part. The river flows down the country into Vietnam where it reaches its end in South China Sea. A huge part of the area is covered by tropical forests which is why the amount of cultivated land is rather modest. The whole region is divided into 22 small districts.
Climate: There are two main seasons in Cambodia. The dry season lasting from November to April and the wet season (monsoon season) lasting from May to October. The country

It was a huge empire which was said to have ruled since 9th to somewhere around 15th century and Cambodia was its heart. The famous Angkor complex was built just then and it is believed that it was the biggest pre-industrial area of those times. Although the fall of the empire was accompanied by the fall of Angkor this ancient site is very popular today and still it is the biggest religious complex on Earth. Buddhism was introduced to the people in 12th century. Later on the country became a kingdom known locally as Kambuja. The kingdom was constantly invaded by both Thai and Vietnamese but it were the French who conquered the region in 1863 which was when they made Cambodia a part of the French Indochina colony (it consisted of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam). The territory found itself under Japanese occupation during WW2 but finally Cambodia gained its independence from France in 1949. Later on in 1960 Norodom Sihanouk, a former king, claimed the country’s neutrality during the Vietnam war. However in the period between 1975 and 1979 the country was terrorized by the Khmer Rouge regime, a native communist movement. Under their rule about one and a half million Cambodians were killed, thousands were tortured and a great number escaped the country. After the end of the communist rule a civil war broke out which did not end until mid 1990s. Norodom Sihamoni is the current king of Cambodia.
Culture: The original Cambodian culture and traditions are a mixture of Buddhist and Hindu ones. The Khmers are well-known for their friendliness and openness. Although rapid development and globalization makes some typical customs less popular tourists can still admire some traditional dances and performances and explore the wonderful cities, villages and archaeological