Mother and daughter feeding pigeons near the Tonle Sap. Phnom Penh. Khmer people are the predominant ethnic group in Cambodia, a
Mother and daughter feeding pigeons near the Tonle Sap. Phnom Penh. Khmer people are the predominant ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the million people in the country. They speak the Khmer language, which is part of the larger Mon–Khmer language family found throughout Southeast Asia. The majority of the Khmer are followers of the Khmer style of Buddhism, a highly syncretic version which blends elements of Theravada Buddhism, Hinduism, animism and ancestor-spirit worship. Significant populations of Khmers reside in adjacent areas of Thailand (Northern Khmer) and the Mekong Delta region of neighboring Vietnam (Khmer Krom). The combination of the legendary founders of the kingdom of Kambuja, the Brahman Sage_Kambu_Swayambhuva and the naga princess Mera's names, is said to have given rise to the name Khmer. Migrations into the mainland regions of Southeast Asia from the north continued well into historic times. Most scholars believe they came at least 3,000 years ago, much earlier than Tai people who now inhabit many parts of what was originally Austroasiatic territory. The reason they migrated into Southeast Asia is generally debated, but scholars believe that Mon–Khmer were pushed down by invading Sino-Tibetans from the north as evident by Austroasiatic vocabulary in Chinese or because of agricultural purposes as evident by their migration routes along major rivers. The Khmer are relatives to the Mon who settled further to the west. The majority of the world's Khmer live in Cambodia, the population of which is 80% Khmer. There are also significant Khmer populations native to Thailand and Vietnam. There are over one million Khmer, mainly in Surin (Soren), Buriram (Borei Rom) and Sisaket (Sri Saket) provinces, in Thailand. Estimates for the number of Khmer in Vietnam (known as Khmer Krom) vary from the million given by government data to seven million advocated by the Khmer Krom Federation. Due to the Cambodian Civil War, thou
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