157-840: Democratic Kampuchea was the official name of the Cambodian state from 1976 to 1979, under the totalitarian dictatorship of Pol Pot and the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), commonly known as the Khmer Rouge . The Khmer Rouge's capture of the capital Phnom Penh in 1975 effectively ended the United States-backed Khmer Republic of Lon Nol . From 1975 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge's one-party regime killed millions of its own people through mass executions, forced labour, and starvation, in an event which has come to be known as
314-640: A Devaraja . They and their followers instituted the cult of the God-king and began a series of conquests that formed an empire which flourished in the area from the 9th to the 15th centuries. During the rule of Jayavarman VIII the Angkor empire was attacked by the Mongol army of Kublai Khan ; the king was able to buy peace. Around the 13th century, Theravada missionaries from Sri Lanka reintroduced Theravada Buddhism to Southeast Asia, having sent missionaries previously in
471-796: A multi-party state, CPP dominates the political system and dissolved its main opposition party in 2017, making it a de facto one-party state . The UN now designates it a least developed country . Cambodia is a member of the United Nations , ASEAN , the RCEP , the East Asia Summit , the WTO , the Non-Aligned Movement and La Francophonie , and a dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation . Agriculture remains
628-579: A pro-Soviet state led by the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party, a party created by the Vietnamese in 1951, and led by a group of Khmer Rouge who had fled Cambodia to avoid being purged by Pol Pot and Ta Mok . It was fully beholden to the occupying Vietnamese army and under the direction of the Vietnamese ambassador to Phnom Penh. Its arms came from Vietnam and the Soviet Union. In opposition to
785-452: A brief interruption during while the kingdom was occupied by the Japanese empire from 1941 to 1945 and simultaneously existing as the puppet state of Kingdom of Kampuchea in 1945. Between 1874 and 1962, the total population increased from about 946,000 to 5.7 million. After King Norodom's death in 1904, France manipulated the choice of king and Sisowath, Norodom's brother, was placed on
942-735: A campaign aimed at destroying NVA base areas in Cambodia (see Cambodian Incursion ). On New Year's Day 1975, Communist troops launched an offensive which, in 117 days, led to the collapse of the Khmer Republic. Simultaneous attacks around the perimeter of Phnom Penh pinned down Republican forces, while other CPK units overran fire bases controlling the vital lower Mekong resupply route. A US-funded airlift of ammunition and rice ended when Congress refused additional aid for Cambodia. The Lon Nol government in Phnom Penh surrendered on 17 April 1975, 5 days after
1099-513: A century after it is said to have taken place, the legend of the founding of Phnom Penh tells of a local woman, Penh (commonly referred to as Daun Penh ( Lady Penh in Khmer ), living at Chaktomuk, the future Phnom Penh. It was the late 14th century, and the Khmer capital was still at Angkor near Siem Reap 350 km (217 mi) to the north. Gathering firewood along the banks of the river, Lady Penh spied
1256-421: A concentration camp. Despite the ideological commitment to radical equality, CPK members, local-level leaders of poor peasant backgrounds who collaborated with Angkar, and the armed forces constituted a clearly recognizable elite. They had a higher standard of living and received special privileges not enjoyed by the rest of the population. Refugees agree that, even during times of severe food shortages, members of
1413-448: A contributing factor in hardening the population against such violence and simultaneously increasing their tolerance and hunger for it. Early explanations for the Khmer Rouge brutality suggest that the Khmer Rouge had been radicalised during the war years and later turned this radical understanding of society and violence onto their countrymen. This backdrop of violence and brutality arguably also affected everyday Cambodians, priming them for
1570-481: A floating koki tree in the river and fished it from the water. Inside the tree she found four Buddha statues and one of Vishnu. The discovery was taken as a divine blessing, and to some a sign that the Khmer capital was to be brought to Phnom Penh from Angkor. To house the new-found sacred objects, Penh raised a small hill on the west bank of the Tonle Sap River and crowned it with a shrine, now known as Wat Phnom at
1727-551: A former Khmer Rouge prison. The National Museum hosts celebrations of Cambodian dance and music, including a popular classic Apsara dance show of traditional folk dances as well as original creations. At this time, Phnom Penh celebrates Cambodian New Year , an occasion increasingly popular with tourists. During this typically hottest part of the year, water gets thrown around adding to the party atmosphere along with dancing and music. The precise date changes year-by-year but this holiday lasts, at least, three days. This festival marks
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#17328481348731884-547: A fusion of Bauhaus , European post-modern architecture , and traditional elements from Angkor . The most prominent architect was Vann Molyvann , who was nominated chief national architect by the king himself in 1956. Molyvann created landmark buildings such as the Preah Suramarit National Theatre or the Vann Molyvann House . Other architects helped construct the newly founded Royal Khmer University ,
2041-406: A government status equal to that of the provinces. The autonomous municipality is subdivided into 14 administrative divisions called khans (sections). The district s are subdivided into 105 sangkats (quarters), and further subdivided into 953 phums (villages). All khans are under the governance of Phnom Penh. Dangkao , Meanchey , Porsenchey , Sen Sok and Russey Keo are considered
2198-485: A press conference was held and Sihanouk appealed to the international media: "I appeal to you to publicise abroad this very clear stand of Cambodia—that is, I will, in any case, oppose all bombings on Cambodian territory under whatever pretext." Nevertheless, the public pleas of Sihanouk were ignored and the bombing continued. While visiting Beijing in 1970 Sihanouk was ousted by a military coup led by Prime Minister General Lon Nol and Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak . Once
2355-729: A seemingly coherent pattern. Villages were also subdivided into 'groups' ( ក្រុម krŏm ) of 15–20 households who were led by a group leader ( មេក្រុម mé krŏm ). The Khmer Rouge dismantled the legal and judicial structures of the Khmer Republic. There were no courts, judges, laws or trials in Democratic Kampuchea. The "people’s courts" stipulated in Article 9 of the constitution were never established. The old legal structures were replaced by re-education, interrogation and security centres where former Khmer Republic officials and supporters as well as others were detained and executed. After
2512-548: A social structure and labour organization. Kinds of glass beads recovered from sites, such as the Phum Snay site in the northwest and the Prohear site in the southeast, suggest that there were two main trading networks at the time. The two networks were separated by time and space, which indicate that there was a shift from one network to the other at about the 2nd–4th century AD, probably due to changes in socio-political powers. During
2669-510: A three-person committee. The committee chairman was selected by the CPK. This grassroots leadership was required to note the social origin of each family under its jurisdiction and to report it to persons higher up in the Angkar hierarchy. The number of "new people" may initially have been as high as 2.5 million. The "new people" were treated as forced labourers. They were constantly moved, were forced to do
