Myanmars = Myanmar
Cambodia and Myanmar
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Cambodia and Myanmar
Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers. whose Angkor Empire extended over much of Southeast Asia and reached its zenith between the 10th and 13th centuries. Subsequently. attacks by the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam) weakened the empire ushering in a long period of decline.
In 1863. the king of Cambodia placed the country under French protection; it became part of French Indochina in 1887. Following Japanese occupation in World War II. Cambodia became independent within the French Union in 1949 and fully independent in 1953. After a five-year struggle. Communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh in April 1975 and ordered the evacuation of all cities and towns; at least 1.5 million Cambodians died from execution. enforced hardships. or starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under POL POT.
A December 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside. led to a 10-year Vietnamese occupation. and touched off almost 13 years of civil war. The 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated democratic elections and a ceasefire. which was not fully respected by the Khmer Rouge. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normalcy and the final elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in early 1999. Factional fighting in 1997 ended the first coalition government. but a second round of national elections in 1998 led to the formation of another coalition government and renewed political stability. The July 2003 elections were relatively peaceful. but it took one year of negotiations between contending political parties before a coalition government was formed. Nation-wide local elections are scheduled for 2007 and national elections for 2008.
The country lies in South Eastern Asia. bordering the Gulf of Thailand. between Thailand. Vietnam. and Laos. The climate is usually tropical type. with lots of rain. The natural resources found in Cambodia are oil and gas. timber. gemstones. some iron ore. manganese. phosphates. and hydropower potential.
The population is about 13.607.069. The nationality is Cambodian. The main ethnic groups are Khmer. Vietnamese and Chinese. Most of the people in this country are Theravada Buddhists. The official language is Khmer. but English and French are also widely spoken. The country is also known as Kingdom of Cambodia. as the Monarchy of Cambodia is still in power. The capital is Phnom Penh and the country is divided into 9 divisions. The currency is riel (KHR). Cambodia got independence on 9 November 1953 from the French.
Well known places in Cambodia includes The Royal Palace. It is the principal attraction of the city and contains the best examples of 20th-century Khmer architecture. The Royal Palace is the official residence of King Norodom Sihanouk.
The famous Temples of Angkor are Cambodia's biggest tourist attraction also.
It was the former capital and heart of the ancient Khmer Empire; it was built between the 9th and 13th centuries.
Other places such as the National Museum. Tuol Sleng Museum. and Choeung Ek are also popular places in Cambodia.
