Cambodia

Flag Of Cambodia

          Cambodia is a country that is located in Southeast Asia mainland. It is sometimes called Kampuchea. Officially, Cambodia is known as the Kingdom of Cambodia and was once known as the Khmer Empire.



LOCATION & GEOGRAPHY

Cambodia (green) on Southeast Asia map

          Cambodia covers an area 181,035 square kilometers (69,898 sq mi). 97.5 % is land and 2.5 % is water. It lies between latitudes 10° and 15°N and longitudes 102° and 108°E. Cambodia borders with Laos to the north, Thailand to the north and west, and Vietnam to the east. Cambodia has 443 kilometers (275 mi) of coastline along the Gulf of Thailand to its south. With an elevation of 1,813 meters, Phnom Aural is the highest peak in Cambodia. The Mekong River, the longest river, flows south through the eastern part of the country. 
          
          As a tropical country, Cambodia is warm to hot all year round with high average temperature. There are two different seasons, the monsoon and the dry. The monsoon is normally from May to October and the dry season runs from November to April with average temperatures from 27 to 40 degrees Celsius. The coolest and most comfortable months are from October to January.

Topography of Cambodia

HISTORY


          During most of its history, Cambodia has been a monarchy. Around A.D. 100, people in the southern part of what is now Cambodia established the kingdom of Funan. This kingdom became one of the greatest early powers in Southeast Asia. Funan gradually lost its power, and by the A.D. 600s, a new kingdom, Chenla arose in the north of Funan. The Chenla kingdom lasted until the A.D. 700s.

          From the A.D. 800s until the 1400s, the Khmer was a powerful empire in Southeast Asia. The capital was Angkor. The Khmer built hundreds of beautiful stone temples in Angkor and other areas. They also built irrigation channels, hospitals, and roads. During the 1100's, the Khmer empire reached its peak when it took over much of the land that is now Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. Problems within the royal family, changing trade routes, and wars with the Thai weakened the Khmer empire. 

          In 1431, Thai forces captured Angkor and the Khmer left the city. However, an independent Khmer kingdom, with its capital near what is now Phnom Penh, survived for another 400 years. In the 1800s, France took control of Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. This region was known as French Indochina. The capital was Saigon from 1887 to 1902, and Hanoi from 1902 until 1954. Japanese and Thai forces occupied Cambodia from 1941 to 1945, during World War II. 

          Cambodia received their independence after the French recognized it in 1953. In 1955, King Norodom Sihanouk gave up the throne in order to take a more active role in politics. He took the title of Prince, and became prime minister in 1955 and head of state in 1960.



RELIGION

Sliver Pagoda, Cambodia

          Theravada Buddhism is the main religion in Cambodia, which is practice by around 95 percent of the population. Buddhism has existed in Cambodia since at least the 5th century. Since the 13th century, Theravada Buddhism has been the Cambodian state religion. There are about 4392 Theravada Buddhist pagodas throughout the country. About 2.2 percent of the Cambodian population is Muslim. Most of these Muslims are the Cham, an ethnic group that typically lives in towns and rural fishing villages on the banks of Tonle Sap Lake and the Mekong River. Most of the Malay minorities in Cambodia are also Muslims.

          Two percent of the Cambodian population is Christian. There are about 100 Christian organizations that operate freely throughout the country. There are 1,292 churches, 1,224 of them are Protestant and 68 are Catholic. However, only about 1,000 of these churches are officially registered. Other religions with small followings include 10,000 members of the Baha'i Faith and 3,000 ethnic Vietnamese Cao Dai.




LANGUAGE

Khmer language on the signboard

          Khmer is the language for Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. It is used in government administration, education at all levels, and the media. Khmer consists 33 consonants, 23 dependent vowels and 12 independent vowels. French was once the language of the government in Indochina. It is still spoken by many older Cambodians. Many people from the Khmer-Chinese population speak Mandarin.  Today, English is commonly used in hotels and businesses.