2826-609: A wealthy widow named Penh found a Koki tree floating down the Tonlé Sap River after a storm. Inside the tree were four bronze Buddha statues and a stone statue of Vishnu . Penh ordered villagers to raise the height of the hill northeast of her house and used the Koki wood to build a temple on the hill to house the four Buddha statues, and a shrine for the Vishnu image slightly lower down. The temple became known as Wat Phnom Daun Penh, which
2983-609: Is Vattanac Capital Tower at a height of 188 metres (617 ft), dominating Phnom Penh's skyline with its neighbour skyscraper Canadia Tower (OCIC Tower). The tower was completed in December 2014. Modern high rises have been constructed all around the city, not concentrated in any one particular area. The Central Market Phsar Thmei is a tourist attraction. The four wings of the yellow colored market are teeming with numerous stalls selling gold and silver jewelry, antique coins, clothing, clocks, flowers, food, fabrics and shoes. Phsar Thmei
3140-552: Is absolutely no unemployment in Democratic Kampuchea" rings true in light of the regime's massive use of force. The constitution defined Democratic Kampuchea's foreign policy principles in Article 21, the document's longest, in terms of "independence, peace, neutrality, and nonalignment ." It pledged the country's support to anti-imperialist struggles in the Third World . In light of the regime's aggressive attacks against Vietnamese , Thai , and Lao territory during 1977 and 1978,
3297-741: Is characterised by a low-lying central plain that is surrounded by uplands and low mountains and includes the Tonle Sap (Great Lake) and the upper reaches of the Mekong River delta. Extending outward from this central region are transitional plains, thinly forested and rising to elevations of about 650 feet (200 metres) above sea level . In Cambodia forest cover is around 46% of the total land area, equivalent to 8,068,370 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, down from 11,004,790 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 7,464,400 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 603,970 hectares (ha). Of
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#17328481348733454-465: Is home to more than 2 million people, approximately 14% of the Cambodian population. The Greater Phnom Penh area includes the nearby Ta Khmau city and some districts of Kandal province . The city has hosted numerous regional and international events, the most notable being the 2002, 2012, and 2022 ASEAN Summit , the 32nd Southeast Asian Games , and the 12th ASEAN Para Games . Phnom Penh will be
3611-451: Is isolated from the central plain by the southwestern highlands. The most distinctive geographical feature is the inundations of the Tonle Sap, measuring about 2,590 square kilometres (1,000 square miles) during the dry season and expanding to about 24,605 square kilometres (9,500 square miles) during the rainy season. This densely populated plain, which is devoted to wet rice cultivation, is
3768-477: Is meant to bolster the city landscape. The Bureau of Urban Affairs of Phnom Penh Municipality has plans to expand and construct new infrastructure to accommodate the growing population and economy. High rise buildings will be constructed at the entrance of the city and near the lakes and riverbanks. Furthermore, new roads, canals, and a railway system will be used to connect Camko City and Phnom Penh. Other projects include: With booming economic growth seen since
3925-756: Is now known as Wat Phnom, a small hill 27 metres (89 ft) in height. Phnom Penh's former official name is Krong Chaktomuk Serei Mongkol ( Khmer : ក្រុងចតុមុខសិរីមង្គល , lit. "city of Brahma 's faces"), in its short form as Krong Chaktomuk (lit. "city of four faces"). Krong Chaktomuk is an abbreviation of the full name, given to it by King Ponhea Yat : Krong Chaktomuk Mongkol Sakal Kampuchea Thipadei Serei Theakreak Bavar Intabat Borei Roat Reach Seima Moha Nokor ( Khmer : ក្រុងចតុមុខមង្គលសកលកម្ពុជាធិបតី សិរីធរបវរ ឥន្ទបត្តបុរី រដ្ឋរាជសីមាមហានគរ [kɾoŋ catomuk mɔŋkɔl sakɑl kampuciətʰəpaɗəj serəj tʰeareaɓɑːʋɑː ʔenteapat ɓorəj rɔətʰariəcsəjmaː mɔhaːnɔkɔː] ). This loosely translates as "the place of four rivers that gives
4082-487: Is subject to the tropical monsoons . The southwest monsoon blows inland bringing moisture-laden winds from the Gulf of Thailand and Indian Ocean from May to November, sees high temperatures accompanied by high humidity. The dry season lasts from December to April; when overnight temperatures can drop to 22 °C (72 °F). Phnom Penh is an autonomous municipality of area 678.46 square kilometres (261.95 sq mi) with
4239-824: Is undergoing under a major renovation, along with the creation of newer stalls. The Japanese Supplementary School of Phnom Penh, formerly known in English as the Phnom Penh Japanese School, is a part-time Japanese School , operated by the Japanese Association of Cambodia (JACAM;カンボジア日本人会 Kambojia Nihonjin-kai ). It is in Sangkat Toek Thla in Sen Sok. It was established in 2002. It had 60 students in June 2011. Phnom Penh also has its own dialect of Khmer . Speakers of
4396-602: Is viewed with mixed emotions by the Cambodians. A period of reconstruction began, spurred by the continuing stability of government, attracting new foreign investment and aid by countries including France , Australia , and Japan . Loans were made from the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank to reinstate a clean water supply, roads and other infrastructure. The 1998 Census put Phnom Penh's population at 862,000; and
4553-456: The khum , assumed local government responsibilities in some areas. In January 1976, the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) promulgated the Constitution of Democratic Kampuchea. The constitution provided for a Kampuchean People's Representative Assembly (KPRA) to be elected by secret ballot in direct general elections and a State Praesidium to be selected and appointed every five years by
4710-411: The 2020 Pacific typhoon season . Cambodia's biodiversity is largely founded on its seasonal tropical forests , containing some 180 recorded tree species , and riparian ecosystems. There are 212 mammal species, 536 bird species, 240 reptile species, 850 freshwater fish species ( Tonle Sap Lake area), and 435 marine fish species recorded by science. Much of this biodiversity is contained around
4867-484: The Cambodian genocide . The killings ended when the Khmer Rouge were ousted from Phnom Penh by the Vietnamese army . The Khmer Rouge subsequently established a government-in-exile in neighbouring Thailand and retained Kampuchea's seat at the United Nations (UN). In response, Vietnamese-backed communists created a rival government, the People's Republic of Kampuchea , but failed to gain international recognition. In 1982,
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5024-485: The Great Leap Forward . Khieu Samphan and Khieu Thirith "just smiled an incredulous and superior smile." Khieu Samphan and Son Sen later boasted to Sihanouk that "we will be the first nation to create a completely communist society without wasting time on intermediate steps." Although conditions varied from region to region, a situation that was, in part, a reflection of factional divisions that still existed within
5181-520: The Gulf of Thailand and Indian Ocean from May to October. The northeast monsoon ushers in the dry season, which lasts from November to April. The country experiences the heaviest precipitation from September to October with the driest period occurring from January to February. According to the International Development Research Center and The United Nations , Cambodia is considered Southeast Asia's most vulnerable country to
