Cambodia
Cambodia, or its official name The Kingdom of Cambodia and formerly known as the Khmer Empire, is a country located in the southern part of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. The total land area is 181,035 square kilometers. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the northeast, Vietnam to the east, and to the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest. With a population of 15 million, Cambodia is the 69th most populous nation in the world. Its official religion is the Theravada flow of Buddhism practiced by about 95 percent of its population. Among Cambodian minorities are Vietnam, China, Cham, and 30 upstream tribes. The capital and largest city of Phnom Penh, Cambodia's political, economic and cultural center. This constitutional monarchy was sheltered by Norodom Sihamoni, the king elected as head of state by the Royal Throne Council. The head of government is Hun Sen who is now the longest serving non-king of Southeast Asia and has reigned in Cambodia for over 25 years. The ancient name Cambodia is "Kambuja".