CUISINE

Cambodian cuisine

          Cambodian cuisine includes noodles, soups, grills, curries, salads, desserts, vegetables, tropical fruits, and rice, which is a staple food for Cambodians. The recipes are normally passed from mother to daughter. Noodle dishes are the most popular and every dish includes a bowl of rice. Normally, the rice is served with at least three other dishes. Each of the individual dishes will be either sweet, sour, salty or bitter. Chilis are usually left up to the individual to add. There are many different rice varieties in Cambodia, such as Jasmine, Neang Khon, and Neang Minh among others. 

          French has also affected the Cambodian cuisine. It includes the Cambodian red curry with toasted baguette bread. The toasted baguette breads are dipped in the curry and eaten. Cambodian red curry is also eaten with rice and rice vermicelli noodles.


MUSIC


          Cambodian music is influenced by both ancient forms and Hindu forms. Religious dances that normally describe stories and ancient myths are common. Some dances are accompanied by a pinpeat orchestra, which includes a roneat (bamboo xylophone), pai au (flute), gong (bronze gong), ching (cymbal), and various kinds of drums. There are two categories in Cambodian pop music: ramkbach and ramvong. Ramkbach is closely related to Thai folk music and ramvong is slow dance music.

          In Siem Reap province, a form of music called Kantrum has become popular. It is a fast traditional dance music. Modern Cambodian pop music is often presented in karaoke vcd. Usually, an actor or an actress or both mimic the lyrics to the song by moving their mouths like they are actually singing the song.



GOVERNMENT

Cambodia National Assembly

          Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy. The king, who is selected by the Royal Council of the Throne from the members of the royal family, is head of state. The king, however, only has ceremonial powers. The government is headed by the prime minister, who is selected by the head of the National Assembly and appointed by the king. Cambodia's legislature consist of a 123-seat National Assembly and a 61-seat senate. The members of the National Assembly are chosen by voters. Local counselors, National Assembly members, and the king choose the members of the senate. All of the members will serve only one five-year term.



ARCHITECTURE

Cambodia traditional house

          The house of the local people in ancient Khmer was more or less similar to those found today in villages of modern Cambodia. It is elevated about two and a half meters above the ground. The house is make by wooden piles which supported the walls, floor, and roof and will have the wooden ladder. Another type of house which is the wall make up of bamboo or the straw with the roof covered with the thatched leaves of dry coconut palms.

          The architecture of the dignitaries' houses and the palaces are different from the other house. They used the good materials to build the house that is consist of stronger wooden planks, generally made up of teak wood. The roof covered with tiles for the inner rooms. These are the differences where normal people cannot even put up a single tile on their roof.


INTERESTING FACTS


          The Cambodian flag is the only flag in the world that has an image building on it. Tonle Sap in Cambodia is the largest inland lake in Southeast Asia. Soccer, introduced by French, is one of the most popular sports in Cambodia but the other sport such as baseball, golf, volleyball, and field hockey are also popular.


SOURCES

*http://www.cambodia-travel.com/information/geography.htm
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Cambodia
*http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2010/148861.htm
*http://www.tourismcambodia.org/contents/about_cambodia/index.php
*http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/world/cambodia-government.html
*http://ringroundtheworld.org/content/cambodia-music
*Software MacKiev's World Book  2012 Edition

Mauritania

                The Islamic Republic of Mauritania, or Mauritania, is a nation in the Maghreb region of western North Africa. It is one of the poorest countries in the region. Mauritania has a unique culture and history.


LOCATION

          

          Mauritania is located at 20° N latitude, 12° W longitude. The area of Mauritania is 398,000 sq miles or about 1 million km². It is bordered by Western Sahara on the north, Senegal on the south and Mali and Algeria on the east. The capital city is Nouakchott. Mauritania is also part of the Sahel region.


