柬埔寨
ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា
CAMBODIA
地理位置
Geographical Location
柬埔寨位於中南半島，北界寮國，西北與泰國接壤，東南與越南為鄰，西南濱海，其南部隔暹羅灣與馬來西亞遙遙相望。全境大致為一碟狀盆地，三面為丘陵與山脈環繞，中央為一廣大富庶平原，由湄公河及其支流沖積而成，占全國面積四分之三以上。
Located in the Indochina peninsula, Cambodia is bordered to the North by Laos, to the Northwest by Thailand, to the Southeast by Vietnam, to the Southwest by sea, and to the South by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia. The landscape is characterized by a dish-shaped basin surrounded by hills and mountains. There is a central alluvial plain, formed by the Mekong River and its tributaries, which accounts for more than three fourths of the land.
人口與民族
Population and Ethnic
柬埔寨目前有約1,702萬人口，主要為高棉族，少數為占族、越南及中國人，官方語言為高棉語。
Currently the population of Cambodia is around 17,020,000. The largest of the ethnic groups in Cambodia are the Khmer, followed by Cham, Vietnamese and Chinese. The official language is Khmer.
文化特色
Cultural Features
柬埔寨文化包含佛教、印度教、法國及現代全球化的元素，其中以下高棉人文化為主要文化，其他則有高地高棉人文化等20個不同的高山族群所各自擁有的文化特色。
宗教:柬埔寨人民信仰上座部佛教(小乘佛教)者占全國人口90%，華僑則信仰大乘佛教，天主教徒大部分為越南裔，占族與馬來人則多信仰回教，信仰回教人口約有40萬人。
節日: 柬埔寨在一年當中有三個最重要的節日: 柬埔寨新年、亡人節及送水節。柬埔寨新年(Cambodian New Year)於每年4月13日至15日舉行，這是收穫季節的節束，許多農民會在雨季開始之前享受勞動的成果。亡人節(Pchum Ben)，為華人的清明節，於每年的佛歷10月1日至15日舉行，祭祀緬懷祖先。送水節(Bon Om Touk)，於每年佛曆12月15日起為期三天慶祝，每年的送水節，各省份都會派出龍舟隊，於金邊進行划舟比賽，除此之外，晚上拜月、吃扁米、放水燈、賞燈船，都是送水節時重要的習俗活動。
Cambodian culture is influenced by Buddhism, Hinduism, France and the elements of globalization. However, the Khmer culture is the dominant factor, besides 20 other ethnic groups in the mountains, including the upland Khmer group.
Religion: Cambodia is predominantly Buddhist with 90% of the population being Theravada Buddhist. Overseas Chinese are Mahayana Buddhists. Catholics in Cambodia are Vietnamese. Cham and Malay are Islam. The population of Islam in Cambodia is about 400,000.
Festivals: There are three important festivals in Cambodia: Cambodian New Year, Pchum Ben and Bon Om Touk. Cambodian New Year is celebrated from 13th to 15th of April, which marks the end of the harvest season. Many farmers enjoy reaping the crops before the rain season begins. Pchum Ben is Chinese Tomb-Sweeping Day, held from the 1st to the 15th of the 10th Khmer month, when they remember their ancestors. Bon Om Touk is celebrated for three days, from the 15th of the 10th Khmer month. Every year, each province would send a boat team to join the boat racing in Phnom Penh. In addition, praying to the moon, eating flattened rice, releasing water lanterns and watching lantern boats are important activities on Bon Om Touk.
美食特色
Features of Food
柬埔寨飲食(含高棉飲食)通常由多於一道菜組成，會使用大量的香草、樹葉、醃菜、蘸醬、食用花卉和其他裝飾品和調味品，味道、口感和溫度對比鮮明。柬埔寨的主食是米飯，也有許多米製的小吃如油炸米餅、粿條及糯米粥等。因受到法國殖民影響，法國長棍麵包也是常見的麵包，會搭配肉類、沙丁魚罐頭及雞蛋等一起食用。
A typical Cambodian cuisine (including Khmer cuisine) normally contains more than one dish, based on a large number of spices, leaves, pickles, dipping sauce, edible flowers, food decoration and seasonings, which creates a strong contrast among taste, flavor and temperature. Cambodia’s staple food is rice and many street foods are made of rice, such as crispy rice cakes, kway teow and sticky rice porridge. Due to being influenced by France during French colonial rule, baguette is the common bread, which is usually served with meat, sardines and eggs.
