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Visitors
are enchanted by Angkor, the holy city of the ancient Khmer
empire. Built from the 9th to 14th centuries, the 200 temple
complex is one of the wonders of the world. Masterful sculptures
and intricate bas reliefs bring the past alive. Angkor Wat,
the largest temple, is near the small, sleepy village of Siem
Reap.
Most Cambodians
are Theravada Buddhists of Khmer extraction, but the country
also has a substantial number of predominantly Muslim Cham,
as well as ethnic Chinese, Vietnamese and small animist hill
tribes.
The country
borders Thailand to its west and northwest, Laos to its northeast,
and Vietnam to its east and southeast. In the south it faces
the Gulf of Thailand. The geography of Cambodia is dominated
by the Mekong river (colloquial Khmer: Tonle Thom or "the
great river") and the Tonlé Sap ("the fresh
water lake"), an important source of fish.
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