Learn About Cambodia

QUICK FACTS

Population: 14,494,2931
More than 50% of the population is less than 21 years old1
90+% of rural Cambodians practice open defecation2
74% of deaths in Cambodia are due to water borne illness2
14.3% of children die before the age of five3
26% of students enroll in secondary school3
Population below poverty line is 40%4
Life expectancy at birth, year 2001, was 57.4 years5
85% of the population lives in rural areas5
Around five women die every day due to complications related to pregnancy and childbirth5
Nearly 70% of pregnant women do not have prenatal care or a skilled attendant present at delivery5
Over 62% of households are using unsafe water sources, with households in rural areas worse off than households in urban areas5
Over 47% of children who go to primary school do not reach grade six5
53% of the female population is illiterate5
Average annual income in Cambodia is only $2726

1 Central Intelligence Agency (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cb.html)
2 Resource Development International Cambodia 2007
3 UNDP Report (http://hdrstats.undp.org/countries/data_sheets/cty_ds_KHM.html)
4 Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodia
5 Nyemo (http://www.nyemo.com)
6 Partners for Development (http://www.partnersfordevelopment.org/whereWeWorkCambodia.htm)

Copyright PEPY Tours 2009

BOOKS

Cambodia: A Report From a Stricken Land, Henry Kamm (Arcade Publishing, 1999)

A sobering perspective on Cambodia’s recent, tragic history, Henry Kamm takes an in-depth look at Cambodia’s brutal past, beginning with the overthrow of King Sihanouk in 1970 and covering the turbulent 30 years thereafter, including the tragedies of the Khmer Rouge.

First They Killed My Father, Loung Ung (Harper Collins, 2000)

Loung Ung’s powerful account of surviving the Khmer Rouge regime as a child is terrifying and emotionally draining, but a highly recommended read. The author’s unflinching eye for detail creates a vivid tapestry of one of history’s darkest revolutions.

River of Time, Jon Swain (St. Martin’s Press, 1995)

Jon Swain’s book is a wonderful memoir of Indochina, expressing beautifully the powerful, inexplicable hold that Asia has for those who love her. Swain was one of the few Western journalists who remained in Phnom Penh as the city fell to the Khmer Rouge. His descriptions of the siege and its immediate aftermath are haunting.

The End of Poverty, Jeffrey D. Sachs (Penguin Press, 2005)

This book, written by one of the world’s hundred most influential people, Jeffrey Sachs, explores the roots of economic prosperity and the escape from extreme poverty for the world’s poorest citizens. Explaining his own work in Bolivia, Russia, India, China, and Africa, he offers an integrated set of solutions to the economic, political, environmental, and social problems that challenge the world’s poorest countries.

The White Man’s Burden, William Easterly (Penguin Press, 2006)

From one of the world’s best-known development economists comes an excoriating attack on the tragic hubris of the West’s efforts to improve the lot of the developing world. Easterly urges us in the West to face our own history of ineptitude and hold our own aid agencies accountable for the results of their actions. This book presents a contrasting view to the above-mentioned piece by Jeffrey Sachs.

Angkor, George Coedes (Oxford University Press, 1986)

The premier study of Cambodia’s ancient temples.

Lonely Planet: Cambodia

The most recent version will have up-to-date travel information and provides an extensive history of Cambodia, along with a solid guide to the temples of Angkor.

FILMS

The Killing Fields

The Killing Fields is an Academy Award winning film based on a true story. New York Times journalist Sydney Schanberg works with local representative Dith Pran to cover some of the tragedy and madness of the civil war in Cambodia. When the Khmer Rouge take Phnom Penh, Schanberg escapes to the US but his friend and colleague must remain behind to face the horrors of the regime.

New Year Baby

Born on Cambodian New Year in a Thai refugee camp, Socheata never knew how she got there. After her birth, the family moved to the US where her parents hid the story of surviving the Khmer Rouge genocide. Socheata journeys to Cambodia and discovers the truth about her family.