FAST FACTS
Area: 181,040 sq km
Population: 9,054,000
Capital (population): Phnom Penh (800,000)
Government: Constitutional monarchy
Ethnic groups: Khmer 94%, Chinese 3%, Cham 2%, Thai, Lao, Kola,
Vietnamese 1%
Languages: Khmer (official)
Religions: Buddhist 88%, Moslem 2%
Currency: Riel = 100 sen
GDP per capita: US$ 110

Cambodia has been involved in wars throughout this century, and its level of development has therefore been somewhat held back by events. However, the Cambodian people have learned to be tenacious, and now seem determined to turn-around their recent fortunes, in order to create some sort of normal life.

Normal life means consumption, and demand for goods to consume has become strong since hostilities finally ceased, only a few years ago. This demand has created the beginnings of a consumer culture, with branded, foreign goods such as cigarettes, soft drinks and alcohol being amongst the first to make real inroads.

The development of a market economy has begun to attract foreign investors too, and interest in Cambodia continued to increase up until the 1997 economic crash. Any slowdown in investment in Cambodia will be more to do with fear about the region in general, than it has to do with Cambodia in particular, this being a very promising market.

CAMBODIA LINKS