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Cambodia is established around the first century BC, and the Funan Kingdom is the first known kingdom of Cambodia. The kingdom was strongly influenced by Indian culture by sharing the culture, art and political system. Jayavaman II is known as a Khmer prince who declared himself the ruler of a new Kingdom during 9th century. Cambodia absorbed influences from China and India, passing them onto other Southeast Asian civilizations that are now Thailand, Vietnam, Laos about more than 2,000 years.
By the 12th century, Cambodia had spread into other areas, now known as Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Malaysia. The evidence of Khmer inhabitance in Thailand and Laos was found still in this day. Khmer Empire flourished in the area from the 9th century to the 13th century, and not yet declined until 15th century. Angkor Wat was the empire’s center of power.
Cambodia culture includes Theravada Buddhism, French Colonialism, Hinduism, Angkor ear culture and modern globalization. Angkor Wat is the best preserved example of Khmer architecture from Angkorian era and hundreds of other temples have been discovered in and around the region.
Cambodia’s population (over 13 million people) consists of ethic Khmers (96%), ethnic Vietnamese (100,000), ethnic Chinese (50,000), ethnic Cham (200,000), ethno-Linguistic Minorities (Khmer Leu or chunchiet about 60,000 to 70,000).
Religion in Cambodia involves Hinduism, Buddhism, Animism, Islam, and Christianity.
The Cambodian has the sentence that relates their activities along the river watershed is “Mean tuk, mean trey” - “where there’s water, there’s fish” - and where there’s fish, there are the millions of rural people who depend upon them for their livelihood.
After traveling about 120 km of rapids from the border of Laos, the Mekong flows into the central plains of Cambodia where it meets the Tonle Sap River and continues to flow asthe Mekong and Bassac rivers into Vietnam.
Flooded forests are an important ecological link to the continued regeneration and sustenance of the freshwater capture fisheries. These areas provide breeding and nursing habitants as well as an extended feeding ground for most of the species, including species that migrate into Laos and Vietnam.
The freshwater ecology which supports fishery, agriculture and forestry has been the basis of human settlement in Cambodia, and has always influenced the lifestyle and subsistence activities of the population. Self-sustaining villages formed along rivers, extending into inter-riverine intersections. Abundant fish in the mainstream and its tributaries have made fishing a prime occupation for many people and the main source of protein for most. Cambodia families still rely on fishing and fishing related activities to supplement their food and income. While the majority of villagers grow rice for household consumption, fish in various forms is part of the staple diet. Historically, Cambodian rice farmers couldbarely make a living from the meagre size of land that gave only one crop a year.
Sources:
Chandler, D. (2008). A history of Cambodia (4th ed.). Published by Westview Press, Philadelphia, USA.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodia
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