Sophal

From left: Samdech Chea Sim, Chairman of the Senate and CPP President; Samdech Preah Bat Norodom Sihanouk, King of Cambodia; Prince Norodom Ranariddh, President of the National Assembly and Funcinpec Party President; and Samdech Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Cambodia and CPP Vice President. (Photo taken in 1998)

Blessing Dance-- The Khmer traditional dance dates back to the Angkor-era as it is seen on the carvings at various temples in Siem Reap. The Blessing Dance troupe comprises seven woman dancers with a leading one and the dance is usually performed at national festivities to bless the king and ther distinguished guests.

His Majesty King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia presides over the opening ceremony of the 3rd World Buddhist Conference at the Royal Palace. About 2,000 delegates from 16 countries are attending the conference, which lasts from 5 to 9 December, 2002.

Phnom Daun Penh or Wat Phnom as widely known to the locals, the ex-residence of legendary Grandma Penh, is now one of the most important tourist attractions of Cambodia's capital city.

Cambodian Pagoda

Some 95 percent of Cambodia’s population adheres to Theravada (Hinayana) Buddhism. Buddhists built many pagodas throughout the country to serve their religious needs. Pagodas can take a number of shapes, depending on the country of influence, but all are used as shrines, memorials, or tombs.

Khmer Rouge Carnage

The Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, killed close to 1.7 million people in the mid- to late 1970s. In this photo, human bones and skulls fill a museum in Cambodia that had been used as a prison and torture center during Pol Pot’s reign.

Land Mines in Cambodia

Decades of war have left Cambodia one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. Millions of land mines remain in the country, causing injuries, preventing farming, and blocking access to water, fuel, and markets. Here, a Cambodian man who has been trained in de-mining procedures probes for a mine beneath a triangular detection marker.

Water Wheel

A farmer operates a water wheel, which is used to bring water from a nearby stream to his fields. Rice, the most important crop in Cambodia, requires fields to be flooded with a few inches of water. Farmers plant about four-fifths of their cultivated land in rice.

Rubber Plantation in Cambodia

Rubber has long been an important export crop for Cambodia. These workers are collecting latex, a milky white substance used in the production of rubber. They make a diagonal cut in the bark of the rubber tree and then allow the latex to drip from the bottom of the cut into a cup.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

This 12th-century stone structure in central Cambodia is part of Angkor Wat, the largest temple complex in the world. Angkor Wat covers an area of about 80 hectares (about 200 acres) and has a moat with a circumference of almost 4 km (almost 2.5 mi). Angkor Wat was built by King Suryavarman II as a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Vishnu.

Hun Sen and Norodom Ranariddh

From 1993 to 1997 Cambodia had two prime ministers, Hun Sen, left, and Prince Norodom Ranariddh, right. Here, the two leaders confer during a conference in Tokyo, Japan, in 1996.

Bayon Temple, Angkor Thum

The giant faces carved on the Bayon temple at the Angkor Thum complex in northwestern Cambodia represent both the Buddha and King Jayavarman VII (ruled about 1130-1219). Although a Buddhist temple, Angkor Thum was modeled after the great Hindu temple complex of Angkor Wat.

U.S. Bombing of Cambodia

From 1969 to 1973, during the Vietnam War, the United States bombed Cambodia in order to destroy Vietnamese Communist strongholds there. In this picture, U.S. soldiers survey the Cambodian town of Snuŏl after it has been almost completely flattened by U.S. bombers.

Pol Pot

Pol Pot is a pseudonym for the Cambodian guerrilla commander Saloth Sar, who organized the Communist guerrilla force known as the Khmer Rouge. The Khmer Rouge ousted General Lon Nol in 1975, establishing a brutal Communist regime that killed millions khmer people and ruled until 1979.

Bustling Capital

Bicycles, scooters, and rickshaws crowd the streets in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh.

River Village

Houses in this Cambodian village are constructed on stilts to provide protection when the Mekong River floods, a frequent occurrence during the rainy season from May to November.