India Launches UPI Payments in Cambodia
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Context
- The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has officially partnered with ACLEDA Bank to introduce Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payment acceptance in Cambodia.
About Cambodia
- Cambodia is a culturally rich and largely rural nation situated in mainland Southeast Asia.
- Over 2,000 years, its civilization has absorbed cultural, religious, and architectural influences from both India and China.
- Its history reached a golden age during the classical Angkor Empire spanning the 9th to 15th century.
- The empire is famous for building the massive Angor Wat temple complexes.
Capital and Borders
- The capital city of Cambodia is Phnom Penh.
- It shares its western and northwestern borders with Thailand.
- Its northeastern border touches Laos.
- Its eastern and southeastern borders meet Vietnam.
- Its southwestern coastline opens into the Gulf of Thailand.
Key Geological Features
- Cambodia features a low-lying and self-watering basin surrounded by protective highlands.
- A vast central alluvial plain receives rich annual monsoon deposits, making it the primary rice-growing region.
- The Dangrek Mountains stand in the north.
- The Cardamom Mountains and Elephant Mountains in the southwest house Mount Aôral, which reaches a height of 1,813 m as the highest peak.
- The Mekong River flows for about 510 km through the country and acts as a major transport and economic lifeline.
- The Tonle Sap Lake System connects to the Mekong River through the Tonle Sap River.
- This lake expands in the monsoon and shrinks in the dry season, creating one of the richest freshwater fisheries in the world.
Global Reach of UPI
- Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is now live in over nine countries.
- These countries include the UAE, Singapore, Bhutan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, France, Mauritius, and Qatar.