Introduction to Cambodia

and the
Khmer Language

Flag of Cambodia

Map of Cambodia
Cambodia is a land known for its abundance of strength, spirit and stoicism. It is located
in Southeast Asia, and occupies a total of 181,040 square kilometers (69,900 square miles
or about the size of Missouri). Approximately 176,520 square kilometers of this is land
and 4,520 square kilometers is water. It is commonly bordered to the north by Thailand
and Laos, to the east by Vietnam, to the south by Vietnam and the Gulf of Thailand and
to the west by the Gulf of Thailand and Thailand. Phnom Penh is the capital of
Cambodia. It has an area of 290 square kilometers and is the major center of
administration, commerce, communication, culture, economy and education of
Cambodia. Over two million Cambodians reside in Phnom Penh, and thus make the city
a lifeline of the Cambodian economy. Other major cities within Cambodia are
Batdambang, Siem Reab, Kampong Cham, Kampot and Kampong Saom.

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 A rainy day in Cambodia A small swamp after the rain

Climate
The climate of Cambodia is comprised of two main seasons, the rainy season and the dry
season. This climate is affected by the tropical monsoon – the rainy season from June to
October and the dry season from November to May. The monsoon season may carry
some heavy rains but these quite often occur during the late evening and overnight. In
other words, it rarely rains in the morning, even during the wet monsoon season.

The average temperature is 27 degree Celsius in Cambodia with a high of 40 degrees

during April and a low of 14 degree at night during late December or early January.
Normally, the cooler period lasts from December to January and hotter period lasts from
early April to early May. However, there is little seasonal temperature variation through
out the year.

A central Cambodian swamp A small western Cambodian village

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Terrain
The terrain of Cambodia can be divided into six major regions: the western and
northwestern mountains, the northwestern plateau, the central plain, the western and
southwestern coastal plain, the eastern and northeastern valleys and the peninsula. The
western and northwestern mountains of Cambodia are rich in tropical forest, wildlife and
fruit trees. The northeastern plateau is filled with tropical forest, wildlife, waterfalls and
diamonds. The central plain is a large area of flat land, best known for cultivating rice,
corns and beans as well as for favoring fish and mangrove. The western and
southwestern coastal plain is popular with tourists looking to sunbathe on the sandy
beaches and to consume abundant seafood. The western and northeastern valleys contain
excellent sources for the development of hydro-electric power. Finally, the peninsula has
many natural resources which include tin mining, rubber cultivation and fishing. A vast
majority of Cambodians live in the fertile central plain. The central plain is also home to
two dominant topological features: the Mekong River and the Tonle Sap Lake. During
the wet season, rich sediment from the Mekong’s flooding is deposited along this plain,
making the plain a very fertile land.

Population

Elder Cambodians Young Cambodians

In 2005, it was estimated that there were 14,071,000 people living in Cambodia with an
average annual growth rate of 1.96%. It is predicted that the Cambodian population will
reach 20 million by 2010. Presently, the infant mortality rate is around 69 per 1,000 with
maternal mortality rate around 6.5 per 1,000. Life expectancy is 57 years for Cambodian
male and 61 years for female.

The majority of Cambodians are very poor. Although there isn’t a reliable statistic, most
reports show that between 65% and 80% of Cambodian are poor.

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The statistics for Cambodian education are as follows:

• primary school enrollment: 91.9% with completion rate of 46.8%

• grades 7 to 9 enrollment: 26.1% with completion rate of 20.57%
• grades 10 to 12 enrollment is 9.3% with completion rate of 8.92%
• post-secondary enrollment is 1.4% with completion rate of 8.92%

The literacy rate for Cambodia for 15 years old and older is 73.6% (male 84.7% and
female 64.1%).

Government

Cambodia is a multi-party democracy under a constitutional monarchy. The Royal

Government of Cambodia, formed on the basis of elections internationally recognized as
free and fair, was established on September 24, 1993 with its constitution being amended
on March 6, 1999. Cambodian citizens can vote for their leaders as long as they are 18
years or older.The Cambodian constitution provides for a wide range of internationally
recognized human rights, including freedom of the press. While limitations still exist on
mass media, freedom of the press has improved markedly in Cambodia since the adoption
of the 1993 constitution, which grants a certain degree of freedom to the media. The
written press, while considered largely free, has ties to individual political parties or
factions and does not seek to provide objective reporting or analysis. Cambodia has an
estimated twenty Khmer-language newspapers that are published regularly. Of these,
eight are published daily. There are two major English-language newspapers, one of
which is produced daily. Broadcast media, in contrast to print, is more closely controlled.
It tends to be politically affiliated, and access for opposition parties is extremely limited.

