The Famous Angkor Wat

Location:
Siem Reap
Latitude/Longitude:
13.363253300000, 103.856403000000
Journal Entry:

Take a look at Cambodia's national flag. What do you notice? The large building on Cambodia's flag is Angkor Wat, one of the most important religious centers in the world. Angkor Wat is more than just the one building that you see on the flag. Angkor is the city that is over 400 square kilometers in size. It was once the center of the Khmer Kingdom, from 800 AD to 1300 AD. The word "Angkor" translates to "City of Temples." "Wat" refers to the temple. Angkor Wat is the largest temple in Angkor.

After the demise of the Khmer empire in the 1300s AD, Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples were no longer the center of Cambodia, although the buildings were not completely neglected. Many explorers from countries that included France, Portugal and Japan visited the area and documented the impressive site. Today, the area is restored and preserved by local, national and international agencies such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In 1992, UNESCO named the site a World Heritage Site, which helps ensure that the site is preserved for future generations. The Cambodian government also invested in the site's restoration. 

Today, over 2.5 million people visit Angkor Wat each year, bringing in more than $108 million dollars for the country.

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