GEOGRAPHY

Mauritania from space

         
          The Sahara desert covers most of Mauritania. As a result, Mauritania remains hot throughout the year. In the Saharan area, rain usually falls from July to September with annual precipitation of 150 mm or 5.9 in. Kediet ej Jill is a mountain in Tiris Zemmour, Mauritania. At 915 m (3,002 ft) tall, it is the highest peak in Mauritania. The Sebkha de Ndrhamcha, a large salt pan, is the lowest point of Mauritania.




HISTORY
   
          From the A.D. 300s to the 1500s, some areas in Mauritania were part of Ghana, Mali, and the Songhai empire. In the middle of the 1000s, the Berber speaking Sanhaja people established a group that was inspired by the leaders of a ribat, or religious settlement. This group was known as Al-Murabitun (men of the ribat). Because of Spanish mispronunciation, the term Al-Murabitun became Almoravids. They eventually controlled the northwestern corner of Africa and the southern parts of Portugal and Spain. They ruled until April, 1147, when their last king was killed.

          In the 1400s, the Portuguese landed in Mauritania. From the 1600's to the 1800's, France, United Kingdom, and Netherlands were coming to Mauritania. They competed for the Mauritanian gum arabic trade. Gum arabic or also called acacia gum is a natural gum made of hardened sap that are take from the acacia tree. In 1902, France began to occupy Mauritania. They also set up a protectorate here in 1903. The first governor was Xavier Coppolani. He was from the French military.

          In 1920, Mauritania became a French colony. It became a territory in the French Union in 1946. The French Union is an organisation that linked France and its overseas territories. In 1958, Mauritania became a self governing republic in the French Community. The French Community is a group of independent countries and other political units that succeeded the French Union. Mokhtar Ould Daddah was elected as the president in 1959. He was supported by many Moorish leaders and educated blacks. He favored independence and close ties with other west African countries. 

          On Nov. 28, 1960, Mauritania became an independent country. However, Morocco did not recognise their independence. Morocco claimed that Mauritania was historically Moroccan territory. Some of Ould Daddah's opponents went to Morocco and worked to unite the two countries. Morocco finally recognized Mauritania's independence in 1970.


PEOPLE
 
          The Moors make up the majority of people in Mauritania. The Moors are descendants of Arabs and Berbers. They can be split into two main groups, which are the black Moors and white Moors. The white Moors are called Bidan and the black Moors are called Haratine. In Mauritania, they speak an Arabic dialect called Hassaniya. Some of them lead a nomadic life, living in tents and moving over the desert with their cattle to find waterholes and pasture. The term "black and white" does not refer to skin color, but to social status and family heritage. The white Moors have a higher status than black Moors. 

          About a third of Mauritania's people are black Africans that are from separate ethnic groups. Many of them are farmers who live in villages along the Senegal River. Their houses are normally made of dried mud brick. Many of them also live in other city such as Nouakchott and Nouadhibou. The largest black ethnic group is the Toucouleurs. They are mostly Muslim, however, animist is also practiced by some of them. The other ethnic groups are Fulani, Soninke, Wolof, and Bambara.


GOVERNMENT 


          Mauritania is an Islamic republic where the executive president is head of state and is assisted by a prime minister who acts as head of the council of ministers and head of the government. Presidential elections have been scheduled every six years since 1992. The people can vote at the age of eighteen. The legal system is based on Islamic Sharia law and modern western law. The legislative branch includes a bicameral legislature consisting of a fifty-six seat senate that are elected by municipal mayors for six-year terms, and a seventy-nine seat national assembly elected by popular vote for five-year terms. The lower courts, supreme court and an appeals court make up the judicial branch in Mauritania.



RELIGION

         

          Islam is the official religion for this country. 100% of its citizens are Muslim, although there is small community of Christians that are foreigners. Islam has been in Mauritania since the 10th century. Muslims who are convert from Islam will lose their citizenship and their property. Apostasy is illegal in Mauritania and if someone who converts do not recant within three days, they can be sentenced to death under Mauritanian law. 