The executive branch of the government is comprised of the king, who is head of state;
an appointed prime minister; seven deputy prime ministers, 15 senior ministers, 28
ministers, 135 secretaries of state, and 146 undersecretaries of state. The bicameral
legislature consists of a 123-member elected National Assembly and a 61-member
Senate. The judiciary includes a Supreme Court and lower courts. Administrative
subdivisions are 20 provinces and 4 municipalities.

As of 2006, the leaders of Cambodia are:

• King Norodom Sihamoni (head of state since October 29, 2004)

• Hun Sen (appointed prime minister since January 14, 1985)
• Chea Sim (president of the Senate)
• Heng Samrin (president of National Assembly)

There are 3 major political parties in Cambodia: the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP),
led by Chea Sim, the National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and
Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC), led by Prince Norodom Ranariddh and the Sam
Rainsy Party (SRP), led by Sam Rainsy.

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History

• Angkor Wat

For more than 300 years, between 900 and 1200 AD, the Khmer Kingdom of Angkor
made some of the world’s most magnificent architectural masterpieces on the northern
shore of the Tonle Sap Lake, by the town of Siem Reap.

The Angkor area stretches 5 miles north to south and 15 miles east to west. Seventy two
main temples and other buildings mark the region. The primary temple, Angkor Wat was
built around 1112 and 1150 by Suryavarman II. While the measure of the walls is nearly
one-half mile on each side, Angkor Wat portrays the Hindu cosmology with the middle
towers representing Mount Meru, residence of the gods; the external walls, the mountains
enclosing the world; and the moat, the oceans beyond. Angkor Thom, the capital city
built after the Cham sack of 1177, is bounded by a 300-foot wide moat. Building of
Angkor Thom coincided with a transformation from Hinduism to Buddhism. Temples
were changed to display images of the Buddha, and Angkor Wat became a very
important Buddhist holy place.

In the 15th century, almost all of Angkor was neglected after Siamese attacks, except
Angkor Wat; it remained a shrine for Buddhist pilgrims. The great city and temples
remained largely covered by the forest until the late 19th century when French
archaeologists started a long renovation process. France established the Angkor
Conservancy in 1908 to direct restoration of the Angkor complex. For the next 64 years,
the conservancy worked to clear away the forest, fix foundations, and put in drains to
protect the buildings from their most insidious enemy: water. After 1953, the
conservancy became a joint project of the French and Cambodian Governments. Some
temples were carefully taken apart stone by stone and reassembled on concrete
foundations.

• MODERN HISTORY

Even though Cambodia had a rich and influential past under the Hindu state of Funan and
the Kingdom of Angkor, by the mid-19th century the country was on the verge of
dissolution. After repeated requests for French assistance, a protectorate was established
in 1863. By 1884, Cambodia was a virtual colony; soon after it was made part of the
Indochina Union with Annam, Tonkin, Cochin-China, and Laos. France continued to run
the country even after the beginning of World War II, through its Vichy government. In
1945, the Japanese dissolved the colonial administration, and King Norodom Sihanouk
stated an independent, anti-colonial government under Prime Minister Son Ngoc Thanh
in March 1945. The Allies overthrew this government in October. In January 1953,
Sihanouk named his father as regent and went into a self-imposed exile, refusing to return
until Cambodia gained genuine independence.

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• Full Independence

Sihanouk’s actions accelerated the French Government’s July 4, 1953 declaration of its
readiness to grant independence, which occurred on November 9, 1953. The situation
remained undecided until a 1954 conference was held in Geneva to settle the French-
Indochina war. All participants, except the United States and the State of Vietnam,
associated themselves (by voice) with the final declaration. The Cambodian delegation
agreed to the neutrality of the three Indochinese states but insisted on a provision in the
cease-fire agreement that left the Cambodian Government free to call for outside military
aid should the Viet Minh or others threaten its territory.

• Neutral Cambodia

During the 1950s and 1960s, being neutral was the central element of the Cambodian
foreign policy. By the mid-1960s, parts of Cambodia’s eastern provinces were serving as
bases for North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong (NVA/VC) forces operating against
South Vietnam, and the port of Sihanoukville was employed to supply them. As
NVA/VC activity grew, it concerned the United States and South Vietnam, and in 1969,
the United States began a series of air raids against NVA/VC base areas inside
Cambodia.

