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Bieszczady National Park is the third-largest national park in Poland, located in Subcarpathian Voivodeship in the extreme southeast corner of the country. In 2021, the national park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site (as an extension to the Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe).

The park was created in 1973. At the time it covered only 59.55 square kilometers (22.99 sq mi), but over the years it was enlarged four times. The last enlargements took place in 1996 (when the park incorporated the former villages of Bukowiec, Beniowa, and Carynskie) and in 1999 (when the former villages of Dzwiniacz, Tarnawa, and Sokoliki were added).

It occupies 292.02 square kilometers (112.75 sq mi), covering the highest areas of the Polish part of the Bieszczady Mountains. In 1992 the park and its surrounding areas became part of the UNESCO East Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, which has a total area of 2,132.11 square kilometers (823.21 sq mi) and includes parts in Slovakia and (since 1998) Ukraine.

Forests cover about 80% of Bieszczady National Park. The woods are mainly natural; in some cases, it can be said that they have preserved their pristine character. The highest peak in the park, Tarnica, is 1,346 meters (4,416 ft) above sea level.

Animal life is abundant with several species of endangered animals thriving in the area, among them brown bears, grey wolf, European wildcat, wild boar, European beavers, European otter, and European lynx as well as deer (such as moose) and European bison (over 500 live in the area). The park contains interesting bird species, including eagles and owls, and is home to the largest Polish population of Aesculapian snakes.

The park is sparsely populated (less than 1 person per km²), which means that animals can roam freely. The region is very popular among tourists, but there are not many facilities. Around 70% of the park is regarded as strict preserve, which means that the use of trails is restricted. The park’s authorities promote walking trips.

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An image from Bieszczady National Park Poland

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Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is 181,035 square kilometers (69,898 square miles) in area, bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, Vietnam to the east, the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest, and maritime borders with Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Phnom Penh is the nation’s capital and largest city.

The sovereign state of Cambodia has a population of over 15 million. Buddhism is enshrined in the constitution as the official state religion and is practiced by more than 97% of the population. Cambodia’s minority groups include Vietnamese, Chinese, Chams, and 30 hill tribes. The capital and largest city is Phnom Penh, the political, economic, and cultural center of Cambodia. The kingdom is an elective constitutional monarchy with a monarch, currently Norodom Sihamoni, chosen by the Royal Council of the Throne as head of state. The head of government is the Prime Minister, currently Hun Sen, the longest-serving non-royal leader in Southeast Asia, who has ruled since 1985.

The region now known as Cambodia has been inhabited since prehistoric times. In 802 AD, Jayavarman II declared himself king, uniting the warring Khmer princes of Chenla under the name “Kambuja”. This marked the beginning of the Khmer Empire, which flourished for over 600 years. The Indianised kingdom facilitated the spread of first Hinduism and then Buddhism to much of Southeast Asia and undertook many religious infrastructural projects throughout the region. Angkor Wat is the most famous of these structures and is designated as a World Heritage Site. In the fifteenth century, Cambodia experienced a decline of power, while its neighbors Vietnam and Thailand grew stronger. In 1863, Cambodia became a protectorate of France and later was incorporated into French Indochina. The country was under Japanese occupation during the Second World War before French control was restored.

Cambodia gained independence from France in 1953 and was led by King-turned politician Norodom Sihanouk. Despite Cambodia’s neutrality in the Vietnam War, the war extended into the country in 1965 with North Vietnam’s expansion of the Ho Chi Minh Trail and the establishment of the Sihanouk Trail. This led to the US bombing of Cambodia from 1969 until 1973. Following the 1970 coup which installed the right-wing pro-US Khmer Republic, the deposed King Sihanouk gave his support to his former enemies, the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot. With the support of the monarchy and North Vietnam, the Khmer Rouge emerged as a major power, taking Phnom Penh in 1975. The Khmer Rouge ruled the country and carried out the Cambodian genocide from 1975 until 1979 when they were ousted in the Cambodian–Vietnamese War. The Vietnamese-occupied People’s Republic of Kampuchea became the de facto government, with attempts to rebuild the country after the genocide mired by limited international recognition and ongoing conflict.

Following the 1991 Paris Peace Accords which formally ended the war with Vietnam, Cambodia was governed briefly by a United Nations mission (1992–93). The UN withdrew after holding elections in which around 90 percent of the registered voters cast ballots. The 1997 coup d’état consolidated power under Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Cambodian People’s Party, who remain in power. Wikipedia

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An image of a Cambodian Beach Resort

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