It is a sad fact that the small kingdom of Cambodia - for centuries the cradle of a rich and sophisticated civilisation which shaped the destiny of South East Asia - is now known principally for the excesses of the Khmer Rouge government in the 1970s. As the country slowly rebuilds its shattered infrastructure to meet the challenges of the 21st century, it welcomes collaboration with other countries, not least in the cultural field.

Based on Visiting Arts' ground-breaking Cambodia Arts Directory (2002), the new Cambodia Cultural Profile will commence with a helpful introduction to the country and its geography/topography, history, government, population, language, society, economy, religion and education system, before offering a detailed sector-by-sector guide to Archives, Competitions and Awards, Ethnic Culture, Festivals, Film, Funding, Government Cultural Policy and Infrastructure, Heritage, International Exchange, Libraries, Literature, Mass Culture, Media (Broadcasting, Press, Publishing, Internet), Performing Arts, Research, Tourism, Training and Visual Arts. As always, an extensive directory of contacts in these sectors is provided, making it possible for the reader not only to learn about what is happening in a particular cultural sector but also to make direct contact with the key people working in it.

The Cambodia Cultural Profile forms part of the Greater Mekong Cultural Profiles project, which also incorporates online Cultural Profiles of Việt Nam (click here to view this online profile) and Laos (forthcoming). The Greater Mekong Sub Region Cultural Profiles project is generously funded by the Rockefeller Foundation.