Throughout the 1960s, domestic politics polarized. Opposition grew within the middle
class and among leftists, including Paris-educated leaders such as Son Sen, Ieng Sary,
and Saloth Sar (later known as Pol Pot), who led an insurgency under the clandestine
Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK).

• The War, the power and the Khmer Republic

In March 1970, Gen. Lon Nol toppled Prince Sihanouk and assumed power. On October
9, the Cambodian monarchy was eliminated, and the country was renamed the Khmer
Republic. Hanoi rejected the new republic’s request for the withdrawal of NVA/VC
troops and began to re-infiltrate some of the 2,000-4,000 Cambodians who had gone to
North Vietnam in 1954. They became a cadre in the insurgency. The United States
moved to provide material assistance to the new government’s armed forces, which were
engaged against both the Khmer Rouge insurgents and NVA/VC forces. In April 1970,
U.S. and South Vietnamese forces entered Cambodia in a campaign aimed at destroying
NVA/VC base areas. Although a considerable quantity of equipment was seized or
destroyed, NVA/VC forces proved elusive and moved deeper into Cambodia. NVA/VC
units overran many Cambodian Army positions while the Khmer Rouge expanded their
small scale attacks on lines of communication.

The Khmer Republic’s leadership was plagued by disunity among its members, the
problems of transforming a 30,000-man army into a national combat force of more than
200,000 men, and spreading corruption. The insurgency continued to grow, with supplies
and military support provided by North Vietnam. But inside Cambodia, Pol Pot and Ieng
Sary asserted their dominance over the Vietnamese-trained communists, many of whom

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were purged. At the same time, the Khmer Rouge forces became stronger and more
independent of their Vietnamese patrons. By 1974, Lon Nol’s control was reduced to
small enclaves around the cities and main transportation routes. More than 2 million
refugees from the war lived in Phnom Penh and other cities.

On New Year’s Day 1975, communist troops launched an offensive that, in 117 days of
the hardest fighting of the war, ruined the Khmer Republic. Simultaneous attacks around
the perimeter of Phnom Penh pinned down Republican forces, while other Khmer Rouge
units overran fire bases controlling the vital lower Mekong re-supply route. A U.S.-
funded airlift of ammunition and rice ended when Congress refused additional aid for
Cambodia. Phnom Penh surrendered on April 17, 1975 - 5 days after the U.S. mission
evacuated Cambodia.

• Democratic Kampuchea

A lot of Cambodians hailed the arrival of peace, but the Khmer Rouge soon turned
Cambodia, which it called Democratic Kampuchea (DK), into a land of horror.
Immediately after its victory, the new regime ordered the evacuation of all cities and
towns, sending the entire urban population out into the countryside to till the land.
Thousands starved or died of disease during the evacuation. Many of those forced to
evacuate the cities were resettled in new villages, which lacked food, agricultural
implements, and medical care. Many starved before the first harvest, and hunger and
malnutrition (which bordered on starvation) were constant during those years. Those who
resisted or who questioned orders were immediately executed, as were most military and
civilian leaders of the former regime who failed to disguise their pasts.

Within the CPK, the Paris-educated leadership (Pol Pot, Ieng Sary, Nuon Chea, and Son
Sen) was in control, and Pol Pot was made Prime Minister. Prince Sihanouk was put
under virtual house arrest. The new government sought to restructure Cambodian society
completely. Remnants of the old society were abolished, and Buddhism suppressed.

Agriculture was collectivized, and the surviving part of the industrial base was
abandoned or placed under state control. Cambodia had neither a currency nor a banking
system. The regime controlled every aspect of life and reduced everyone to the level of
abject obedience through terror. Torture centers were established, and detailed records
were kept of the thousands murdered there. Public executions of those considered
unreliable or with links to the previous government were common. Few succeeded in
escaping the military patrols and fleeing the country. Solid estimates of the numbers who
died between 1975 and 1979 are not available, but it is likely that hundreds of thousands
were brutally executed by the regime. Hundreds of thousands more died of starvation and
disease; both under the Khmer Rouge and during the Vietnamese invasion in 1978.
Estimates of the dead range from 1.7 million to 3 million, out of a 1975 population
estimated at 7.3 million.

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Democratic Kampuchea’s relations with Vietnam and Thailand worsened speedily as a
result of border clashes and ideological differences. While communist, the CPK was
fiercely anti-Vietnamese, and most of its members who had lived in Vietnam were
purged. Democratic Kampuchea established close ties with China, and the Cambodian-
Vietnamese conflict became part of the Sino-Soviet rivalry, with Moscow backing
Vietnam. Border clashes worsened when Democratic Kampuchea’s military attacked
villages in Vietnam.