5338-528: The Khmer Rouge Tribunal sought out to investigate crimes committed during the Democratic Kampuchea period and prosecute its leaders. Hun Sen has opposed extensive trials or investigations of former Khmer Rouge officials. In July 2010, Kang Kek Iew was the first Khmer Rouge member found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity in his role as the former commandant of the S21 extermination camp and he
5495-599: The Krâvanh Mountains and the Dâmrei Mountains , form another highland region that covers much of the land area between the Tonle Sap and the Gulf of Thailand . In this remote and largely uninhabited area, Phnom Aural , Cambodia's highest peak rises to an elevation of 5,949 feet (1,813 metres). The southern coastal region adjoining the Gulf of Thailand is a narrow lowland strip, heavily wooded and sparsely populated, which
5652-743: The S-21 prison camp, where people were detained and tortured. Pol Pot sought a return to an agrarian economy and therefore killed many people perceived as educated, "lazy", spies, or political enemies. Many others starved to death as a result of failure of the agrarian society and the sale of Cambodia's rice to China in exchange for bullets and weaponry. The former high school is now the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum , where Khmer Rouge torture devices and photos of their victims are displayed. Choeung Ek (the Killing Fields ), 15 kilometers (9 mi) away, where
5809-649: The Tonlé Sap in recent years, affecting the food security and agriculture of a large proportion of Cambodia's population. Cambodia has two distinct seasons. The rainy season, which runs from May to October, can see temperatures drop to 22 °C (72 °F) and is generally accompanied with high humidity. The dry season lasts from November to April when temperatures can rise up to 40 °C (104 °F) around April. Disastrous flooding occurred in 2001 and again in 2002, with some degree of flooding almost every year. Severe flooding also affected 17 provinces in Cambodia during
5966-478: The de facto government. Following the 1991 Paris Peace Accords which formally ended the war with Vietnam , Cambodia was governed by a United Nations mission (1992–93). The UN withdrew after the 1993 Cambodian general election , decided by around 90% of registered voters. The 1997 coup d'état consolidated power under Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Cambodian People's Party (CPP). While constitutionally
6123-462: The monarchy was restored with Norodom Sihanouk reinstated as King, and the first post-war election was coordinated by UNTAC . The election was won by FUNCINPEC led by Sihanouk's son Ranariddh in a hung parliament . A power-sharing agreement was agreed with Ranariddh and Hun Sen of the Cambodian People's Party both simultaneously being co-Prime Ministers after the CPP threatened to secede part of
6280-554: The next general election in 2023 . In October 2022, Hun Sen warned CPP members that the country's newest and largest opposition party, the Candlelight Party , may be dissolved before the 2023 general election. The warning comes after a June 2022 lawsuit filed by the National Election Committee against the party's deputy president, Son Chhay , accusing him of defamation by speaking out against electoral fraud by
6437-430: The red soils near Memot and in the adjacent region of Vietnam in the latter 1950s. Their function and age are still debated, and some of them possibly date from the second millennium BC. Other prehistoric sites of somewhat uncertain date are Samrong Sen (not far from the ancient capital of Oudong ), where the first investigations began in 1875, and Phum Snay , in the northern province of Banteay Meanchey . Iron
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6594-402: The yellow star " as they were seen as a sign of intellectualism. Religious institutions were targeted by the Khmer Rouge. The majority of Khmer architecture , 95% of Cambodia's Buddhist temples, were destroyed. In November 1978, Vietnamese troops invaded Cambodia in response to border raids by the Khmer Rouge and conquered it. The People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) was established as
6751-570: The "Unconditional Divisions", were a privileged group within the military. The Khmer Rouge regime was also characterized by "totalitarian puritanism" with any sex before marriage being punishable by death in many cooperatives and zones. Cambodia Cambodia , officially the Kingdom of Cambodia , is a country in Southeast Asia on the Indochinese Peninsula . It borders Thailand to
6908-536: The 1190s. The religion spread and eventually displaced Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism as the popular religion of Angkor; it was not the official state religion until 1295 when Indravarman III took power. The Khmer Empire was Southeast Asia's largest empire during the 12th century. The empire's centre of power was Angkor , where a series of capitals were constructed during the empire's zenith. In 2007 an international team of researchers using satellite photographs and other modern techniques concluded that Angkor had been
7065-437: The 1990s, new shopping venues have opened, such as Sorya Center Point, Aeon Mall Phnom Penh, Aeon Mall Sen Sok City, Aeon Mall Mean Chey and Olympia Mall. Many international brands have opened such as Mango , Salvatore Ferragamo , Hugo Boss , Padini Concept Store, Lily, Timberland , Jimmy Choo , CC Double O, MO, Brands Outlet, Nike , Converse , Pony , Armani Exchange , and Super Dry . The tallest skyscraper in Phnom Penh
7222-452: The 2008 census was 1.3 million. By 2019, its population reached over 2.2 million, based on general population census. Phnom Penh is in the south-central region of Cambodia, and is fully surrounded by the Kandal province . The municipality is on the banks of the Tonlé Sap , Mekong , and Bassac Rivers. These rivers provide freshwater and other natural resources to the city. Phnom Penh and
7379-423: The 27 administrative departments. Every khans also has a chief. As of 2019 , Phnom Penh had a population of 2,129,371 people, with a total population density of 3,136 inhabitants per square kilometre in a 679 square kilometres (262 sq mi) city area. The population growth rate of the city is 3.92%. The city area has grown fourfold since 1979, and the metro area will continue to expand in order to support
7536-615: The 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries, the Indianised states of Funan and its successor, Chenla , coalesced in what later is Cambodia and southwestern Vietnam. For more than 2,000 years, what was to become Cambodia absorbed influences from India , passing them on to other Southeast Asian civilisations that later became Thailand and Laos. The Khmer Empire grew out of the remnants of Chenla, becoming firmly established in 802 when Jayavarman II (reigned c. 790 – c. 835 ) declared independence from Java and proclaimed themselves
7693-409: The CPK during the 1970s, the testimony of refugees reveals that the most salient social division was between the politically suspect " new people ", those driven out of the towns after the communist victory, and the more reliable "old people", the peasants who had remained in the countryside. The working class was a negligible factor because of the evacuation of the urban areas and the idling of most of
7850-434: The CPK's existence. It was also around that time that it was confirmed that Pol Pot was the same person as Saloth Sar, who had long been cited as the CPK's general secretary. The Khmer Rouge government did away with all former Cambodian traditional administrative divisions. Instead of provinces, Democratic Kampuchea was divided into geographic zones, derived from divisions established by the Khmer Rouge when they fought against
8007-457: The CPP. A July 2023 Human Rights Watch report showed numerous and significant election fraud and vote tampering in the June 2022 commune elections. In the July 2023 election , the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) easily won by a landslide in a flawed election, after the disqualification of Cambodia's most important opposition, Candlelight Party . On 22 August 2023, Hun Manet was sworn in as
