Jimenez, Jamaica Jelyn C.

ASCIV
4-CLM

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

CAMBODIA
The name "Cambodia" derives from the French Cambodge, which comes from the Khmer word
Kâmpuchea, meaning "born of Kambu." During the socialist regimes of Democratic Kampuchea
(DK) (1975–1979) and the People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) (1979–1989), the country
was known internationally as Kampuchea, but more recent governments have returned to using
Cambodia, and the official name in English is now the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Khmer as a noun or adjective can refer to the Cambodian language, people, or culture and
thus suggests an ethnic and linguistic identity more than a political entity. From 1970 to 1975,
the country was known as the Khmer Republic (KR).

Language:
- The Cambodian language is Khmer, which is inherited itself - and advanced in education
with application of Indic languages Pali and Sangkrit from India.
- Also, the Khmer language is influenced by spoken and written Thai. Some technical
languages are borrowed from French. However, English is commonly communicated in
hotels and business compounds at present days.
- English and French are popular second languages and Chinese is the third.

Capital: Phnom Penh

Location: Cambodia has a land area of 181,035 square kilometers in the southwestern part of the
Indochina peninsula, about 20 percent of which is used for agriculture. It lies completely within
the tropics with its southern most points slightly more than 10° above the Equator.
 International borders are shared with Thailand and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic
on the West and the North, and the Social Republic of Viet Nam on the East and the Southeast.
The country is bounded on the Southeast by the Gulf of Thailand. In comparison with neighbors,
Cambodia is a geographical contact country administratively composed of 20 provinces, three of
which have relatively short maritime boundaries, 2 municipalities, 172 districts, and 1,547
communes. The country has a coastline of 435 km and extensive mangrove stands, some of
which are relatively undisturbed.

Population: 16,334,945 million

Ethnic Make­up:  About 90­95 percent of the people are Khmer ethnic. The remaining 5­10

percent include Chinese­Khmers, Khmer Islam or Chams, ethnic hill­tribe people, known as the

Khmer Loeu, and Vietnamese. About 10 percent of the population lives in Phnom Penh, the

capital, making Cambodia largely a country of rural dwellers, farmers and artisans. 

The ethnic groups that constitute Cambodian society possess a number of economic and

demographic commonalties­ for example. Chinese merchants lived mainly in urban centers and

play middlemen in many economic cycles, but they also preserve differences in their social and

cultural institutions. They were concentrated mostly in central and in southeastern Cambodia, the

major differences among these groups lie in social organization, language, and religion.

The majority of the inhabitants of Cambodia are settled in fairly permanent villages near

the major bodies of water in the Tonle Sap Basin­Mekong Lowlands region. The Khmer Loeu

live in widely scattered villages that are abandoned when the cultivated land in the vicinity is

exhausted. The permanently settled Khmer and Cham villages usually located on or near the

banks of a river or other bodies of water. Cham villages usually are made up almost entirely of
Cham,   but  Khmer  villages,   especially  in   central  and  in   southeastern  of  Cambodia,   typically

include sizable Chinese communities.

Religion/s: Theravada Buddhism is the official religion in Cambodia which is practiced by 95

percent of the population-- just like that of Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka. However, Christianity
and Cham Muslim are being active and popular among a large number of population as well in
the capital and provinces, showing a sign of growth. Daoism and Confuism are also commonly
practiced among the Chinese people.

Buddhist monks are highly disciplined and must follow 227 rules in addition to the ten
basic precepts of being a good Buddhist. Monks cannot take part in entertainment. They lead
simple lives dedicated to Buddhism and the temple.

Buddhists see the universe and all life as part of a cycle of eternal change. They follow
the teaching of Buddha, an Indian prince born in the sixth century B.C. Buddhists believe that a
person is continually reborn, in human or nonhuman form, depending on his or her actions in a
previous life. They are released from this cycle only when thy reach nirvana, which may be
attained by achieving good karma through earning merit and following the Buddhist path of
correct living.

Earning merit is an important of Buddhist life. Buddhists in Cambodia earn merit by

giving money, goods, and labor to the temples, or by providing one of the two daily meals of the
monks.

Children often look after the fruits trees and vegetable gardens inside their local wat, or
temple. Boys can earn merit by becoming temple servants or novice monks for a short time.
Most young men remain monks for less than a year.