In mid-1978, Vietnamese forces invaded Cambodia, and advanced about 30 miles before
the arrival of the rainy season. In December 1978, Vietnam announced formation of the
Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation (KUFNS) under Heng Samrin, a former
DK division commander. It was composed of Khmer communists who had remained in
Vietnam after 1975 and officials from the eastern sector (like Heng Samrin and Hun Sen)
who had fled to Vietnam from Cambodia in 1978. In late December 1978, Vietnamese
forces launched a full invasion of Cambodia, captured Phnom Penh on January 7, 1979
and drove the remnants of Democratic Kampuchea’s army westward toward Thailand.

• The Rule of Vietnam

On January 10, 1979, the Vietnamese installed Heng Samrin as head of state in the new
People’s Republic of Kampuchea (PRK). The Vietnamese Army continued its pursuit of
Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge forces. At least 600,000 Cambodians displaced during the Pol
Pot era and the Vietnamese invasion began streaming to the Thai border in search of
refuge. The international community responded with a massive relief effort coordinated
by the United States through the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food
Program. More than $400 million was provided between 1979 and 1982, of which the
United States contributed nearly $100 million. At one point, more than 500,000
Cambodians were living along the Thai-Cambodian border and more than 100,000 in
holding centers inside Thailand.

Vietnam’s occupation army, with as many as 200,000 troops, controlled the major
population centers and most of the countryside from 1979 to September 1989. The Heng
Samrin regime’s 30,000 troops were plagued by poor morale and widespread desertion.
Resistance to Vietnam’s occupation continued. A large portion of the Khmer Rouge’s
military forces eluded Vietnamese troops and established themselves in remote regions.
The non-communist resistance, consisting of a number of groups that fought the Khmer
Rouge after 1975 (including Lon Nol-era soldiers) coalesced in 1979-80 to form the
Khmer People’s National Liberation Armed Forces (KPNLAF). The KPNLAF pledged
loyalty to former Prime Minister Son Sann, and Moulinaka (Movement pour la
Liberation Nationale de Kampuchea), loyal to Prince Sihanouk. In 1979, Son Sann
formed the Khmer People’s National Liberation Front (KPNLF) to lead the political
struggle for Cambodia’s independence. Prince Sihanouk formed his own organization,
National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia
(FUNCINPEC), and its military arm, the Armee Nationale Sihanoukienne (ANS) in
1981.

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Within Cambodia, Vietnam had only limited success in establishing its client Heng
Samrin regime, which was dependent on Vietnamese advisers at all levels. Security in
some rural areas was tenuous, and major transportation routes were subject to interdiction
by resistance forces. The presence of Vietnamese throughout the country and their
intrusion into nearly all aspects of Cambodian life alienated much of the populace. The
settlement of Vietnamese nationals, both former residents and new immigrants, further
exacerbated anti-Vietnamese sentiment. Reports of the numbers involved vary widely,
with some estimates as high as 1 million. By the end of the decade, Khmer nationalism
began to reassert itself against the traditional Vietnamese enemy. In 1986, Hanoi claimed
to have begun withdrawing part of its occupation forces. At the same time, Vietnam
continued efforts to strengthen its client regime, the PRK, and its military arm, the
Kampuchean People’s Revolutionary Armed Forces (KPRAF). These withdrawals
continued over the next 2 years, and the last Vietnamese troops left Cambodia in
September 1989.

• Peace Efforts

From July 30 to August 30, 1989, representatives of 18 countries, the four Cambodian
parties, and the UN Secretary General met in Paris in an effort to negotiate a
comprehensive settlement. They hoped to achieve those objectives seen as crucial to the
future of post-occupation Cambodia—a verified withdrawal of the remaining Vietnamese
occupation troops, the prevention of the return to power of the Khmer Rouge, and
genuine self-determination for the Cambodian people. A comprehensive settlement was
agreed upon on August 28, 1990.

• Cambodia’s Renewal

On October 23, 1991, the Paris Conference reconvened to sign a comprehensive

settlement giving the UN full authority to supervise a cease-fire, repatriate the displaced
Khmer along the border with Thailand, disarm and demobilize the factional armies, and
prepare the country for free and fair elections. Prince Sihanouk, President of the Supreme
National Council of Cambodia (SNC), and other members of the SNC returned to Phnom
Penh in November 1991, to begin the resettlement process in Cambodia. The UN
Advance Mission for Cambodia (UNAMIC) was deployed at the same time to maintain
liaison among the factions and begin de-mining operations to expedite the repatriation of
approximately 370,000 Cambodians from Thailand.

