Khmers

Khmers 

(Cambodians), a nation, the main population of Cambodia. Population, more than 6 million in Cambodia (1970, estimate); in addition, there are more than 600,000 Khmers living in South Vietnam and more than 350,000 in Thailand. They speak Khmer (Cambodian). Their religion is Hinayana Buddhism.

The Khmer nationality formed at the beginning of the Common Era when numerous Khmer tribes, probably the indigenous inhabitants of southern Indochina, unified with neighboring Indonesian tribes, under the influence of the higher cultures of neighboring countries, especially India. The Highland Khmer tribes inhabiting almost inaccessible localities remained unaffected. Anthropologically, the Khmers belong to the southern Mongoloids, but they have certain Veddoid-Australoid features, which are particularly evident in the mountain Khmers. The main occupation of the Khmers is farming (rice and corn); cattle breeding and fishing are also important.

REFERENCES

Narody lugo- Vostochnoi Azii. Moscow, 1966.
Steinberg, D. Cambodia. New Haven, Conn., 1959.
Migot, A. Les Khmers. Paris, 1960.
Delvert, J. Le paysan Cambodgien. Paris, 1961.

S. A. ARUTIUNOV