Recent work carried out at Angkor
by the Greater Angkor Project (GAP) used advanced radar remote sensing
applications to map the city and its environs. The project determined the urban
complex of about 200-400 square kms, encircled by a large agricultural complex
of farmlands, local villages, temples and ponds, all linked by a web of earthen-walled
canals.
The GAP newly identified at least 74 buildings as possible
temples. The outcomes from the survey declare that the city of Angkor, including
the temples, agricultural fields, residences (or occupation mounds), and
hydraulic network, covered a region of almost 3000 square kilometers over the
length of its occupation, making Angkor the biggest low-density pre-industrial
city on earth.
Because of the huge aerial spread of the city, and also the
clear emphasis on water catchment, storage and redistribution, members of the
GAP call Angkor a 'hydraulic city', in that villages in the greater Angkor area
were set up with local temples, each encompassed by a shallow moat and
traversed by earthen causeways. Large waterways linked cities and rice fields, acting
both as irrigation and roadway.
Civilization of Modern Khmer
Mekong River meets Tonle Sap Lake at Phnom Penh, creating a
pleasant distinctive site for celebrating cultural and social events each year
and thus for different industrialization areas. The Dangrek mountain (Northern
area), the Cardamom Mountains ( Northern and Eastern) and the Elephant
Mountains (Southern) supply the Kingdom with a lot of advantages such as
obscure wild monsoon which carries hard storms and cyclone, wildlife and
different high class types of tropical trees, streams and waterfalls, as well
as hideouts for rebels through the history and other mystical things that is
worthwhile of getting experience into.
The inhabitants includes ethnical Khmer in the biggest, associated
with ethnical Vietnamese, ethnical Chinese, Cham, Muslim and Hill tribes
dwelling at far distant northeast. Most Khmers accounted for 80 percent are
farmers growing rice. Vietnamese supply the country with skilled workers, while
Chinese dominate many of business ownership. The mountain tribes live at rural
area on the northeast practicing slash and burn agriculture.
The Cambodian language is Khmer, which is inherited itself -
and advanced in education with employing Indic languages Pali and Sangkrit from
India .
Furthermore, some technical languages are borrowed from French. However, English
is typically communicated in hotels and business compounds at present days.
Located in the tropical area, Cambodia is bathed in sun most of
all year long. There are two main seasons: the rainy season and dry season. Each
season creates a refreshing change. The moist, rainy season endures from April
to October. Temperatures vary from 27-35 degrees Celsius. The hottest month is
April once the temperatures may get to 41 degree C these times. The cool, dry
season endures from November to March, with temperatures between 17-27 degrees
C. December to January is the coolest times at around 27 degrees C.
Holidays and Special Events in Cambodia
International Half Marathon (10km run) at Angkor Wat ( Late
December every year). The Kingdom is happy with the host nation providing the
organization of International Half Marathon at Siem Reap on the spot of Angkor
Wat late December ( around the 20th) each year. Members from all over Cambodia
and also the world enjoy the 10 km running of the International Half Marathon
around the compound of Angkor Wat, wherein large evergreen tropical trees, cool
weather and also the attractiveness of the Angkor Wat with a large number of
participants and spectators are of special and excellent interests.
The Khmer New Year Days (April 14 - 16) the nature of the
Khmer New Year is celebrated in Cambodia
as a whole marking the change of New Year. All Buddhist temples are packed with
people properly clothed in various colors giving foods to Buddhist monks. Each
house, brilliantly embellished, setting up the shrine full of fruits and
beverages to please and gain the bless from the spirit of Heaven's God as the
New Year is proceeding.
City streets are very well adorned in local design, shinning
in night lights not the same as any day in the year. The 3 day celebration
marks the bless and rice harvest done during the year. It's a great time; travelers
ought to invest time to seriously understand the role and process of Buddhism
as well as particular concepts of Hinduism in Cambodia
