TOMORROW the country of Cambodia will be celebrating their 58th anniversary, so this week, we will look at some facts about the culture of the people.

1 Cambodia is the first and only Asian nation (up to date) to have a king who is partly of French descent.

2 The kouprey, a wild forest cow, is known for its long, curving horns. One of the rarest animals in the world, the kouprey is Cambodia’s national animal.

3 The Cambodian flag is the only flag in the world that features a building.

4 Cambodia is home to one of the world’s largest religious monuments: the Angkor Wat.

5 Khmer is the official language of Cambodia and is used in most social contexts including government administration, education at all levels, and in the mass media. It is spoken by some 7 million people living there, roughly 90 per cent of the population.

6 The majority of Cambodians follow Theravada Buddhism, which teaches that life and death in this world are intertwined through the concept of reincarnation.

7 Most Cambodian young men are Buddhist monks for a short time.

8 Cambodians greet each other by pressing their palms together in front of their bodies and bowing. This is called a Sompeah, with the younger or lower ranked person normally initiating the gesture.

9 It is considered rude to point feet in Cambodia, particularly the soles, towards a person or things, so tuck them away when sitting on the floor or on a chair.

10 Angkor Wat, in the Cambodian jungle, was discovered by French explorers in the 19th century making it the Eighth Wonder of the World.

— Melaine Warren