Definition of Khmer people

The Khmer people are the predominant ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the 13.9 million people in the country. Part of the larger Mon-Khmer ethnolinguistic peoples found throughout Southeast Asia, they speak the Khmer language. The majority of the Khmer are followers of the Khmer style of Buddhism, a highly syncretic version which blends elements of Hinduism, animism and ancestor-spirit worship. Significant populations of Khmers reside in adjacent areas of Thailand (Northern Khmer) and the Mekong Delta region of neighboring Vietnam (Khmer Krom). The Khmers are usually typical of Southeast Asians in physical appearance, similar to Thais and Laotians. Physical variations are far from being homogeneous as a result of centuries of intermixing with Indians, Malays, and Chinese people.