On March 16, 1992, the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) arrived in

Cambodia to begin implementation of the UN Settlement Plan. The UN High
Commissioner for Refugees began full scale repatriation in March 1992. UNTAC grew
into a 22,000-strong civilian and military peacekeeping force to conduct free and fair
elections for a constituent assembly.

Over 4 million Cambodians (about ninety percent of eligible voters) participated in the
May 1993 elections, although the Khmer Rouge or Party of Democratic Kampuchea
(PDK), whose forces were never actually disarmed or demobilized, barred some people

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from participating. Prince Ranariddh’s FUNCINPEC Party was the top vote recipient
with a 45.5% vote, followed by Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party and the Buddhist
Liberal Democratic Party, respectively. FUNCINPEC then entered into a coalition with
the other parties that had participated in the election. The parties represented in the 120-
member assembly proceeded to draft and approve a new constitution, which was
promulgated September 24, 1993. It established a multiparty liberal democracy in the
framework of a constitutional monarchy, with the former Prince Sihanouk elevated to
King. Prince Ranariddh and Hun Sen became First and Second Prime Ministers,
respectively, in the Royal Cambodian Government (RGC). The constitution provides for
a wide range of internationally recognized human rights.

On October 4, 2004, the Cambodian National Assembly ratified an agreement with the
United Nations on the establishment of a tribunal to try senior leaders responsible for the
atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge. Donor countries have pledged the $43 million
international share of the three-year tribunal budget, while the Cambodian government’s
share of the budget is $13.3 million. The tribunal plans to begin trials of senior Khmer
Rouge leaders in 2007.

Foreign/U.S. Relations
Cambodia has been a member of many major international organizations. Currently, it is
a member of the United Nations (UN), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN), the World Bank, the International Monetary (IMF), the Asian Development
Bank (ADB), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the East Asia Summit (EAS).
Cambodia is also home to many non-government organizations (NGO) such the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), The United
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the League for the Promotion and Defense of
Human Rights (LICHARDO).

U.S.-CAMBODIAN RELATIONS

The United States relationship with Cambodia started as early as 1955 during a time
when Cambodia was fighting against France to gain its independence. It is estimated that
between 1955 and 1975, Cambodia received about $913 million in economic grant aid
and $1.25 billion in military aid from the United States. This aid was used mainly for
security forces, transportation construction and human relief. However, this relationship
was broken in 1975 once the brutal Khmer Rouge came into power. The United States
also did not support the military invasion and occupation by Vietnam that followed the
Khmer Rouge regime. After the withdrawal of Vietnamese soldiers from Cambodia in
1989, the United States renewed its relationship with Cambodia. On November 11, 1991,
the U.S. opened its U.S. Mission office in Phnom Penh, which subsequently became the
U.S. Embassy in May 1994. Presently the United States aids Cambodia mainly in
fighting terrorism, nurturing economic development, eradicating corruption, structuring
democratic institutions, promoting human rights, and supporting the international tribunal
of atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge.

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Economy

A graph of the average annual growth

rate of GDP of Cambodia

Cambodia was constantly at war for more than 30 years up until 1999. As a result,
Cambodia became one of the poorest countries in the world. However, Cambodia’s
economy has seen steady improvement since 1999, once the war ended. As of 2005, the
IMF (International Monetary Fund) estimated that Cambodia’s economy grew at an
average of 6% from 2001 to 2005. In the same report, it is estimated that the GDP is $6.2
billion, the Per capita GDP is $448, the annual growth rate is 6.4% and the inflation is at
6.7% for Cambodia in 2005.

Presently, the economy centers on 3 main sectors: agriculture, manufacturing and

services. Cambodian agriculture accounts for 32.3% of its GDP in 2005 in which the
major products are rice, rubber, corn, meat, vegetables, dairy products, sugar and flour.
The manufacturing industry accounts for 25.3% of the Cambodian GDP. Garment and
shoe manufacturing, rice milling, tobacco, fisheries and fishing, wood and wood
products, cement, rubber production, paper and food processing are major types of
Cambodian manufacturing. Lastly, service sectors such as tourism, telecommunications,
transportation, and construction accounted for 37% of the Cambodian GDP in 2005.
Cambodia natural resources are timber, gemstones, iron ore, manganese, phosphate and
hydroelectric power. Major exports for Cambodia are garments, shoes, cigarettes,
natural rubber, rice, pepper, wood and fish with its biggest partners being the United
States, Germany, the U.K., Singapore, Japan and Vietnam. Meanwhile, Cambodia
imports fuels, cigarettes, vehicles, consumer goods and machinery. Its major import
partners are Thailand, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Taiwan and the United
States.

