CAMBODIA
List of TERRAs
Cambodia is located in Southeast Asia on the Gulf of Thailand, bordered by Vietnam, Thailand and Laos. It has a tropical climate with little variation in temperature and an intense change of seasons between rainy (monsoon) and dry. The mix of ethnic groups in Cambodia reflects its recent history, with prevalence of the Khmer ethnicity (90%), Vietnamese (5%), Chinese and others. Cambodia is one of the countries with the lowest population density in the region, with only 71 inhabitants per square kilometer.
Its geography is dominated by the Mekong River, an important source of fishing, especially during the rainy season.
Estimated population (in millions): 13,995,904
Life expectancy (in years): 56.5
Infant mortality rate (per every 1,000 live births): 97
Female literacy rate (>14 years old): 64.1 %
Male literacy rate (>14 years old): 84.7 %
Children completing 5th grade of primary school: 60 % (2004)
Population living below the poverty level (= $2 a day): 77.7 % (1990-2004)
Problems
After the Khmer Rouge regime and the subsequent civil war, Cambodia found itself in an extremely precarious situation and with its basic infrastructures torn to pieces. The population lacks education and productive skills, especially in the rural areas, which suffer from an almost complete lack of infrastructure. Fear of new political instabilities and government corruption discourage foreign investment and external aid.
Since the year 2000, Cambodia has experienced a notable surge in tourism. This has facilitated the emergence of tourism for sexual purposes. Poverty in rural areas has driven migration to the urban and tourist centers, especially among women and minors.
It is also a country involved in the importation, transit and exportation aspects of human trafficking, and especially of women and children, who are exploited in sectors such as agriculture, domestic work and the sex industry.
This, combined with the fact that over 50% of the Cambodian population is under 18 years old, presents a great challenge for the country’s educational and economic systems. The illiteracy index is significantly higher among women than men, and Cambodians present a high rate of school abandonment.