Facts for travellers & events Cambodia

Facts for the Traveler

People: Cambodians comprise a variety of people who are commonly called Khmer. They constitute about 90 per cent of the population. The population also includes a diversity of other ethnic backgrounds: Chinese, Vietnamese, Chams, and hill tribes, called Khmer Loeu. The Khmer are believed to have been living in the region from about the 2nd century CE. They may constitute a fusion of Mongul and Melanesian elements. They have been mainly influenced over the centuries by the powerful Indian and Javanese kingdoms. The Khmer-Loeu - or upland-Khmer - are one of the main tribal groups and live in the forested mountain zones, mainly in the North-East. Traditionally, the Khmer-Loeu were semi-nomadic and practiced slash and burn agriculture. In recent years, increasing numbers have turned to settled agriculture and adopted many of the customs of the lowland Khmer.
There are about 500.000 Cham-Malays, descended from the Chams of the royal kingdom of Champa, based in the present day central Vietnam. They now constitute the single largest ethnic minority in the country. They are Muslims and their spiritual centre is Chur-Changvra near Phnom Penh. The Chams are traditionally cattle traders, silk weavers and butchers. The Chinese migrated in the 18th and 19th century to Cambodia, where most of them became involved in commerce. Today there is a population of about 100.000 left in Cambodia. Estimated 200.000 Vietnamese live in the country today. The southern part of Cambodia has always had many inhabitants of Vietnamese decent as well as the area around Phnom Penh.
Religion-Kaitlyn: The Cambodian religions on the whole are strongly influenced by early Indian and Chinese cultures. As early as at the beginning of the Christian era the Indian traders brought – along with their products – their religion to the first Khmer state in Funan. Most of them were followers of Brahmanism (a forerunner of Hinduism), which merged with the existing animistic beliefs into a kind of new religion – hinduistic and local deities existing side by side.
Language: The official Cambodian language, called Khmer, is part of the Mon-Khmer family, enriched by the Indian Pali and Sanskrit languages and influenced by Thai and French. English and French are spoken also - French mainly by some old people, whereas the younger generation learns English.

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