Where is Cambodia?

Cambodian facts

The “Kingdom of Cambodia” (Khmer: កម្ពុជា), or Cambodia for short. “Cambodia” is used most often in the Western world while "Kampuchea" is more widely used in the East. It is a constitutional monarchy country located in Southeast Asia. Cambodia has a land area of 176,515 square kilometers and a water area of 4,520 square kilometers with a total area of 181,035 square kilometers. As the political, economic and cultural centre of Cambodia, Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Cambodia gained independence in 1953. The population of Cambodia is 16,250,000 (2018) and the national population density is about 90 people per square kilometer. The major religion of the country is Buddhism.

Quick facts of Cambodia

Cambodia map-Location

Cambodia is located in the southern part of the Indochina peninsula in Southeast Asia, bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the northeast, Vietnam to the east and the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest.

Time zone

Cambodia is located in the UTC+7 time zone (KRAT/ICT). Cambodia is 7 hours ahead of GMT/UTC (London). Times are often expressed according to the 24-hour clock.

Currency

The currency of Cambodia is Riel, the English name is Cambodian Riel, or KHR for short. 1 RMB is about 636 riels, and 1 dollar is about 4000 riels. The value of Cambodian banknotes is 50 riels, 100 riels, 500 riels, 1000 riels, 2000 riels, 5000 riels, 10,000 riels, 20,000 riels, 50,000 riels, 100,000 riels.

International Call Code and internet domain name

The dial-up code for the country is 855 and the top internet domain name for the Cambodian website is .kh.

Language

The Cambodian language is Khmer. The modern Cambodian language also absorbs many foreign languages, including Sanskrit, Pali, French, Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese. English has wildly taught in several schools, while street signs are now bilingual in Khmer and English.

Landform

Cambodia's landscape is characterized by a low-lying central plain that is surrounded by uplands and low mountains and includes the Tonlé Sap Lake and the upper reaches of the Mekong River delta. In Cambodia, the central and the southern parts are plains. The eastern, northern and western parts of Cambodia are surrounded by mountains and plateaus, and most of them are covered by forests. Phnom Aural, Cambodia's highest peak rises to an elevation of 1,813 meters, lies in the eastern section of the Soybean Mountain Range.

Climate

Cambodia's climate, dominated by monsoons, are known as tropical wet and dry because of the distinctly marked seasonal differences. Cambodia has a tropical monsoon climate with an average annual temperature of 29°C-30 °C. Cambodia has two distinct seasons, rainy season and dry season. The rainy season is from May to October. The dry season is from November to April. Due to the influence of topography and monsoon, the precipitation varies greatly from place to place. The southern part can reach 5400 mm and the east side of Phnom Penh is about 1000 mm.

Transport

Cambodia has 2 rail lines. The lines run from the capital to Sihanoukville on the southern coast. Trains are running to the Cambodian capital and popular destinations in the south. There are 2 major ports, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, and 5 minor ones. In Cambodia, there are 3 commercial airports: Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport, the largest and serves the most international flights in and out of Cambodia. Phnom Penh International Airport (Pochentong), the second largest airport in Cambodia. The other airport is in Sihanoukville Airport.

International flights can enter Cambodia from Phnom Penh International Airport and Siem Reap International Airport. If you transfer from other countries in Southeast Asia, there are direct flights to Bangkok, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Vientiane and other places.

2 main rivers of Cambodia

The two main rivers in Cambodia: Tonlé Sap and Mekong. They cross the country from north to south and met in the capital, Phnom Penh.

The Mekong River is the longest river in Southeast Asia, starting from the Tibetan Plateau and flowing to the southeast. The river flows through Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. In Cambodia, it passes Stung Treng, Kratie, Kompong Cham, Phnom Penh and finally goes into Vietnam. There is a cross-border cruise between Cambodia and Vietnam.

Tonlé Sap Lake, located in western Cambodia, is an important source of water for all natural life in the area. From the Tonlé Sap Lake to Siem Reap (unlike Angkor Wat), you can choose a natural tour, such as a trip to the floating village of Kompong Phluk, a boat trip to the mangroves or bird watching.

3 Main cities and best attractions recommended in Cambodia

3 Major cities in Cambodia are Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Battambang.

Main city in Phnom Penh - Siem Reap

Siem Reap is the provincial capital of Cambodia's Siem Reap province, 311 km from Phnom Penh and only 152 km from the Thai border.  In Siem Reap, there is Angkor Heritage Portal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. There we can see a wide variety of Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese or Cambodian hotels and restaurants with different grades. There are many attractions in Siem Reap, for example, Angkor Wat,
Angkor Thom, Banteay Samre, Banteay Srei Temple Banteay Kdei, Tonlé Sap Lake.

Capital city of Cambodia - Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, the largest city in Cambodia, is the political, economic, cultural, transport, trade and religious center of Cambodia. Phnom Penh is home to about 1.5 millions of Cambodia's population. There are many attractions in Phnom Penh, for example, the National Museum, Royal Palace, Wat Phnom, Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Cheung Ek Killing Fields.

Main city in Phnom Penh - Battambang

Battambang is located in western Cambodia, bordering on Thailand. It has been a transport and trade hub between the two countries since the 11th century. It is also rich in rice and fruits due to its fertile soil. One said that its provincial capital, Battambang City, is currently the second largest city in Cambodia. There are some attractions recommended, for example, Kamping Puoy Lake, Baset Temple, Prasat Banan (Phnom Banan), Prasat Snung.