MATERIAL CULTURE

FOOD
Khmer cuisine is similar to that of its Southeast Asian neighbors. It shares many
similarities with Thai cuisine, Vietnamese cuisine and Teochew cuisine. Cambodian cuisine also
uses fish sauce in soups, stir-fried cuisine, and as dippings. The Chinese influence can be noted
in the common chha (Khmer: ឆរ, Stir frying) and in the use of many variations of rice noodles.
A particular popular dish of ultimately Chinese origin is "pork broth rice noodle soup", similar to
phở, called kuy tieu (Khmer: គគយទវ). Indian influenced dishes include many types of curry
known as kari (Khmer: ករ)រ that call for dried spices such as star anise, cardamom, cinnamon,
nutmeg and fennel as well as local ingredients like lemongrass, garlic, kaffir lime leaves, shallots
and galangal that give dishes a distinctive Cambodian flavor.[8] Banh Chaew (Khmer: នន
បញញឆឆវ), the Khmer version of the Vietnamese Bánh xèo, is also a popular dish.

Khmer cuisine is noted for the use of prahok (បបហគក), a type of fermented fish paste, in
many dishes as a distinctive flavoring. When prahok is not used, it is likely to be kapǐ (កពព)
instead, a kind of fermented shrimp paste. Coconut milk is the main ingredient of many Khmer
curries and desserts. Cambodians prefer either jasmine rice or sticky (glutinous) rice. The latter is
used more in dessert dishes with fruits such as durian while jasmine rice is eaten with meals.
Almost every meal is eaten with a bowl of rice. Typically, Cambodians eat their meals with at
least three or four separate dishes. Each individual dish will usually be one of either sweet, sour,
salty or bitter. Chili is usually left up to the individual to add themselves. In this way
Cambodians ensure that they get a bit of every flavor to satisfy their palates.

Regional Cambodian cuisine offers some unique dishes influenced by the traditions of local
ethnic groups. In Kampot and Kep, known for its Kampot Pepper Crab or Kdam Chha Mrich
Kchei (Khmer: កកមឆមបមចខខរ) in Khmer. This dish is prepared with a local crab fried with the
black pepper from area pepper fields. Kula people, an ethnic group of Pailin Province, originated
Mee Kola (Khmer: មរកគឡ), a vegetarian rice stick noodle dish. In southeastern Cambodia, the
influence of Vietnamese cuisine are strong, evidenced by Bánh tráng which is ubiquitous in
southeastern Cambodia but virtually unknown elsewhere. The region between Siem Reap and
Kampong Thom, an area with many Chinese Cambodians, displays Khmer versions of many
Chinese dishes.

Food in Daily Life. The staples are rice and fish. Traditionally, a home meal is served on a mat
on the floor or with the diners seated together on a raised bamboo platform. Meals are eaten in
shifts according to status, with adult males and guests eating first and food preparers last.
Breakfast typically consists of rice porridge or rice noodles. Lunch and dinner may be a
combination of a spiced broth with fish or meat and vegetables, fish, fresh vegetables eaten with
a fish-based paste, and stir-fried vegetables with chopped meat. A strong-smelling fermented fish
paste called prâhok is the quintessential flavoring of Khmer food. Fruit is savored, and its
display is considered a mark of abundance. It often is given as a gift. Teuk tnaot, a liquid tapped
from sugar palms and drunk in various degrees of fermentation, generally is not taken with
meals.

The tradition of Khmer cuisine in restaurants is undeveloped, and restaurants typically

serve what is regarded as Chinese food. There are no food taboos, although devout Buddhists
refrain from alcohol. Monks also cannot eat after noon and are enjoined to eat whatever they are
given without making special requests.

Food Customs at Ceremonial Occasions. During festivals, elaborate and painstakingly

seasoned dishes are prepared, such as curries, spiced fish sauces, complex stir fries, and a variety
of sweets. At a temple festival, each family brings dishes that are ritually presented to the monks.
After the monks have eaten, the remaining food is eaten by the lay community.

CLOTHING

Krama
- Elderly men and women can often be seen with them wrapped around their heads to
protect them from the sun, or to provide padding to balance large baskets atop. Kramas
are often used as a sarong in the countryside, wrapped around the feet as protection when
scaling trees and used to carry objects in.
- Another common use, regardless of whether you’re in the city or provinces, is as a
hammock for babies. And, of course, they are the perfect tool to wipe away the beads of
sweat that constantly drip down your face.
- Traditionally in mauve and white squares, modern kramas come in a range of sizes,
colours and quality, and are available to buy from any of the markets that dot the country.
Sampot
 - The sampot is the national garment of Cambodia, dating back to the Funan era when
Chinese diplomats ordered the Cambodian king to request his people cover themselves
up.
- Worn by men and women – and still prevalent in the countryside – the large piece of
cloth, which usually measures between five and six-feet long, is wrapped around the
lower part of the body as a sarong. The cloth can be draped and folded in a variety of
ways depending on the occasion and type of sampot, with several variations depending
on social class and use.

