- Diversity within the culture and society.
- The impact of other cultures on your selected country.
- The impact of other cultures on your selected country.
Cambodia's origins stem from 5,000 BC in which people lived in present Cambodia in the ancient Chinese Kingdom of Funan. The Kingdom occupied present day Thailand and Vietnam, as well as Cambodia, and remnants of Chinese culture are clear in Cambodia. Between 9th and 13th Centuries AD, the Khmer Kingdom was at its peak, expanding and creating throughout South-East Asia, such as the Angkor Wat Temples, considered the 8th wonder of the world. Incredible hardship, has fallen upon them, including a genocide in the late 20th Century, that went largely unnoticed by the Western World. Cambodia's rich history has a detailed culture and society, of which 95% of the population of 15.2 million people are Khmer origin and thus 95% of the population speak Khmer. While 96.4% of Khmer people have declared to be Buddhist, Cambodia has adapted their own personal faith based on the animalistic beliefs from Hinduism and Buddhism. Through trade with India, culture and religion spread, thus aiding to the complex network of cultural forms and social ideologies in Cambodia.
Khmer Buddhists follow Theravada Buddhism, whose origins are from India where it emerged as one of the three major sects of Buddhism in the 4th Century BC. Theravada Buddhism claims to adhere to the most original sources and teachings of Buddha, and trace their findings to the original followers of Buddha, who actually heard his sermons. Entering Cambodia in the 5th Century AD, it came from Hindu merchants, who were allowed access into the Funan Kingdom from India. While for the first millenia AD of Cambodian government, Hindu kings ruled, Theravada Buddhism became the declared state religion in the 13th Century. This has remained until today, however during the Communist Khmer Rouge period, they attempted greatly, and very nearly succeeded, to wipe out any remnants of Buddhism.
Islam
Khmer Muslims are generally found in the Kampong Cham Province in Cambodia, near the central lowlands of the Mekong River. However, this does not disregard many other Muslims living in Cambodia, as there are approximately 236,000 Muslims living in Cambodia, making up roughly 1.6% of the countries population. While the majority of the world's Muslims are broken up into the two categories of Sunni and Shi'ite Islam, Cambodian Muslims are divided into three groups, as stated in a 'Phnom Penh Post' article. Orthodox Islam, of which 80% of Muslims are, follow the popular Sunni Islamic denomination, and are the Cham people in the Kampong Cham Province. Within this province, it is easy to find Halal food, and there are mosque's for visiting, worship and prayer. Orthodox Muslims are extremely devout and adhere to the laws set out by the Prophet Muhammad in the Qur'an, and other practices that are common such as not keeping dogs as pets, as they are seen as unsanitary. The Cham people are believed to have come to Cambodia from the Cham Kingdom, now central Vietnam, in 1823. 40,000 people are Chvea Muslims in Cambodia, residing near the coastal regions, who came to Cambodia in the 15th Century, and are those who converted the Cham people from Hinduism to Islam after they came to Cambodia. The final group is the minority of Muslims in Cambodia: the Imam Sann group. These people reside in the Kampong Chhnang Province and have 38,000 followers, basing their doctrines off an old devout Muslim teacher called Imam Sann. The Imam Sann group is the least devout of all three, only praying once a week, instead of five times a day, and they do not wash their faces before prayer.
Christianity
Approximately 1.19% of Cambodia's population adhere to Christianity, though this number is rapidly expanding, as it is throughout the rest of the Asian continent too from the impact of Western culture to the Eastern world, through business, tourist and religious transactions. The first Christian missionary was a failure; coming in 1556, Gaspar da Cruz found the Khmer people difficult to convert from their directly Buddhist ways. When the French colonized Vietnam, however, Roman Catholics made their way into Cambodia, thus influencing the culture to include Christian worship places and churches. A Christian and Missionary Alliance, now known as the Khmer Evangelical Church, was founded in Cambodia in 1923 and by 1962 had converted 2,000 Khmer people, now 240,000 in present day Cambodia. Especially during the Pol Pot Regime, Christians were vastly persecuted in Cambodia with 90% of Pastors and Priests being killed. Christians have only been allowed to pray and worship publicly since 1990. Christianity is appealing more and more to the Khmer people due to its messages of love and grace, as well as the many churches and missionary homes that are established to provide support and growth for those affected by the Khmer Rouge.
French Colonisation Impact
The French colonised Vietnam in the 19th Century until 1954, and thus impacted Cambodian culture and society as Vietnams borders expanded and colonisers travelled into Cambodia and other parts of Indo-China. Various consequences have occurred due to this colonisation, and Khmer society has far more diversity from French culture than many other parts of the Eastern world.
A popular Cambodian dish is their Red Curry, and due to French influence, instead of rice it is served with bread, a far more Western carbohydrate, though has remained prevalent since it gained popularity to be eaten with this dish. Cambodians are believed to eat more bread than any other country in Asia, due to the French introduction of bread, and thus it is normal to find baguettes, called nom pang in Khmer, in Cambodian supermarkets and stores, not only in the cities such as Phnom Penh, but also in rural villages. Other foods now found in Khmer culture from the French are broccoli, potato, coffee and chocolate.
