Cambodia gained independence from France in 1953. In 1975, the Communist Khmer Rouge forces took Phnom Penh and began their brutal domination of the country. During Pohl Pot’s reign, at least 1.5 million Cambodians were executed or died of starvation. Following the 1978 Vietnamese invasion 13 years of civil war ensued. In early 1999 the final sections of the Khmer Rouge succumbed, and in 2003 a coalition government was formed.

The country’s economy still suffers from the civil war, while the GDP increases, it is still low for the region. The majority of rural households depend upon agriculture to survive. Much of the population lacks basic education and production skills, especially in the countryside.