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#17328481348738164-562: The Cambodian conflict was largely between the government and army of Cambodia, and the armed forces of North Vietnam. As they gained control of Cambodian territory, the Vietnamese communists imposed a new political infrastructure, which was eventually dominated by the Cambodian communists now referred to as the Khmer Rouge. Documents uncovered from the Soviet archives after 1991 reveal that the North Vietnamese attempt to overrun Cambodia in 1970
8321-744: The Central Zone, there seem to have been more executions than there were victims of starvation. Little reliable information emerged on conditions in the Northeastern Zone, one of the most isolated parts of Cambodia. On the surface, society in Democratic Kampuchea was strictly egalitarian . The Khmer language , like many in Southeast Asia, has a complex system of usages to define speakers' rank and social status. These usages were abandoned, and people were forbidden to speak any language other than Khmer . Neologisms were introduced, and everyday vocabulary
8478-603: The Institute of Foreign Languages, and the National Sports Centre. With the growth of the upper and entrepreneurial middle classes, new suburbs were built in the 1950s and 1960s. Although these buildings survived the Khmer Rouge era and the civil war, today they are under threat due to economic development and financial speculation. Villas and gardens from that era are being destroyed and redeveloped to make place for bigger structures. The landmark National Theatre by Molyvann
8635-702: The KPRA. The KPRA met only once, a three-day session in April 1976. However, members of the KPRA were never elected, as the Central Committee of the CPK appointed the chairman and other high officials both to it and to the State Praesidium. Plans for elections of members were discussed, but the 250 members of the KPRA were in fact appointed by the upper echelon of CPK. All power belonged to the Standing Committee of CPK,
8792-525: The Khmer កម្ពុជា ( Kâmpŭchéa , pronounced [kampuciə] ). Kâmpŭchéa is the shortened alternative to the country's official name in Khmer ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា ( Preăh Réachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchéa , pronounced [preah riəciənaːcak kampuciə] . The Khmer endonym កម្ពុជា Kâmpŭchéa derives from the Sanskrit name कम्बोजदेश Kambojadeśa , composed of देश Deśa ("land of" or "country of") and कम्बोज ( Kamboja ), referring to
8949-721: The Khmer Rouge abolished the old provinces ( ខេត្ត khet ) and replaced them with seven zones ( ភូមិភាគ phoumipheak ); the Northern Zone, Northeastern Zone, Northwestern Zone, Central Zone, Eastern Zone, Western Zone, and Southwestern Zone. There were also two other regional-level units: the Kracheh Special Region Number 505 and, until 1977, the Siemreab Special Region Number 106. The zones were divided into regions ( តំបន់ damban ) that were given numbers. Number One, appropriately, encompassed
9106-657: The Khmer Rouge established the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea (CGDK) with two non-communist guerrilla factions, broadening the exiled government of Democratic Kampuchea. The exiled government renamed itself the National Government of Cambodia in 1990, in the run-up to the UN-sponsored 1991 Paris Peace Agreements . In 1970, Premier Lon Nol and the National Assembly deposed Norodom Sihanouk as
9263-450: The Khmer Rouge marched prisoners from Tuol Sleng to be murdered and buried in shallow pits, is also now a memorial to those who were killed by the regime. The Khmer Rouge were driven out of Phnom Penh by the People's Army of Vietnam in 1979, and people began to return to the city. Vietnam is historically a state with which Cambodia has had many conflicts, therefore this liberation was and
9420-412: The Khmer Rouge were "tipping out patients from the hospitals like garbage into the streets....In five years of war, this is the greatest caravan of human misery I have seen". All of its residents, including the wealthy and educated, were evacuated from the city and forced to do difficult labour on rural farms as " new people ". Tuol Sleng High School was taken over by Pol Pot 's forces and was turned into
9577-532: The Khmer Rouge, and cadres administered it with strict discipline, random executions were relatively rare, and "new people" were not persecuted if they had a cooperative attitude. In the Western Zone and in the Northwestern Zone, conditions were harsh. Starvation was general in the latter zone because cadres sent rice to Phnom Penh rather than distributing it to the local population. In the Northern Zone and in
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#17328481348739734-590: The Khmers"), or the slightly more formal ប្រទេសកម្ពុជា ( Prâtés Kâmpŭchéa , pronounced [prɑteh kampuciə] ; "Country of Kampuchea"). The name Cambodia is used most often in the Western world while Kampuchea is more widely used in the Eastern world. There exists evidence for a Pleistocene human occupation of what later is Cambodia, which includes quartz and quartzite pebble tools found in terraces along
9891-453: The Mekong River, in Stung Treng and Kratié provinces, and in Kampot Province . Some archaeological evidence shows communities of hunter-gatherers inhabited the region during the Holocene : the most ancient archaeological discovery site in Cambodia is considered to be the cave of Laang Spean , which belongs to the Hoabinhian period. Excavations in its lower layers produced a series of radiocarbon dates around 6000 BC. Upper layers in
10048-454: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Industry, were controlled and exploited by powerful Khmer Rouge families. Administering the diplomatic corps was regarded as an especially profitable fiefdom. According to Craig Etcheson, an authority on Democratic Kampuchea, members of the revolutionary army lived in self-contained colonies, and they had a "distinctive warrior-caste ethos." Armed forces units personally loyal to Pol Pot, known as
10205-436: The Phnom Penh dialect often elide syllables, which has earned it a reputation for being lazy speech. Phnom Penh is also known for its influence on New Khmer Architecture . Phnom Penh is notable for Ka tieu Phnom Penh, its variation on rice noodle soup, a dish available in sit-down cafes as well as street cafes. The city hosts a number of music events throughout the city. Indie bands have grown in number due also in part to
10362-401: The RAK had 230 battalions in 35 to 40 regiments and in 12 to 14 brigades. The command structure in units was based on three-person committees in which the political commissar ranked higher than the military commander and his deputy. Cambodia was divided into zones and special sectors by the RAK, the boundaries of which changed slightly over the years. Within these areas, the RAK's first task was
10519-409: The Samlot region of the Northwestern Zone (including Battambang Province), where the insurrection against Sihanouk had erupted in early 1967. With this exception, the damban appear to have been numbered arbitrarily. The damban were divided into districts ( ស្រុក srok ), communes ( ឃុំ khum ), and villages ( ភូមិ phum ), the latter usually containing several hundred people. This pattern
10676-480: The Second World War, it gained independence in 1953. The Vietnam War extended into the country in 1965 via the Ho Chi Minh and Sihanouk trails . A 1970 coup installed the US-aligned Khmer Republic , which was overthrown by the Khmer Rouge 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
10833-409: The Siamese (Thai), the Annamites (Vietnamese), and the Cambodians". Formerly part of the Khmer Empire, the Mekong Delta had been controlled by the Vietnamese since 1698, with King Chey Chettha II granting the Vietnamese permission to settle in the area decades before. In 1863, King Norodom signed a treaty of protection with France. The protectorate of France period lasted until 1953, with
