Cambodia

The Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia that borders Thailand to the west and northwest, Laos to the north and Vietnam to the east and southeast. In the south it faces the Gulf of Thailand. The geography of Cambodia is dominated by the Mekong River Like neighboring Thailand, Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy. Phnom Penh is the kingdom's capital and largest city, and is the principal center for economics, industry, commerce and culture. Siem Reap, a city located near the famed ruins of Angkor Wat and gateway to the Angkor region, is Cambodia's main destination for tourism. Battambang, the largest city in western Cambodia, is known for rice production and Sihanoukville, a coastal city, is the primary sea port. Cambodia has an area of approximately 181,035 square kilometres (69,898 sq mi) and a population of over 14 million ethnic Khmer. A citizen of Cambodia is usually identified as "Cambodian" or "Khmer", though the latter strictly refers to ethnic Khmers. Most Cambodians are Theravada Buddhists of Khmer extraction, but the country also has a substantial number of predominantly Muslim Cham, as well as ethnic Chinese, Vietnamese and small animist hill tribes. Agriculture has long been the most important sector of the Cambodian economy, with around 59% of the population relying on agriculture for their livelihood (with rice being the principal crop). Garments, tourism, and construction are also important, yielded, foreign visitors to Angkor Wat numbered more than 4 million. In 2005, oil and natural gas deposits were found beneath Cambodia's territorial waters, and once commercial extraction begins in 2011, the oil revenues could profoundly affect Cambodia's economy.Observers fear much of the revenue could end up in the hands of the political elites if not monitored correctly. ( source Wikipedia )