          There is a Roman Catholic church here. The government does not recognize it, but it also does not intervene. The government can block the printing, importation, or public distribution of Bibles or other non-Islamic religious literature. However, it is not illegal if you have the Bible. Every year, Muslim holy days are national holidays.



LANGUAGE


          Arabic is the official language of Mauritania. French, however, is widely spoken by the people and the media. Soninke, Wolof and Fula are also recognized as national languages. The Moors speak Hassaniya, a dialect of Arabic. Zenaga, a Berber language, was once spoken in much of Mauritania. Today, however, only a tiny group of about 200 or 300 speakers of the Zenaga language may be left as it is being totally replaced by Hassaniya.


ECONOMY



         Mauritania has a wealth of iron ore deposits and 50% of their exports are iron ore. Production of iron ore in Mauritania, however, has slowed down because of lower demand, but with the cost of gold and silver being high, the companies are opening mines in the interior. Fish is also important economy in Mauritania. The country's coastal waters are one of  the richest fishing areas in the world.

          In the Sahel region, a traditional subsistence economy exists. Livestock, agriculture, crafts, and small business support most of the population. About three-fourths of the population is involved in the traditional economy, in which raising livestock is the most important. Sheep and goats are the main important livestock, followed by cattle and camels. Cattle are raised especially in the southern region and Camels are raised mainly in the north and central regions.



CUISINE

          

Couscous with vegetables

         
          The main food in Mauritania is couscous. Couscous is prepared using wheat, millet, or barley and rolled to create small pellets. Couscous is not eaten alone, but with vegetables added. It is also served with cooked meat such as chicken and lamb. A food steamer called couscoussier is used to make the couscous. Couscous was voted as the third favorite dish of French people in 2011. Thieboudiene is the national dish in Mauritania. It’s made of fish and sweet potato, baked with red sauce made of onions, tomatoes, and chopped pepper. A lot of people eat it every single day as lunch. 

          The main beverage is mint tea. The people drink tea any time of the day. It is mixed with green tea, sugar, and mint leaves. Normally, the hot tea is poured from up high to create foam. It is also served after meals. Bissap, which is a roselle syrup, it is the other important beverage in Mauritania. Bissap is not used only as a drink. It is also made into a syrup for sweetening teas and pouring over sweetmeats.


MUSIC

Someone is playing with the tidinit

       

Mauritania’s music mostly has been influenced by the Moors. Music traditionally was used to praise warriors and also to spread news from village to village. One of the traditional instruments is tidinit. It is a simple lute with one to five strings and normally played by men. Other instruments included are tbal, or a kettle drum, and daghumma, which is a rattle. There are three different ways to play music in the Mauritanian tradition: the white way, the black way, and the mixed or “spotted” way. The white way, or al-bayda, is associated with smooth and soft music and comes from the Bidan people. The next way is al-kahla, or the black way. It is generally more masculine, and comes from the Haratin people. The mixed or “spotted” way, or l’-gnaydiya, is a combination of back and white styles.



ARCHITECTURE


          The architecture in Nouakchott is a mixture of traditional French concrete building with Asian and Spanish influences. Because of the fragile and sandy terrain, buildings in here are low. Many houses have colorful traditional mats and pillows, trays, teapots and carpets. Mattresses are placed along the walls with traditional pillows.

Inside of the house

A Traditional architecture

TODAY

Chinguetti Mosque

          
          The Chinguetti Mosque can still be found in Chinguetti, Mauritania. It was an ancient center of worship created by the founders of the oasis city of Chinguetti in the thirteenth or fourteenth century. In 1970s, the mosque was restored through a UNESCO effort. It continues, however, to be threatened by intense desertification.


SOURCES


*http://www.infoplease.com/country/mauritania.html
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Mauritania
*http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mauritania.html
*http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/essays/religious-freedom-in-mauritania
*http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/mauritania/export-import.html
*http://www.travelingeast.com/africa/mauritania/mauritanian-cuisine/
*http://www.africa.com/blog/music_in_mauritania/
*Software MacKiev's World Book  2012 Edition