10990-444: The Tonle Sap Lake and the surrounding biosphere. Phnom Penh Phnom Penh is the capital and most populous city of Cambodia . It has been the national capital since the French protectorate of Cambodia and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its economic, industrial, and cultural centre. Before Phnom Penh became capital city, Oudong was the capital of the country. Phnom Penh succeeded Angkor Thom as
11147-579: The US mission evacuated Cambodia. Estimates as to how many people were killed by the Khmer Rouge regime range from approximately 1 to 3 million; a cited figure is 2 million (about a quarter of the population). This era gave rise to the term Killing Fields , and the prison Tuol Sleng became known for its history of mass killing. Hundreds of thousands fled across the border into neighbouring Thailand. The regime disproportionately targeted ethnic minority groups. The Cham Muslims underwent purges with as much as half of their population exterminated. Pol Pot
11304-485: The World Travel and Tourism Council, tourism made up 19.2 percent (US$ 2,053 million) of Cambodia's GDP in 2009 and accounts for 13.7 percent of total employment. One of the most popular areas in Phnom Penh for tourists is Sisowath Quay , alongside the Tonle Sap River. Sisowath Quay is a five kilometre strip of road that includes restaurants, bars, and hotels. The US$ 2.6 billion new urban development, Camko City ,
11461-483: The aged and the disabled, and they set up stockpiles of food outside the city for the refugees; however, the supplies were inadequate to sustain the hundreds of thousands of people on the road. Even seriously injured hospital patients, many without any means of conveyance, were summarily forced to leave regardless of their condition. The foreign community, about 800 people, was quarantined in the French embassy compound, and by
11618-431: The armed forces; and fifty, for worker and other representatives. The legislature was to be popularly elected for a five-year term. Its first and only election was held on 20 March 1976. " New People " apparently were not allowed to participate. The executive branch of government also was chosen by the KPRA. It consisted of a state presidium "responsible for representing the state of Democratic Kampuchea inside and outside
11775-633: The beginning of the Khmer Empire . The Indianised kingdom facilitated the spread of first Hinduism and then Buddhism to Southeast Asia and undertook religious infrastructural projects throughout the region. In the 15th century, it began a decline in power (the Post-Angkor Period ) until, in 1863, it became the French Protectorate of Cambodia . After the Japanese occupation of Cambodia during
11932-465: The capital city of a newly independent country. King Sihanouk was eager to present a new style of architecture and thus invigorate the process of nation building. A new golden era of architecture took off, with various projects and young Khmer architects, often educated in France, given opportunities to design and construct. This new movement was called " New Khmer Architecture " and was often characterised by
12089-549: The capital of the Khmer nation but was abandoned several times before being reestablished in 1865 by King Norodom . The city formerly functioned as a processing center, with textiles, pharmaceuticals, machine manufacturing, and rice milling. Its chief assets, however, were cultural. Institutions of higher learning included the Royal University of Phnom Penh (established in 1960 as Royal Khmer University), with schools of engineering, fine arts, technology, and agricultural sciences,
12246-713: The celestial nymph Mera unite and establish the Cambodian Solar royal dynasty (Kambu-Mera), that begins with the Chenla ruler Srutavarman and his son Sreshthavarman . Coedes suggests that the Kambu Swayambhuva legend has its origins in southern India, as a version of the Kanchi Pallava dynasty creation myth. Colloquially, Cambodians refer to their country as either Srok Khmer ( ស្រុកខ្មែរ Srŏk Khmêr , pronounced [srok kʰmae] ; meaning "Land of
12403-409: The city is noted for its historical architecture and attractions. It became the national capital in 1434 following the fall of Angkor , and remained so until 1497. It regained its capital status during the French colonial era in 1865. There are a number of surviving colonial-era buildings scattered along the grand boulevards . On the banks of the Tonlé Sap , Mekong , and Bassac Rivers, Phnom Penh
12560-522: The city were clogged with evacuees. Similar evacuations occurred throughout the nation. The conditions of the evacuation and the treatment of the people involved often depended on which military units and commanders were conducting the specific operations. Pol Pot's brother – Chhay , who worked as a Republican journalist in the capital – was reported to have died during the evacuation of Phnom Penh . Even Phnom Penh's hospitals were emptied of their patients. The Khmer Rouge provided transportation for some of
12717-507: The city's growing population and economy. A survey by the National Institute of Statistics in 2017 showed that 95.3% of the population in Phnom Penh are Khmer , 4% Chams , and 0.7% others, predominantly Chinese, Vietnamese, and other small ethnic groups who are Thai , Budong, Mnong Preh , Kuy and Chong. The official language is Khmer , but English and French are widely used in the city. The number of slum -inhabitants at
12874-602: The city, constructed in 1373. The main tourist attractions are the Royal Palace with the Silver Pagoda , and the National Museum , constructed during the French colonial era in the late-19th century in the classical Khmer style and hosting a vast collection of Khmer antiquities. The Independence Monument (Khmer: Vimean Akareach ), although from the 1950s, is also constructed in the ancient Khmer style. The French, who were
13031-510: The city. The economy is based on commercial interests such as garments, trading, and small and medium enterprises. In the past few years the property business has been booming, with rapidly increasing real estate prices. Tourism is also a major contributor in the capital as more shopping and commercial centres open, making Phnom Penh one of the major tourist destinations in South East Asia along with Siem Reap and Sihanoukville . According to
13188-515: The colonial masters from the 19th century to the 1940s, also left their mark, with various colonial villas, French churches, boulevards , and the Art Deco market Phsar Thom Thmei . A notable landmark of the colonial era is the Hotel Le Royal . Starting with independence from the French in the 1950s and lasting until the era of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s, Phnom Penh underwent tremendous growth as
13345-498: The communist party. The Khmer Rouge abolished the Royal Government of National Union of Kampuchea ( GRUNK , established in 1970) and promulgated the Constitution of Democratic Kampuchea on 5 January 1976. The Khmer Rouge continued to use Sihanouk as a figurehead for the government until 2 April 1976 when Sihanouk resigned as head of state. Sihanouk remained under comfortable, but insecure, house arrest in Phnom Penh, until late in
13502-470: The corruption and "parasitism" of city life would be completely uprooted. In addition, Pol Pot wanted to break up the "enemy spy organisations" that allegedly were based in the urban areas. Finally, it seems that Pol Pot and his hard-line associates on the CPK Political Bureau used the forced evacuations to gain control of the city's population and to weaken the position of their factional rivals within