Sampot Chang Kben

- This is usually reserved for middle and upper-class females for day-to-day wear, but is a
tradition that dwindled out at the start of the 20th century. It resembles trousers rather than
a skirt and measures more than nine-feet long and three-feet wide.
- It is worn by wrapping the material around the waist and pulling away from the body. A
knot is then drawn between the legs and held in place by a belt. In modern Cambodia, it
is worn by women for special occasions.

Sampot Tep Apsara

- This form of sampot dates back to the Angkor era, with the apsaras carved into the bas-
reliefs at Angkor Wat wearing the fabric. It is tied at the waist and held up using a golden
belt. It is no longer worn in Cambodia but can be seen today in many of the apsara
performances that take place in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.

Av Pak
- This is a blouse worn by women. It is made from plain-stamped cotton, features elaborate
hand-painted patterns and is embroidered with silk and gold thread. It has a high,
embroidered collar and is often teamed with a sampot and worn as formal wear, or for
special occasions.
Silk
- Cambodia has a rick silk weaving tradition, with the ancient art stretching back centuries.
While the craft has been in decline over the last few decades, it is on the rise once again
thanks to a series of initiatives to revive the trade.

- Many items of clothing are traditionally made from silk, with the intricate patterns
indigenous to Cambodia. Golden silk is Cambodia’s national thread and there are various
projects to retrain artisans that are open to visitors.

NON-MATERIAL CULTURE

CUSTOMS

- In Khmer culture a person's head is believed to contain the person's soul—therefore

making it taboo to touch or point one's feet at it. It is also considered to be extremely
disrespectful to use the feet to point out a person, or to sit or sleep with the soles of the
feet pointing at a person, as the feet are the lowest part of the body and are considered to
be impure.

- When greeting people or to show respect in Cambodia people do the "sampeah" gesture,
identical to the Indian namaste and Thai wai.

- Customary Cambodian teachings are laid out in verse form in long works from the 14th
to 18th centuries collectively called Chhbap ("rules" or "codes").[7] These were
traditionally learned by rote. Works such as the Chhbap Pros ("Boy's Code"), Chhbap
Srey ("Girl's Code") and Chhbap Peak Chas ("Code of Ancient Words") gave such advice
as: a person that does not wake up before sunrise is lazy; a child must tell parents or
elders where they go and what time they will return home; always close doors gently,
otherwise a bad temper will be assumed; sit in a chair with the legs straight down and not
crossed (crossing the legs is a mark of an impolite person); and always let the other
person do more talking.
 - In Cambodia it is not polite to make eye contact with someone who is older or someone
who is considered a superior.

ETIQUETTE

Meeting & Greeting

- Greetings between Cambodians are dependent on the relationship/hierarchy/age between

the people.

- The traditional greeting is a bow combined with a bringing of the hands together at chest
level (similar to bringing hands together for prayer).

- If one intends to show greater respect the bow is lower and the hands brought higher.

- With foreigners Cambodians have adopted the western practice of shaking hands. Women
may still use the traditional Cambodian greeting.

- The simple rule is to respond with the greeting you are given.

- In Cambodia people are addressed with the honorific title "Lok" for a man and "Lok
Srey" for a woman followed with the first name or both the first and surname.

Gift Giving Etiquette

- Gifts are usually given at Cambodian New Year (Chaul Chnam).

- Birthdays are not big events like in the West and people of the older generation may not
even know their date of birth.

- Unlike most other cultures, Cambodians do not celebrate birthdays. In fact, many older
people may not know the exact date of their birth.

- A small gift can also be taken if invited to someone's home for food.
 - If invited to a home, take nicely presented fruit, sweets, pastries or flowers.

- Avoid giving knives.

- Gifts are usually wrapped in colorful paper.

- Do not use white wrapping paper, as it is the color of mourning.

- When giving gifts use both hands.

- Gifts are not opened when received.

Dining Etiquette

- Table manners are fairly formal.

- If unconfident with the dos and don'ts simply follow what others do.

- When invited to the dining table wait to be told where to sit as you would not want to
upset any hierarchical arrangements.

- The oldest person is usually seated first.

- Similarly the eldest person should start eating before others.

- Do not begin eating until the eldest person starts.

- Never discuss business in such social settings.