The Kingdom of Cambodia, formerly Kampuchea, is a Southeast Asian
nation that borders Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and the Gulf of Thailand.
The capital city is Phnom Penh.
Geography
Situated
in the southwest of the Indochinese peninsula, Cambodia occupies a total area of 181,035 square kilometers and borders Thailand to the
west and northwest, Laos to the northeast, Vietnam to the east, and
Gulf of Thailand to the southwest.
Cambodia’s geographic coordinates are 13 00 N, 105 00 E.
Cambodia’s terrain consists mainly of low plains, with mountains to the southwest and north.
Two dominant physical features of Cambodia are the Mekong river,
which runs from north to south of the country, and the Tonlé Sap Lake.
Natural resources include oil and gas, timber, gemstones, iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential.
Population
Cambodia’s population is approximately 14 million. Ninety per cent
of residents are Khmer; the rest are Cham (Khmer Muslim), Chinese,
Vietnamese, Indian, Thai, Phnorng, Kuoy, Stieng, Tamil, etc. Population
density is 78/ km2.
Climate
Like most of Southeast Asia, Cambodia’s climate is hot and warm
almost all year round. The climate is dominated by the annual monsoon
cycle of rainy and dry seasons. The rainy season lasts from May to
October, and the dry season from November to April. December to January
are the coolest months, while the hottest period is in April. The
average temperature is around 27-28ºC.
National Flag
The
flag of Cambodia symbolizes the country’s slogan: Nation, Religion,
King. The two large blue stripes represent royalty and the center red
stripe represents the nation. The image of the white temple stands for
the nation’s religion.
National Flower
The
romduol, a small yellowish-white flower, is the national flower of the
Kingdom of Cambodia. Since ancient times, Cambodian women have often
been compared to the Romduol flower because of its attractive
fragrance; a unique scent that is prominent in the late afternoon and
can travel over long distances with the wind. With its sturdy stems
that measure up to 30cm, the Romduol plant can grow to a height of 12
meters. These plants are being planted to enhance public parks.