Cambodian clothing include the wearing of a krama, a scarf used around the head or neck that soaks up sweat or sunlight, effective during long working days in rice and agricultural fields in the intense humidity of Cambodia. As Buddhism grew in Cambodia a blouse, shirt and trouser were worn commonly during the day, though due to French colonisation in nearby Vietnam, Western clothing became popular, and thus men wore button shirts and belts, and women wore straight dresses and began wearing make up.
The Khmer language expanded to include French words, some of which are listed below:
English Translation French Khmer
Newspaper Gazette Kasaitte
German Allemand A'laMong
Christmas Noel Bon Noel
Coffee Cafe Ka-Fae
Chemistry Chimie Khee-Mee
Greek Grec Krek
English Anglais Ang-Kles
Refrigerated Glacer Gla-Say
Other cultural impacts on Cambodia have been the Western introduction of music, and while many Khmer children do not know a word of English, it is not uncommon to hear them singing American or British songs, as they are repetitively played on radios.
Islam
Khmer Muslims are generally found in the Kampong Cham Province in Cambodia, near the central lowlands of the Mekong River. However, this does not disregard many other Muslims living in Cambodia, as there are approximately 236,000 Muslims living in Cambodia, making up roughly 1.6% of the countries population. While the majority of the world's Muslims are broken up into the two categories of Sunni and Shi'ite Islam, Cambodian Muslims are divided into three groups, as stated in a 'Phnom Penh Post' article. Orthodox Islam, of which 80% of Muslims are, follow the popular Sunni Islamic denomination, and are the Cham people in the Kampong Cham Province. Within this province, it is easy to find Halal food, and there are mosque's for visiting, worship and prayer. Orthodox Muslims are extremely devout and adhere to the laws set out by the Prophet Muhammad in the Qur'an, and other practices that are common such as not keeping dogs as pets, as they are seen as unsanitary. The Cham people are believed to have come to Cambodia from the Cham Kingdom, now central Vietnam, in 1823. 40,000 people are Chvea Muslims in Cambodia, residing near the coastal regions, who came to Cambodia in the 15th Century, and are those who converted the Cham people from Hinduism to Islam after they came to Cambodia. The final group is the minority of Muslims in Cambodia: the Imam Sann group. These people reside in the Kampong Chhnang Province and have 38,000 followers, basing their doctrines off an old devout Muslim teacher called Imam Sann. The Imam Sann group is the least devout of all three, only praying once a week, instead of five times a day, and they do not wash their faces before prayer.
Christianity
Approximately 1.19% of Cambodia's population adhere to Christianity, though this number is rapidly expanding, as it is throughout the rest of the Asian continent too from the impact of Western culture to the Eastern world, through business, tourist and religious transactions. The first Christian missionary was a failure; coming in 1556, Gaspar da Cruz found the Khmer people difficult to convert from their directly Buddhist ways. When the French colonized Vietnam, however, Roman Catholics made their way into Cambodia, thus influencing the culture to include Christian worship places and churches. A Christian and Missionary Alliance, now known as the Khmer Evangelical Church, was founded in Cambodia in 1923 and by 1962 had converted 2,000 Khmer people, now 240,000 in present day Cambodia. Especially during the Pol Pot Regime, Christians were vastly persecuted in Cambodia with 90% of Pastors and Priests being killed. Christians have only been allowed to pray and worship publicly since 1990. Christianity is appealing more and more to the Khmer people due to its messages of love and grace, as well as the many churches and missionary homes that are established to provide support and growth for those affected by the Khmer Rouge.
French Colonisation Impact
The French colonised Vietnam in the 19th Century until 1954, and thus impacted Cambodian culture and society as Vietnams borders expanded and colonisers travelled into Cambodia and other parts of Indo-China. Various consequences have occurred due to this colonisation, and Khmer society has far more diversity from French culture than many other parts of the Eastern world.
A popular Cambodian dish is their Red Curry, and due to French influence, instead of rice it is served with bread, a far more Western carbohydrate, though has remained prevalent since it gained popularity to be eaten with this dish. Cambodians are believed to eat more bread than any other country in Asia, due to the French introduction of bread, and thus it is normal to find baguettes, called nom pang in Khmer, in Cambodian supermarkets and stores, not only in the cities such as Phnom Penh, but also in rural villages. Other foods now found in Khmer culture from the French are broccoli, potato, coffee and chocolate.
Cambodian clothing include the wearing of a krama, a scarf used around the head or neck that soaks up sweat or sunlight, effective during long working days in rice and agricultural fields in the intense humidity of Cambodia. As Buddhism grew in Cambodia a blouse, shirt and trouser were worn commonly during the day, though due to French colonisation in nearby Vietnam, Western clothing became popular, and thus men wore button shirts and belts, and women wore straight dresses and began wearing make up.
The Khmer language expanded to include French words, some of which are listed below:
English Translation French Khmer
Newspaper Gazette Kasaitte
German Allemand A'laMong
Christmas Noel Bon Noel
Coffee Cafe Ka-Fae
Chemistry Chimie Khee-Mee
Greek Grec Krek
English Anglais Ang-Kles
Refrigerated Glacer Gla-Say
Other cultural impacts on Cambodia have been the Western introduction of music, and while many Khmer children do not know a word of English, it is not uncommon to hear them singing American or British songs, as they are repetitively played on radios.