19 interesting facts about Cambodia

19 interesting facts about Cambodia

We visited Cambodia for the first time in 2011 and it immediately became one of our favorite countries. Kia returned this year and fell in love again.

This time she took a Mekong cruise and saw the country pass by from a different perspective. She also visited the iconic sites of Angkor Wat and S21 Prison, two destinations that highlight two deeply contrasting pasts: one of fame and opulence, the other of degradation and cruelty.

Given Cambodia's dark past, it would be easy to focus only on the horrific events surrounding "Year Zero." It would also be inappropriate to tape over them.

Below I include a mix of interesting facts about Cambodia that reflect both the good and the bad from the country's extraordinary history.

Interesting facts about Cambodia

1. Das größte religiöse Bauwerk, das jemals gebaut wurde, ist Angkor Wat (Stadttempel) in Kambodscha. Das Gelände misst gewaltige 1.626.000 m2 (162,6 Hektar) und wurde von Khmer-König Suryavarman II. von 1113 bis 1150 zu Ehren des hinduistischen Gottes Vishnu erbaut. (Quelle: Guinness World Records)
2. Die kambodschanische Flagge zeigt das Hauptgebäude von Angkor Wat. Zusammen mit der Flagge Afghanistans ist sie eine von nur zwei Staatsflaggen mit einem Gebäude. (Quelle: Britannica)

alt="interesting-facts-about-cambodia-3″>Atlas & BootsThe Cambodian flag

1. Angkor Wat war auch der Hauptdrehort für den Film Tomb Raider (2001) mit Angelina Jolie. (Quelle: IMDB)

2. In the area around Angkor Wat, beneath the tropical forest floor, there are several previously undocumented medieval cities that are between 900 and 1,400 years old. Some of these undiscovered cities are the size of Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh. The discoveries were made in June this year using laser technology. (Source: Guardian)

3. Sampeah is the Cambodian way of greeting and saying goodbye to people. There are five different ways to show respect to someone using Sampeah, depending on their age, relationship with you, and social status. (Source: Visit Angkor)

alt="interesting-facts-about-cambodia-2″>Calliopejen/Creative CommonsIn all five Sampeahs the palm trees are arranged together like a lotus flower. Some Sampeah contain a small bow.

1. Der König von Kambodscha ist ausgebildeter Balletttänzer. König Sihamoni wurde am 29. Oktober 2004 als Monarch vereidigt, nachdem sein Vater aus gesundheitlichen Gründen abdankte. (Quelle: BBC)

2. A toilet estimated to have cost up to $40,000 was built for the personal use of Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand when she visited Cambodia earlier this year. (Source: Guardian)

3. Cambodia was a colony of France for 90 years from 1863 to 1953. Under King Sihanouk it became an independent country called the Kingdom of Cambodia. It was occupied by Japan during World War II from 1941 to 1945. (Source: BBC)

4. River dolphins are found in the upper Mekong in Cambodia. About 70-100 individuals live in a 190 km long section of the Mekong. (Source: WWF)

5. The United States secretly bombed Cambodia beginning in 1969 because the country sheltered North Vietnamese forces on its soil during the Vietnam War. (Source: BBC)

6. In Cambodia, it is considered rude to point at someone with the sole of your foot. Additionally, pointing your feet at anything sacred, such as a Buddha image, would be completely unacceptable. (Source: Lonely Planet)

7. Between 1975 and 1979, Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge guerrillas and their brutal brand of radical communism were responsible for the deaths of up to two million Cambodians. (Source: CIA World Fact Book)

alt="interesting-facts-about-cambodia-mass-grave-1″>G-AdventureThe site of a mass grave in Cambodia

The location of a trade fair in Cambodia (IMAGE: G Adventures)

1. Während dieser ganzen Zeit wurden Stadtbewohner aufs Land getrieben, Geld wurde wertlos, Grundfreiheiten wurden beschnitten und Religion wurde verboten. Die Roten Khmer prägten den Ausdruck „Year Zero“, um eine Rückkehr zu „besseren Zeiten“ darzustellen. Hunderttausende Gebildete wurden in Spezialzentren gefoltert und hingerichtet. Andere verhungerten oder starben an Krankheit oder Erschöpfung. (Quelle: Britannica)

2. Today the brutal period is commemorated on the day of remembrance, which was previously called the National Day of Hate. The day is celebrated on May 20th every year. (Source: BBC)

3. Decades of war have taken a heavy toll on Cambodia. The country has over 40,000 amputees: one for every 290 Cambodians, which is one of the highest rates in the world. It is also one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. (Source: Huffington Post)

4. Tarantulas are eaten as a snack in Cambodia. During Pol Pot's reign, Cambodians ate locally found tarantulas as other foods were often in short supply. Many Cambodians have developed a taste for the giant arachnids and they are still widely consumed today. Apparently the “legs are pleasantly firm”. (Source: Telegraph)

alt="interesting-facts-about-cambodia-1″>Mat Connolley/Creative CommonsCooked tarantulas are often sold by street vendors

1. Tiger wurden dieses Jahr in Kambodscha für „funktional ausgestorben“ erklärt. Der letzte Tiger wurde 2007 in der östlichen Provinz Mondulkiri gesichtet. In den Wäldern Kambodschas lebten früher indochinesische Tiger, aber die intensive Wilderei von Tigern und ihrer Beute hat verheerende Zahlen zur Folge. (Quelle: Guardian)

2. Cambodia's deforestation rate is one of the highest in the world; Around 2,000 square kilometers (494,210 acres) of forest are lost every year. In the 1990s, timber concessions were granted by the government and rapid deforestation followed - so severe that in 2005 the country had the third highest deforestation rate in the world. (Source: BBC)

3. One of the more bizarre facts about Cambodia is the country's "special relationship" with North Korea. The totalitarian regime recently opened the $30 million Angkor Panorama Museum in Siem Reap as a “gift” to Cambodia. (Source: Independent)

Lonely Planet Cambodia is a comprehensive travel guide to the country, ideal for those who want to both explore the top attractions and take the road less traveled.

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