Over the next decade, the major economic challenge for Cambodia will be creating an
economic environment in which the private sector can create enough jobs to handle
Cambodia’s demographic imbalance. This is because more than 50% of the Cambodian
population is 20 years old or younger. At the same time, the majority of the population
lacks education and productive skills, particularly in the poverty-ridden countryside,
which suffers from an almost total lack of basic education infrastructure.

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Religion
It is estimated that ninety five percent of Cambodians practice Theravada Buddhism. The
other 5% practice Islam, animism, and Christianity.

Theravada means the teaching of the elders. This particular religion preaches 3 primary
aspects of existence: duk-kha, anicha, and anatta. Duk-kha refers to the suffering, un-
satisfactoriness and disease. Anicha refers to impermanency or the transience of all
things. Anatta, meanwhile, refers to non-substantiality or non-essentiality of reality.
According to Theravada Buddhism, there are 4 truths:
- The truth of suffering – “Existence is suffering.”
- The truth of the cause of suffering – “Suffering is caused by desire.”
- The truth of the cessation of suffering – “Eliminate the cause of suffering
(desire) and suffering will cease to arise.”
- The truth of the path, “The eightfold path is the way to eliminate
desire/extinguish suffering.” The eightfold paths are:
o Right understanding
o Right-mindedness (or “right thought”)
o Right speech
o Right bodily conduct
o Right livelihood
o Right effort
o Right attentiveness
o Right concentration

Essentially, the ultimate goal of Theravada Buddhism is to attain nirvana or to reach a

blessed state, free of all desire and suffering.

Ethnic Groups
According to statistics, Cambodia’s population consists of ninety percent ethnic Khmer,
five percent Vietnamese, one percent Chinese and four percent of others. The Khmers
have lived in Cambodia since the beginning of recorded history. In present day
Cambodia, most of the high ranking officials in the government are Khmer. The Khmer
are known to be laid back, tolerant and full of warmth. The Vietnamese are one of the
largest non-Khmer groups in Cambodia. There is a great deal of dislike and mistrust
between the Khmers and the Vietnamese in Cambodia. This is because the Khmer are
angry over the Vietnamese encroachment of their land where as the Vietnamese think the
Khmer are too laid back (or lazy) and weak.

Unlike the Vietnamese, Chinese Cambodians adapt very well into the Khmer culture.
Many have lived in Cambodia for generations and generally have adopted the Khmer
language, identify and religion. Chinese Cambodians are well-known for their commerce
prowess. Other ethnic groups living in Cambodia include the Cham Muslims (or Khmer
Islam), hill tribes, and Westerners.

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Family

A smiling Cambodian family

Family plays an important role in Cambodian society. For instance, family serves as the
strongest emotional ties, the assurance of aid in the event of trouble, economic
cooperation in labor, sharing of produce and income, and contribution as a unit to
ceremonial obligations in Cambodia.

Most families are very close-knit. A typical family would have three or four generations
living together in the same household. Cambodian families are usually large, as having
no children is considered a misfortune. An ordinary family in a bigger city has around 4
children, whereas an ordinary family in rural areas would have around 6 children.

The Cambodian family is patriarchal, as a husband is usually in charge of affairs outside

of the house, while his wife deals with all household matters, as well as family
economics. Normally, a Cambodian husband provides food and shelter for his family.
At the same time, his wife is in charge of the family budget, and she serves as the major
ethical and religious model for the children.

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Foods
A few dishes of popular Cambodian Cuisine

As in neighboring countries, rice and soup are the main diet in Cambodia. In fact, it is
very rare to find a lunch or a dinner in Cambodia without rice or soup. Cambodia is also
well known for its “Prahok.” Prahok is a strong, crushed, salted and fermented fish paste
that is used as a condiment in a variety of traditional Cambodian dishes.

Meanwhile, Cambodian cuisines such as curries, noodles and stir fried vegetables are also
closely related to its neighbors. Cambodian food is never bland. Its range of spices
includes chili, pepper, coriander leaf and root, lemon grass, basil, ginger, mint,
cardamom, and screw pine. Sour soups are popular and meat and fish are always served
with sauces like shrimp paste, tamarind, or honey with chili. Cambodian cooked food is
usually either boiled or stir-fried.

