Cambodia

Southeast Asia
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos.

13 00 N, 105 00 E

Chéat, Sasna, Preăhmôhaksât "Nation, Religion, King"
Monarch Norodom Sihamoni	Prime Minister Hun Sen

Capital
Phnom Penh

Government
Constitutional monarchy,Parliamentary representative democracy

Religion
Buddhist 96.4%, Muslim 2.1%, other 1.3%, unspecified 0.2%.

Population
14,453,680

Ethnic group
Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4%.

National Language                     
Khmer
            
National Day
9 November 1953 (from France)

Anthem
Nokoreach

Currency
Riel (KHR)

Attractions
Angkor Wat, Phnom Bakheng, Silver Pagoda, Tonle Sapp Floating Village 

Website     

Art & Cultural

The ICON

Angkor Wat         Angkor Wat  is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation – first Hindu, dedicated to the god Vishnu, then Buddhist. It is the world's largest religious building. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors. Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple mountain and the later galleried temple, based on early South Indian Hindu architecture, with key features such as the Jagati. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology: within a moat and an outer wall 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands a quincunx of towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; scholars are divided as to the significance of this. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its extensive bas-reliefs and for the numerous devatas (guardian spirits) adorning its walls. The modern name, Angkor Wat, means "City Temple"; Angkor is a vernacular form of the word  nokor which comes from the Sanskrit word नगर nagara meaning capital or city. Wat is the Khmer word for temple. Prior to this time the temple was known as Preah Pisnulok, after the posthumous title of its founder, Suryavarman II.

Angkor Wat