13659-510: The country if power was fully transferred to FUNCINPEC. The stability established following the conflict was shaken in 1997 by a coup d'état led by the co-Prime Minister Hun Sen, who ousted Ranariddh and other parties represented in the government and consolidated power for CPP. After its government was able to stabilize under Sen, Cambodia was accepted into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on 30 April 1999. Norodom Sihamoni
13816-426: The country and displaced Cambodians while making available to the Khmer Rouge the weapons of war. The Khmer Rouge leveraged on the devastation caused by the war to recruit members and used this past violence to justify the similarly, if not more, violent and radical policies of the regime. The birth of Democratic Kampuchea and its propensity for violence must be understood against this backdrop of war that likely played
13973-470: The country's few factories. The one important working class group in pre-revolutionary Cambodia—labourers on large rubber plantations—traditionally had consisted mostly of Vietnamese immigrants and thus was politically suspect. The number of people, including refugees, living in the urban areas on the eve of the communist victory probably was somewhat more than 3 million, out of the total population of roughly 8 million. As mentioned, despite their rural origins,
14130-500: The country. "New people" were subjected to unending political indoctrination and could be executed without trial. The situation of the "old people" under Khmer Rouge rule was more ambiguous. Refugee interviews reveal cases in which villagers were treated as harshly as the "new people", enduring forced labour, indoctrination, the separation of children from parents, and executions; however, they were generally allowed to remain in their native villages. Because of their age-old resentment of
14287-421: The country." It served for a five-year term, and its president was head of state. Khieu Samphan was the only person to serve in this office, which he assumed after Sihanouk's resignation. The judicial system was composed of "people's courts", the judges for which were appointed by the KPRA, as was the executive branch. The constitution did not mention regional or local government institutions. After assuming power,
14444-571: The countryside, the capital Phnom Penh finally fell on 17 April 1975 to the Khmer Rouge. Thus, prior to the Khmer Rouge's takeover of Phnom Penh in 1975 and the start of the Zero Years, Cambodia had already been involved in the Third Indochina War . Tensions between Cambodia and Vietnam were growing due to differences in communist ideology and the incursion of Vietnamese military presence within Cambodian borders. The context of war destabilised
14601-557: The coup was completed, the new regime, which demanded that the Vietnamese communists leave Cambodia, gained the political support of the United States. The North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces, desperate to retain their sanctuaries and supply lines from North Vietnam, launched armed attacks on the new government. The king urged his followers to help in overthrowing this government, hastening the onset of civil war . Khmer Rouge rebels began using him to gain support. From 1970 until 1972,
14758-478: The descendants of Kambu (a legendary Indian sage from the ancient Indian kingdom of Kamboja ). The term Cambodia was already in use in Europe as early as 1524, since Antonio Pigafetta cites it in his work Relazione del primo viaggio intorno al mondo (1524–1525) as Camogia . Scholar George Coedes refers to a 10th-century inscription of a Cambodian dynastic legend in which the hermit Kambu Swayambhuva and
14915-551: The disease's spread for much of 2020 the country's health system was put under strain by a major outbreak in early 2021, which prompted several lockdowns . It also had a severe economic impact, with the tourism industry particularly affected due to international travel restrictions . Prime Minister Hun Sen assumed office 39 years ago and is one of the world's longest-serving leaders . He has been accused of crackdowns on opponents and critics. In December 2021, Hun Sen announced his support for his son Hun Manet to succeed him after
15072-470: The dominant economic sector, with growth in textiles, construction, garments, and tourism leading to increased foreign investment and international trade. It is among the most vulnerable countries to climate change . The Kingdom of Cambodia is the official English name of the country. The English Cambodia is an anglicisation of the French Cambodge , which in turn is the French transliteration of
15229-584: The effects of climate change, alongside the Philippines. Nearly all provinces in Cambodia are affected by climate change . Rural coastal populations are particularly at risk. Shortages of clean water , extreme flooding, mudslides, higher sea levels and potentially destructive storms are of particular concern, according to the Cambodia Climate Change Alliance. Climate change has also had a major impact on water levels, ecology and productivity of
15386-459: The emergence of private music schools such as SoundsKool Music (also operating in the city of Siem Reap), and Music Arts School (registered as a non-governmental organization ). The Cambodian fishing dance originated in Phnom Penh at the Royal University of Fine Arts in the 1960s. The two most visited museums in the city are the National Museum , which is the country's leading historical and archaeological museum, and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum ,
15543-494: The end of 1975. A year after the Khmer Rouge takeover, Sihanouk resigned in mid-April 1976 (made retroactive to 2 April 1976) and was placed under house arrest, where he remained until 1979, and the Khmer Rouge remained in sole control. In deportations that became markers of the beginning of their rule, the Khmer Rouge demanded and then forced the people to leave the cities and live in the countryside. Phnom Penh —populated by 2.5 million people —was soon nearly empty. The roads out of
15700-440: The end of 2012 was 105,771, compared with 85,807 at the start of 2012. Note: As stated in the "History" paragraph (The 1998 Census put Phnom Penh's population at 862,000; and the 2008 census was 1.3 million. ) the information collides with the information provided in the "Historical population" table. Needs editing. Religion in Phnom Penh (2019 census) The state religion is Theravada Buddhism . More than 97.8% of
15857-472: The end of the month the foreigners were taken by truck to the Thai border. Khmer women who were married to foreigners were allowed to accompany their husbands, but Khmer men were not permitted to leave with their foreign wives. Western historians claim that the motives were political, based on deep-rooted resentment of the cities . The Khmer Rouge was determined to turn the country into a nation of peasants in which
16014-460: The entire city after taking it, in what has been described as a death march : François Ponchaud wrote that "I shall never forget one cripple who had neither hands nor feet, writhing along the ground like a severed worm, or a weeping father carrying his ten-year old daughter wrapped in a sheet tied around his neck like a sling, or the man with his foot dangling at the end of a leg to which it was attached by nothing but skin"; Jon Swain recalled that
16171-564: The establishment of Democratic Kampuchea, the 68,000-member Khmer Rouge-dominated KPNLAF ( Khmer People's National Liberation Armed Forces ) force, which completed its conquest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia in April 1975, was renamed the RAK ( Kampuchea Revolutionary Army ). This name dated back to the peasant uprising that broke out in the Samlout District of Battambang province in 1967. Under its long-time commander and then Minister of Defense Son Sen ,
16328-460: The first Cambodian city and the second city in Southeast Asia to host the Asian Youth Games in 2029. Phnom Penh (lit. "Penh's hill") takes its name from the present Wat Phnom (lit. "hill temple"), or from the ancient Funan Kingdom , which existed from the 1st to the 7th century AD in Southeast Asia and was the forerunner of the current Cambodian monarchy . Legend has it that in 1372,
