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In rural areas, families live in rectangular houses raised off the ground on stilts. Sometimes the stilts are up to three metres high, to keep the house above the monsoon floods. There are two ladders or wooden staircases so people can get into their house.
Traditional houses are made of wood. They have a steep, thatched roof to keep the rain out, and woven bamboo walls that divide the house into separate rooms. People build their houses themselves, with help from their neighbours. Once the house is finished, the family holds a house-raising ceremony to celebrate.
Most houses have a living room and two bedrooms, one for the parents and the other for unmarried daughters. Sons sleep wherever they can find space. The kitchen is a separate building behind the house. Many families also have a toilet - usually just a pit in the ground - a little way away from the house. The space under the house is ideal for storage, and for keeping the family's animals. It's also a cool place to sit in the heat of the day. Poor families' houses are much smaller - often only four by six metres, with just one room for living and sleeping for the whole family.
In the cities, there are many different styles of building, made of wood, concrete, brick or stone.
Find out more about Cambodian culture
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