Global - Technology - Review

Once the centre of the huge Khmer Empire, which flourished for five centuries, and created some of the most spectacular monuments of South East Asia, Cambodia has lived through years of decline, conflict, and finally the era notorious as the ‘Killing Fields’, in the 1970’s. The main natural feature of Cambodia is the extensive central plain, with the Mekong River and Tonle Sap or Great Lake, which irrigate the rice growing regions. A number of communities live in floating villages on the lake. The distinctive Khmer culture is seen in the dance, music and cuisine of modern Cambodia, however it is nowhere more evident than in the vast ruined city of Angkor, visited by four million tourists each year. After its mysterious abandonment, the city, covering a thousand square kilometres, was cloaked in jungle until rediscovered in the nineteenth century. The magnificent Hindu temple of Angkor Wat is said to be the world’s largest religious building. Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, reflects its French colonial past with its grand boulevards, however Khmer architecture is seen in the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. November’s Water Festival, Bon Om Thook, is celebrated with traditional boat racing.