Cambodia Report

Essay by Cheese1000Middle School, 6th gradeA+, February 2004

download word file, 2 pages 2.9

Cambodia is a small country located in Southeast Asia. The countries Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam border it on three sides and the Gulf of Thailand borders it on the fourth. Buddhism is the predominant religion in Cambodia. It is a home of many ancient statues, such as the Tower of Bayon, in Angkor Thom. The education in Cambodia is poor, as the students only have to go to school from the ages of six to twelve. There is a high percentage of adult illiteracy. Only the rich can afford to send their children to the one university in the country. There is a severe shortage of textbooks, laboratories, and equipment. Farming is the main occupation for most of the people in Cambodia.

GOVERNMENT

Cambodia is ruled by a multiparty liberal democracy under a constitutional monarchy established in September 1993. The chief of state is King Norodom Sihanouk, and the head of government is Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Cambodia gained its independence from France on November 9th, 1953. The Constitution was promulgated on September 21st, 1993. Its legal system is primarily a civil law mixture of French-influenced codes from the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) period, royal decrees, and acts of the legislature, with influences of customary law and remnants of communist legal theory; increasing influence of common law in recent years. The Cabinet is a Council of Ministers appointed by the Monarch.

HISTORY

Around 2000 B.C, Cambodia had domesticated cattle, pigs, and water buffalo and had learned how to cultivate rice. They probably learned how to grow rice from the Chinese, who had already discovered how to do it. Around 600 B.C, Cambodians learned how to work with iron. Before, they had only been using bronze. India influenced Cambodia in many different ways. India brought their jewelry,