Chapter Phnom Penh

Alumni Bocconi Phnom Penh was founded at the beginning of 2011 by Mr. Matteo Marinelli (BlueOrchard Finance S.A.). 

Mr. Matteo Marinelli became the Phnom Penh Chaper Leader in 2011 and together with two friends of his, Mr. Livio Valenti and Ms. Elisa Sabbion, is now trying to set up different social and business oriented initiatives.

For the moment we are a small but united family. If you are a Bocconi Alumni and you leave and work in Cambodia or you are aware of a fellow Alumnus who does, please get in touch with us and don’t be shy to drop us an email at areacambogia@alumnibocconi.it

 

Welcome!

Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of politics, economics, cultural heritage, and diplomacy of Cambodia.

Once known as the “Pearl of Asia”, it was considered one of the loveliest French-built cities in Indochina in the 1920s.
Phnom Penh, along with Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, are significant global and domestic tourist destinations for Cambodia. Founded in 1434, the city is noted for its beautiful and historical architecture and attractions. There are a number of surviving French colonial buildings scattered along the grand boulevards.

Situated on the banks of the Tonlé Sap, Mekong and Bassac rivers, the Phnom Penh metropolitan area is home to more than 2 million of Cambodia’s population of over 14 million. The city is the wealthiest and most populous city in Cambodia and is home to the country’s political hub.
 

Cambodia

 Cambodia officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia (and publicized as ‘the Kingdom of Wonder’), is a country in Southeast Asia that borders Thailand to the west and northwest, Laos to the northeast, Vietnam to the east, and the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest. The geography of Cambodia is dominated by the Mekong River and Tonlé Sap lake. The kingdom is a constitutional monarchy with King Norodom Sihamoni as head of state and Prime Minister Hun Sen as head of government. Phnom Penh is the kingdom's capital and largest city and is the center of political, commercial, industrial and cultural activities. Siem Reap is the main destination for tourism and gateway to the Angkor region. Battambang, the largest province in northwestern Cambodia, is known for its rice production, and Sihanoukville, a coastal city, is the primary sea port and beach resort.

Cambodia has an area of 181,035 square kilometres (69,898 sq mi) and a population of 14.8 million people. Theravada Buddhism is the official religion of Cambodia, which is practiced by around 96% of the Cambodian population. The country's minority people number around 1.9 million Vietnamese, 1.2 million Chinese, 317,000 Chams and over 20 various hill tribes. It is estimated that 30% of the total population lives below the poverty line. 

Agriculture has long been the most important sector to the Cambodian economy, with around 80% of the population relying on agriculture for their livelihood (with rice being the principal crop and mostly a rain-fed subsistence agriculture system). In the last decade there has been rapid economic and industrial growth. Other important sectors include garments, construction, textiles, and tourism. After averaging a GDP growth rate of 11.1% between 2004 and 2007, the government of Cambodia conceded that the economy slowed in 2009 with a growth rate of 0.1%, its weakest performance since records began in the mid-1990s. Cambodia’s GDP growth in 2010 was estimated at 6.7% by the World Bank while the EIU estimates real GDP growth in 2010 at just 4.1% and the central bank’s estimate is 5.9%. Cambodia's economic recovery continues to gain momentum.  The Kingdom is projected by the ADB and World Bank to grow by 6.5% in 2011. The EIU forecasts the economy will expand by 5.1% in 2011 and by 6.3% in 2012. Cambodia ranks 124th out of 169 countries concerning the Human Development Index with a “medium human development”. 

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