GEOGRAPHY
Cambodia is a nation bordering Thailand and Vietnam in Southeastern Asia. The country is comparable to the size of the state of Oklahoma. The land is primarily flat plains, but the north and the south each have some mountain ranges. The climate is tropical, with a monsoon season from May to November followed by a dry season from December to April. During the rainy monsoon season, Cambodia is prone to flooding. Cambodia is also prone to drought during the dry season.
THE PEOPLE
Cambodia has a population of a little over 16 million people. The population is almost entirely of Khmer ethnic descent (97.6%), with Khmer also being the official language. Buddhism is by far the most widely practiced faith, as 96.9% of Cambodians follow this practice. The life expectancy is only 64.9 years old, ranking as one of the lower rates in the world.
ECONOMY
Cambodia has seen a large growth economically in the past twenty years. As of 2017, they had the tenth highest growth rate of GDP amongst any country in the world. This can be credited to strong improvements in tourism and construction. Even with this rapid development, Cambodia is still one of the poorest countries in Asia, with a GDP of only $4,000 and 17.7% of the population living below the poverty line.
EDUCATION
Cambodia has been making strides to improve the education system. In the past 50 years, the literacy rate has increased from 40% all the way to 77%. The government has been investing more funding into education but there is still a lack of resources in schools. Schools are under staffed, resulting in teachers trying to manage more students per classroom. Higher education is inaccessible to many Cambodians because the schooling comes with fees that are difficult to afford.
HEALTH CARE
Alongside the rapidly growing economy, Cambodia has also seen a great increase in the quality of healthcare. Reforms in the 1990s have shown a large improvement in life expectancy for Cambodians. Seems as though Cambodia is on its way to having a quality healthcare system, but as with the current economy, it is going to take time to catch up with the rest of the world.
HEMOPHILIA IN CAMBODIA
According to the World Hemophilia Federation, there are 131 Cambodians living with Hemophilia. Although their healthcare system has been improving, it still lags behind the most developed countries in the world so it is very likely that there are even more Cambodians who are unaware that they have Hemophilia. As medical services improve, more and more Cambodians will be able to get the proper care that they need.