16485-493: The following year. The protests ended after a crackdown by government forces. The Cambodia National Rescue Party was dissolved ahead of the 2018 Cambodian general election and the ruling Cambodian People's Party also enacted tighter curbs on mass media . The CPP won every seat in the National Assembly without major opposition, effectively solidifying de facto one-party rule in the country. The global COVID-19 pandemic spread to Cambodia in early 2020. Despite minimising
16642-501: The grassroots elite had adequate, if not luxurious, supplies of food. One refugee wrote that "pretty new bamboo houses" were built for Khmer Rouge cadres along the river in Phnom Penh. Members of the Central Committee could go to China for medical treatment, and the highest echelons of the party had access to imported luxury products. They also had a tendency to nepotism similar of the Sihanouk-era elite. Pol Pot's wife, Khieu Ponnary ,
16799-580: The happiness and success of the Khmer Kingdom, the highest leader as well as impregnable city of the God Indra of the great kingdom". The initial settlement of Phnom Penh is believed to have been established since the 5th century AD, according to the discovery of ancient kiln site in Choeung Ek commune of Dangkao district, southern part of central Phnom Penh in the early 2000s. Choeung Ek archaeological site
16956-552: The hardest physical labour, and worked in the most inhospitable, fever-ridden parts of the country, such as forests, upland areas, and swamps. "New people" were segregated from "old people", enjoyed little or no privacy, and received the smallest rice rations. When the country experienced food shortages in 1977, the "new people" suffered the most. The medical care available to them was primitive or nonexistent. Families often were separated because people were divided into work brigades according to age and sex and sent to different parts of
17113-444: The head of state. Sihanouk, opposing the new government, entered into an alliance with the Khmer Rouge against them. Taking advantage of Vietnamese occupation of eastern Cambodia, massive United States carpet bombing ranging across the country, and Sihanouk's reputation, the Khmer Rouge were able to present themselves as a peace-oriented party in a coalition that represented the majority of the people. Thus, with large popular support in
17270-456: The heartland of Cambodia. Much of this area has been designated as a biosphere reserve . Cambodia's climate, like that of the rest of Southeast Asia, is dominated by monsoons , which are known as tropical wet and dry because of the distinctly marked seasonal differences. Cambodia has a temperature range from 21 to 35 °C (70 to 95 °F) and experiences tropical monsoons. Southwest monsoons blow inland bringing moisture-laden winds from
17427-850: The ill-fated Khmer Republic led by General Lon Nol. There were seven zones, namely the Northwest, the North, the Northeast, the East, the Southwest, the West and the center, plus two Special Regions, i.e. the Kratie Special Region no 505 and (before mid-1977) the Siemreap Special Region no 106. The regions were subdivided into smaller areas or tâmbán . These were known by numbers, which were assigned without
17584-509: The largest pre-industrial city in the world with an urban sprawl of 2,980 square kilometres (1,151 square miles). The city could have supported a population of up to 1 million people. After a series of wars with neighbouring kingdoms, Angkor was sacked by the Ayutthaya Kingdom and abandoned in 1432 because of ecological failure and infrastructure breakdown. The hill tribe people were "hunted incessantly and carried off as slaves by
17741-555: The latter at Chamkar Daung, a suburb. Also located in Phnom Penh were the Royal University of Agronomic Sciences and the Agricultural School of Prek Leap. The city was nicknamed the "Pearl of Asia" for its early 20th century colonial French architecture, which included Art Deco works. Phnom Penh, along with Siem Reap and Sihanoukville , are significant global and domestic tourist destinations for Cambodia. Founded in 1372,
17898-474: The membership of which comprised the Secretary and Prime Minister Pol Pot , his Deputy Secretary Nuon Chea and seven others. It was known also as the "Centre", the "Organisation" or " Angkar ", and its daily work was conducted from Office 870 in Phnom Penh. For almost two years after the takeover, the Khmer Rouge continued to refer to itself as simply Angkar. It was only in a March 1977 speech that Pol Pot revealed
18055-437: The municipality and 26,106 ha (64,509 acres) of roads. The agricultural land in the municipality amounts to 34.685 km (13 sq mi) with some 1.476 km (365 acres) under irrigation . Phnom Penh has a tropical wet and dry climate ( Köppen climate classification Aw ). The climate is hot year-round with only minor variations. Temperatures typically range from 22 to 35 °C (72 to 95 °F) and weather
18212-447: The naturally regenerating forest 4% was reported to be primary forest (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity). For the year 2015, 100% of the forest area was reported to be under public ownership . To the north the Cambodian plain abuts a sandstone escarpment, which forms a southward-facing cliff stretching more than 200 miles (320 kilometres) from west to east and rising abruptly above
18369-423: The new Cambodian prime minister. Cambodia has an area of 181,035 square kilometres (69,898 square miles) and lies entirely within the tropics, between latitudes 10° and 15°N , and longitudes 102° and 108°E . It borders Thailand to the north and west, Laos to the northeast, and Vietnam to the east and southeast. It has a 443-kilometre (275-mile) coastline along the Gulf of Thailand . Cambodia's landscape
18526-573: The newly created state, a government-in-exile referred to as the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea (CGDK) was formed in 1981 from 3 factions. This consisted of the Khmer Rouge, a royalist faction led by Sihanouk, and the Khmer People's National Liberation Front . Its credentials were recognised by the United Nations. The Khmer Rouge representative to UN, Thiounn Prasith, was retained, and he had to work in consultation with representatives of
18683-674: The noncommunist Cambodian parties. The refusal of Vietnam to withdraw from Cambodia led to economic sanctions . Peace efforts began in Paris in 1989 under the State of Cambodia , culminating 2 years later in October 1991 in a Paris Comprehensive Peace Settlement . The UN was given a mandate to enforce a ceasefire and deal with refugees and disarmament known as the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC). In 1993,
18840-417: The north end of central Phnom Penh. " Phnom " is Khmer for "hill" and Penh's hill took on the name of the founder, and the area around it became known after the hill. Phnom Penh first became the capital of Cambodia after Ponhea Yat , king of the Khmer Empire , moved the capital from Angkor Thom after it was captured and destroyed by Siam a few years earlier. There is a stupa behind Wat Phnom that houses
18997-428: The northwest, Laos to the north, Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline along the Gulf of Thailand in the southwest. It spans an area of 181,035 square kilometres (69,898 square miles ), and has a population of about 17 million. Its capital and most populous city is Phnom Penh . In 802 AD, Jayavarman II declared himself king, uniting the warring Khmer princes of Chenla under the name "Kambuja". This marked
19154-511: The outskirts of the city. Phnom Penh is governed by the governor who acts as the top executive of the city as well as overseeing the Municipal Military Police, Municipal Police, and Bureau of Urban Affairs. Below the governor is the first vice governor and five vice governors. The chief of cabinet, who holds the same status as the vice governors, heads the cabinet consisting of eight deputy chiefs of cabinet who in turn are in charge of
