People

Khmer is both the dominant language and dominant ethnic group in Cambodia. Eighty percent of the more than 14 million people who live in Cambodia identify themselves as Khmer and speak the language. Chinese, Vietnamese, Khmer Loeu, and Cham are Cambodia's other major ethnic groups.

Although many older Cambodians speak French, the language of Indochina’s former colonists, younger Cambodians have preferred to learn English. No fewer than half of Cambodia's population is under the age of 22, and the population's life expectancy has increased dramatically during the past decade. Although tourism has now become one of Cambodia's main industries, many people in the country's more rural areas remain unaccustomed to foreign visitors.