Cambodia suffered greatly at the hands of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge regime, where nearly 20 percent of the population, an estimated 2 million men, women, and children, died by execution, land mines, disease, and starvation. The suffering continued for years as battles for control of Cambodia raged throughout the region. Only in the past 10 years have the borders been opened, allowing freer trade and opportunities for Cambodians to rebuild decimated regions and create a more stable environment for its people. Even now, however, more than 40,000 land mines dot Cambodia and continue to cause injury and death to innocent people, and Cambodia remains one of the world's poorest countries.