Some of the popular Cambodian dishes are Samlor Muh-ju Trei (Sweet and Sour Soup
with Fish), Samlor Nam Ngau (Chicken with Preserved Lemon Soup), Chicken Stir Fry
with Ginger, and Trop Cha Sach Chrouk (Stir Fry Eggplant and Coconut Pork). Popular
Cambodian deserts includes Jek Jian (Fried banana nuggets), Num Treap (Sticky Rice
with Sesame), Treap Bai jiamuay thuurian (Sticky Rice with Durian), and Borbo Skor
with Poat (Corn pudding).

Arts
Apsara dancers showing their graceful movement

Almost all Cambodian arts are inspired by the great Khmer Empire in the Angkorian era
(between the ninth and fourteenth centuries AD). More than any of the other traditional
arts, however, Apsara dance (celestial dance) holds a great significance in Khmer arts.
This classical dance has its roots in animism and primitive magic with Hindu forms that
date as far back as the first century. The dancers move with joy and grace in their gold
headdresses, silken tunics and silken skirts to mimic movement of apsara (heavenly
nymph).

Cambodia also has musical traditions that derive from the Khmer Empire. Cambodians
often use music to accompany a ritual or performance that holds religious significance.
“Areak ka” is a popular musical ensemble performed during a wedding. This ensemble
includes ching (cymbal), ronneat (a bamboo xylophone as shown in the picture above),
pia au (flute), sralay (oboe), chappaey (bass banjo) and tro (violin).

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Cambodia is also known for its sculptures and bas-reliefs from the ancient Khmer
Empire. The idealized faces the sculptors of ancient Cambodia so skillfully managed to
draw forth from stone, represent strikingly realistic portraits that capture the majesty and
impassivity of gods, as well as the compassion of divinities imbued with a gentle inner
smile.

The bas-reliefs, meanwhile, realistically reproduced the secular world of the Khmer
Empire: temple gallery walls are lined with military processions, raging battles, or simple
everyday scenes carved with an amazing sense of movement and composition.

A couple points to an Apsara bas-relief in Angkor Wat

Language: Description of language, writing system.

The Khmer script has symbols for thirty-three consonants, twenty-four dependent vowels,
twelve independent vowels, and several diacritic symbols. Most consonants have
reduced or modified forms, called sub-consonants, when they occur as the second
member of a consonant cluster. Noticeably, vowels can be written before, after, over, or
under a consonant symbol.
The thirty-three alphabets in the Cambodian writing system are arranged in five groups
according to the position of the articulation, proceeding from the back to the front of the
mouth, and a sixth group labeled as miscellaneous. There are two series of consonants in
modern Cambodian. The first series is voiceless or light voiced and the second series is
voiced or heavy voiced. The following table shows the first and second symbol of all the
consonants.

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 Pronunciation 1st Pronunciation 2nd
No. Consonants Romanization
Series Series

1 k k kaa

2 x Kh khaa

3 K K Koo

4 X kh Khoo

5 g ng ngoo

6 c C caa

7 q ch chaa

8 C C Coo

9 Q ch Choo

10 j ñ ñoo

11 d d daa

12 z th thaa

13 D d Doo

14 F th thoo

15 N n naa

16 t t taa

17 z th thaa

18 T t too

19 Z th thoo

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20 n n noo

21 b b baa

22 p ph phaa

23 B p Poo

24 P ph phoo

25 m m Moo

26 y y yoo

27 r r roo

28 l l loo

29 v w woo

30 s s saa

31 h h haa

32 L l laa

33 G q qaa

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Sub consonant:
As two consonants are pronounced consecutively within one word, the second
consonant’s symbol is written in a special sub-consonant form which is placed below the
first consonant. The sub-consonant always follows the consonant in the pronunciation.
The form of the sub-consonant is in most cases a smaller version of its consonant version
but some look completely different from the superscript. The tables below are the lists of
the sub-consonant and the consonant.

k, x¡ K< X¹ gá

c© qä C¢ QÄ jBa¦

dþ zæ DÐ F¿ NÑ

tþ fð TÞ ZÆ nñ

b| pö B¬ PÖ mµ

yü Rr lø vV

sS hØ L GÁ

Vowels:

The Cambodian vowel may consist of one or a combination of elements written before,
above, below, or after the initial consonant. There are 24 vowels in Khmer. Since the
abstract vowel (aa) is embedded in a consonant, there are only 23 vowels shown in the
table below. The pronunciation of a vowel in Khmer is determined by the series of the
initial consonant that it accompanies and by the two series of consonants. The table
below provides the symbol of all vowel sounds.

