It’s hard to imagine that when we reach Cambodia, we will be halfway through our World Race ministry. Cambodia is still recovering from a genocide that occurred in the 1970s, and greatly struggles with human trafficking like Thailand. Please join me in praying for this country in need of healing and the love of Jesus. Please also pray for my squad and I that we would be renewed with God’s strength and perseverance during this month to continue well the race set before us (Hebrews 12:1).
Fun and Interesting Facts on Cambodia
- Capital: Phnom Penh
- Population: 15,458,332 – 211.8 people/sq mi
- Is the size of Oklahoma
- Official Language: Khmer
- Religions: Buddhist (official) 96.9%, Muslim 1.9%, Christian 0.4%, other 0.8% (2008 est.)
- Life Expectancy: 64.5 years
- Literacy Rate: 77.2%
- Meals typically consist of at least three or four dishes that ideally contrasts flavors, textures and temperatures within the meal and use plenty of herbs, leaves, pickled vegetables, dipping sauces, edible flowers, and other garnishes and condiments
- Average temperature in June is 82° with plenty of sunshine between short, heavy showers
- The infamous tyrant leader Pol Pot, who took the control of the capital in 1975, was considered one of the most notorious war criminals of modern times. Over 1.5 million people (mostly educated people, priests, and monks, nearly 25% of the population), died during the regime of the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot.
- UNESCO has listed Cambodia as the third most land-mined country in the world with more than 4 million landmines still strewn across the country causing high number of causalities
- Cambodia has the highest per-capita percentage of amputees in the world; each month there are between 300 and 700 amputations due to land-mine injuries
- Birthdays are not traditionally celebrated here and many older people may not even know their date of birth, so gifts are usually given to each other at Chaul Chnam (Cambodian New Year)
- Tarantula kebabs are a popular delicacy
- Cambodia is one of the few countries without a McDonald’s
- It is considered disrespectful to let your feet or soles point at people or things, so the feet must be tucked in when sitting
- The Cambodian flag is the only flag in the world featuring a building (the country’s famous world wonder)
- Angkor Wat, one of the seven wonders of the world, began as a Hindu temple and later transformed into a Buddhist monastery and is the largest religious monument in the world measuring 402 acres
