"Sharrie's Cambodia Dignity" a Cambodia Travel Page by Sharrie

CAMBODIA - ravaged by 20 years of civil wars & brutality unimaginable by anyone, it's a country where a great civilisation once ruled. Both worlds no longer exist here & yet we see remnants of its devastation on the people of Cambodia. Children & adults alike suffer from the brutality of the Khmer Rouge where half the population (in the 70s, that's equivalent to 3+ millions of people; both adults & children) were massacred & tortured over a period of 5 years! Still, those who survived had their limbs amputated after stepping onto the millions of landmines planted all across the country. Sounds depressing? Well, for majority of us, pains are only inflicted if something unfortunate happened to our loved ones or close friends & relatives. Yet, what about others who had been forgotten by the world at large & yet still struggling to survive? I ask myself these questions & yet am afraid to learn about the answers. It's here that one discovers how weak one could be if one is subjected to the same condition. It's also here that I find hopes, in children who have no idea about what computer games or electronic toys are & yet find so much happiness with just a couple of candies & a few cents. Ignorance is bliss indeed!

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Facts about Cambodia

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Capital: Phnom Penh.
Area: 176,520 sq. km.
Population: 12,775,324.
Languages: Khmer (official) 95%, French, English.
National Holiday: Independence Day, 9 November (1953).
GDP Per Capita: US$1500.
Currency: riel (KHR).

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Web Resources

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National Anthem: Anthem
Country Code: 855
Newspaper: The Cambodia Daily
CIA World Factbook: Year 2003
Online Travel Guide: WorldTravelGuide.Net
Cambodia Destination Guide: Lonely Planet World Guide
Map of Cambodia: Lonelyplanet.com