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 Vowel
Vowel Symbol Romanization
First Series Second Series

X Sraq aa aa Oo

Xa Sraq aa aa Ie

Xi Sraq e e I

xI Sraq ey ey Ii

Xw Sraq e e H

xW Sraq eh eh Ehh

Xu Sraq o o U

xU Sraq ou ou Uu

xY Sraq ue ue Ue

e xI Sraq ae ae Ee

eX] Sraq he he He

eX[ Sraq ie ie Ie

e x Sraq ei ei Ee

E x Sraq ae ae Aee

é x Sraq ay ay Hy

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 e xa Sraq ao ao Oo

e xA Sraq aw aw Ahw

xMu Sraq om om Um

xM Sraq Am am Um

xaM Sraq am am Om

x; Sraq ah ah Eh

xu; Sraq oh oh Uh

e x; Sraq eh eh Ih

e xa; Sraq Ah aoh Ouh

Independent Vowels:

Independent vowels are known as /sraq piñ tuə/ (complete vowel) becasue they
incorporate both an initial consonant and a vowel. Below are the list of Independent
Vowels:

Name of
Independent Vowels
Independent Vowels

« sraq e

¤ sraq ey

ó sraq o

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 O sraq ao

Ó sraq ew

b\ sraq rh

ß sraq rhh

B\ sraq lhk

» sraq lhh

É sraq ae

BÆ* sraq ay

Diacritic (Vanakyut)

1. The Bantaq bnþk´ ( ´ )

Diacritic Bantaq appeared on the top of the final consonant of a syllable and it is used to
shorten the vowel of that syllable. All Khmer consonant there is an inherent vowel. The
inherent vowel for first series consonant is /aa/ and second consonant is /oo/.
a. In a syllable with invisible vowel, bantaq signalls the short inherent vowel. For
example, vowel /aa/ change to /a/ after afirst series consoant, and /oo/ change to
/u/ or /uə/ after the second series consonant.

b. The vowel ( - a ) /aa/ followed by the Bantaq ( ´) will pronounced shorter /a/
after the first series consoant and after the second series consonant, vowel ( -a )
/aa/ is pronounced /oə/ or /eə/.

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2. Treysap RtIsBV ‘ ) ’
Treysap is used to convert four of the first series consonants s h b and G

which have no second series counterpart to the second series consonant s) h) b) and

G)ç

3. Mousekatoan mUssikTnþ ‘ ¨ ’

a. Mousekatoan is used to convert six of the second series consonants g j m y

r and v which has no second series counterparts to first series consonants g¨

j¨ m¨ y¨ r¨ and v¨ç

b. Mousekatoan is used to convert a first series consonant b to b¨ and from which

b¨ has the conterpart in the second series Bç

4. Sanyok-sanha sMeyaKsBa¦ ‘ &’

a. Sanyok-sanha has the same value as the ‘ça’ç It is used in a certain words which
borrowed from Pali or Sakrit. Usually, if the final consonant is silent, the words
can be spelled with different way.
b. If the sanyok-sanha plus a final y , it is pronounced (ai) in the first series and (ei)
in the second series.
c. If the s sanyok-sanha plus a final ( r ) /r/ it is pronouced ( oa).

5. Robaat r:T ‘ ’*
Robaat is the reflex of an origanal /r/ in Sanskrit words.
a. In most words, when the (robaat) occurs over a final cononant, both the consonant
and the robaat are not pronounced.
b. In some cases, the effect of the robaat is to change the vowel /oo/ to /uə/.
c. When the robaat appears over a medial consoant, the robaat is pronouced.

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Punctuation

1. Khan ‘.’
This is a Cambodian full stop. It occurs less frequently than the full stop in English. It
can be at the end of a single sentence or several sentences dealing with a single topic.

2. Baariyaosaan ‘§’
Baariyaosaan is a full stop that marks the the entire end of a chapter or an entire text.

3. Laq ‘.l.’
Laq is used to indicate etcetera.

4. Leiktoo ‘>’
Leiktoo is used to indicate that the word or phrase after which it occurs is to be
repeated.

Notes:
Khmer words are not written separately and spacing occureds only after longer phrases.
When romanizing, the shortest written form which can stand alone as a word is treated as
such. This applies also to Pali and Sanskrit loan-words. Other loan-words are divided as
the original language.

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