BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Calligraphy 15
for an artistic look. Mosques (Islamic
places of worship) often contain
examples of Arabic calligraphy.
#More to explore
Arts • Monk • Printing •Writing
Calvin, John
The French religious thinker John
Calvin was one of the leaders of the Reformation.
Calvin and others wanted to
change, or reform, the Roman Catholic
church. Instead the Reformation led to
the creation of a new branch of Christianity
called Protestantism. This
became one of the three major branches
of Christianity.
Calvin was born on July 10, 1509, in
Noyon, France. He studied religion and
law during the 1520s. He also became
involved in the movement to reform
Roman Catholicism. The Catholic
church encouraged people to do good
works and to perform rituals in order to
get to heaven. But the reformers
thought that God alone decided who
went to heaven, and not because of
their actions.
In 1533 Calvin moved to Switzerland,
where he studied religious ideas,
especially those of a German priest
named Martin Luther. Like Luther,
Calvin began to reject Roman
Catholicism. Calvin began writing
down his new Protestant beliefs. He
published these beliefs in a book, which
inspired many people to become
Protestants.
Calvin became well known and moved
to Geneva (now in Switzerland). He
worked with other leaders to make this
city-state into an important center of
Protestantism. Calvin also eventually
convinced Geneva’s leaders to follow his
ideas about government. He thought
that governments should make laws
based on religious beliefs.
Calvin died in Geneva on May 27,
1564. After his death his followers,
called Calvinists, spread his ideas across
Europe. In the 1600s some English Calvinists
brought Calvinism to North
America. Today many people view
Calvin as the founding father of several
Protestant churches, including the
Reformed and Presbyterian churches.
#More to explore
Luther, Martin • Protestantism
• Reformation • Roman Catholicism
John Calvin was one of the first leaders of
the branch of Christianity called Protestantism.
He stressed faith in God above all else.
16 Calvin, John BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Cambodia
The Southeast Asian country of Cambodia
has long served as a battleground
between various countries and political
groups. The capital is Phnom Penh.
Geography
Cambodia is bordered by Laos, Thailand,
and Vietnam. The Gulf of Thailand
lies to the southwest. A low-lying
plain covers central Cambodia. In the
east the Mekong River runs through
highlands. The Tonle Sap (Great Lake)
and mountains lie in the west. Cambodia
has a tropical climate with a rainy
season and a dry season. In the lowlands
temperatures rarely drop below 80° F
(27° C).
Plants and Animals
Dense forests cover two thirds of Cambodia.
Tall evergreen trees, bamboo,
vines, and palms grow in the northern
mountains. The southwestern highlands
contain pine forests in the higher regions
and rain forests near the sea. Rice paddies,
fields of crops, and grasslands cover
the central plain.
Cambodia’s northern forests contain
elephants, wild oxen, rhinoceroses,
tigers, and leopards. The birds native to
Cambodia include herons, pelicans,
cormorants, and pheasant. The country
also has crocodiles and cobras.
People
The Khmer ethnic group makes up
about 85 percent of the population.
Chinese, Vietnamese, and Cham people
also live in Cambodia. Buddhism is the
main religion. Many rural people also
follow ancient folk religions. More than
80 percent of the population lives in
rural areas.
The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia,
is built in the traditional Cambodian
style.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Cambodia 17
Economy
About 70 percent of Cambodians are
farmers. The main crop is rice. Other
crops include cassava, corn, sugarcane,
bananas, coconuts, oranges, rubber, soybeans,
and tobacco. Cambodians also
fish and raise livestock, including cattle,
pigs, and buffalo.
Trade and manufacturing are important
parts of the economy. Cambodia’s main
products are clothing and textiles,
leather, foods, rubber goods, and logs.
History
People have lived in what is now
Cambodia for at least 6,000 years. The
most famous of Cambodia’s ancient
kingdoms was the powerful Khmer
Empire. The Khmer ruled much of
Southeast Asia from the AD 800s to the
1200s. They constructed the famous
temples of Angkor Wat in the 1100s. In
the 1300s and 1400s the neighboring
Tai peoples invaded, and Cambodia lost
much of its territory. In the 1800s
Thailand and Vietnam further divided
the country.
In the late 1800s France took control of
the region. The French merged Cambodia
with Vietnam and Laos to create the
colony of French Indochina. France
granted Cambodia its independence in
1953.
During the 1960s and 1970s the VietnamWar
spilled over into Cambodia. In
1975 a group of Communists known as
the Khmer Rouge seized control of the
country. Led by a man named Pol Pot,
the Khmer Rouge killed anyone who
opposed the new government. At least 1
million Cambodians died in what came
to be known as the “Killing Fields.”
In 1978 Communist forces backed by
Vietnam invaded Cambodia and
toppled the Khmer Rouge government.
