Landmines: yes, Cambodia has them. This is another topic I am often asked about. Cambodia actually has quite a few landmines, remnants of years of conflicts between several different factions. Buried in the ground, they were originally intended to kill or maim enemy soldiers or to explode advancing tanks and other heavy equipment. Unfortunately, even though the conflicts are over, the mines are still present and dangerous; they are set off by farmers, animals, or construction traffic. Cambodia today has some of the highest rates in the world for number of amputees (due to landmine injuries) and number of mines in the country. So--the general rule of thumb in rural Cambodia (and most of Cambodia is just that: rural) is to stay on the beaten path. While de-mining operations have been under way for awhile, they are a tedious process, and there is a lot of land that has yet to be made safe. Areas that are known to be heavily mined (particularly along national borders) are often marked, as in this picture.
If you are curious for more information about how the presence of mines impacts life in Cambodia, and how the de-mining process works, check out this recent episode of a show called In Harm's Way about dangerous occupations. It is informative, although I warn you that you'll be getting your info along with a hefty dose of melodrama and suspenseful music :) Here's this link if you want to watch all or part of it (on the right, click on the landmine episode to view it):