19311-595: The people in Phnom Penh are Buddhists. Chams have been practicing Islam for hundreds of years. A small percentage follow Christianity. Phnom Penh is allocated 12 seats in the National Assembly , making it the largest constituency. Phnom Penh is Cambodia's economic centre as it accounts for a large portion of the Cambodian economy. Double-digit economic growth rates in recent years have triggered an economic boom in Phnom Penh, with new hotels, restaurants, schools, bars, high rises and residential buildings springing up in
19468-689: The peremptory execution of former Khmer National Armed Forces (FANK) officers and of their families, without trial or fanfare to eliminate Khmer Rouge enemies. The RAK's next priority was to consolidate into a national army the separate forces that were operating more or less autonomously in the various zones. The Khmer Rouge units were commanded by zonal secretaries who were simultaneously party and military officers, some of whom were said to have manifested " warlord characteristics". Troops from one zone were frequently sent to another zone to enforce discipline. These efforts to discipline zonal secretaries and their dissident or ideologically impure cadres gave rise to
19625-465: The permanent seat of government and capital of Cambodia, and the current Royal Palace was built. Beginning in 1870, the French colonial authorities turned a riverside village into a city where they built hotels, schools, prisons, barracks, banks, public works offices, telegraph offices, law courts, and health services buildings. In 1872, the first glimpse of a modern city took shape when King Norodom employed
19782-588: The plain to heights of 600 to 1,800 feet (180–550 metres). This cliff marks the southern limit of the Dângrêk Mountains . Flowing south through Cambodia's eastern regions is the Mekong River. East of the Mekong the transitional plains gradually merge with the eastern highlands, a region of forested mountains and high plateaus that extend into Laos and Vietnam. In southwestern Cambodia two distinct upland blocks,
19939-406: The population was 2–3 million, the bulk of whom were refugees from the fighting. The Khmer Rouge cut off supplies to the city for more than a year before it fell on 17 April 1975 . Reports from journalists stated that the Khmer Rouge shelling "tortured the capital almost continuously", inflicting "random death and mutilation" on millions of trapped civilians. The Khmer Rouge forcibly evacuated
20096-618: The promise to "maintain close and friendly relations with all countries sharing a common border" bore little resemblance to reality. Governmental institutions were outlined very briefly in the constitution. The legislature, the Kampuchean People's Representative Assembly (KPRA), contained 250 members "representing workers, peasants, and other working people and the Kampuchean Revolutionary army." One hundred and fifty KPRA seats were allocated for peasant representatives; fifty, for
20253-516: The purges that were to decimate RAK ranks, to undermine the morale of the victorious army, and to generate the seeds of rebellion. In this way, the Khmer Rouge used the RAK to sustain and fuel its violent campaign. According to Pol Pot, Cambodia was made up of four classes : peasants , proletariat , bourgeoisie , and feudalists . Post-revolutionary society, as defined by the 1976 constitution of Democratic Kampuchea, consisted of workers, peasants, and "all other Kampuchean working people." No allowance
20410-462: The refugees were considered "new people"—that is, people unsympathetic to Democratic Kampuchea. Some doubtless passed as "old people" after returning to their native villages, but the Khmer Rouge seem to have been extremely vigilant in recording and keeping track of the movements of families and of individuals. The lowest unit of social control, the krom (group), consisted of ten to fifteen nuclear families whose activities were closely supervised by
20567-483: The remains of Ponhea Yat and the royal family as well as the remaining Buddhist statues from the Angkorean era. In the 17th century, Japanese immigrants also settled on the outskirts of present-day Phnom Penh. A small Portuguese community survived in Phnom Penh until the 17th century, undertaking commercial and religious activity in the country. Phnom Penh remained the royal capital for 73 years, from 1432 to 1505. It
20724-623: The rule of Norodom Sihanouk . During the Vietnam War , Cambodia was used as a base by the People's Army of Vietnam and the Viet Cong , and thousands of refugees from across the country flooded the city to escape the fighting between their own government troops, the People's Army of Vietnam, the Viet Cong, the South Vietnamese and their allies, the Khmer Rouge , and American air strikes. By 1975,
20881-466: The same site gave evidence of transition to Neolithic , containing the earliest dated earthenware ceramics in Cambodia. Archaeological records for the period between the Holocene and Iron Age remain equally limited. An event in prehistory was the penetration of the first rice farmers from the north, which began in the third millennium BC. Prehistoric evidence are the "circular earthworks " discovered in
21038-444: The services of French contractor Le Faucheur to construct 300 brick houses for sale and rental to Chinese traders . By the 1920s, Phnom Penh was known as the "Pearl of Asia", and over the next four decades, Phnom Penh continued to experience rapid growth with the building of railways to Sihanoukville and Pochentong International Airport (now Phnom Penh International Airport ). Phnom Penh's infrastructure saw major modernisation under
21195-416: The spirit world, living relatives help assuage their misery and guide them back into the cycle of reincarnation. Vesākha is an annual holiday observed traditionally by Buddhists in Cambodia. Sometimes informally called "Buddha's Birthday", it actually encompasses the birth, enlightenment (nirvāṇa), and passing away (Parinirvāna) of Gautama Buddha. The oldest structure is Wat Phnom from the founding days of
21352-479: The strengths of the Khmer marine forces during the Khmer Empire . On 22 November 2010, at least 348 people were crushed to death in a bridge stampede at the festival. Ancestors' Day, also called Pchum Ben, is a very important aspect of Cambodian culture. It may be translated as "gathering together" to make offerings and is a time of reunion, commemoration, express love and appreciation for one's ancestors. By offering food and good karma to those possibly trapped in
21509-493: The surrounding areas consist of a typical flood plain area for Cambodia. Although Phnom Penh is at 11.89 metres (39 ft) above the river, monsoon season flooding is a problem, and the river sometimes overflows its banks. The city, at 11°33′00″N 104°55′00″E / 11.55°N 104.91667°E / 11.55; 104.91667 (11°33' North, 104°55' East), covers an area of 678.46 square kilometres (262 sq mi), with some 11,401 hectares (28,172 acres) in
21666-509: The throne. The throne became vacant in 1941 with the death of Monivong, Sisowath's son, and France passed over Monivong's son, Monireth, feeling he was too independently minded. Instead, Norodom Sihanouk , a maternal grandson of King Sisowath was enthroned. The French thought young Sihanouk would be easy to control. Under the reign of King Norodom Sihanouk, Cambodia gained independence from France on 9 November 1953. In 1955, Sihanouk abdicated in favour of his father to participate in politics and
21823-475: The turn of the year based on the ancient Khmer calendar and also marks the end of the prior year harvest. The largest annual festival in Phnom Penh, this lively gathering celebrates the reversing of the flow of the Tonlé Sap River. The holiday lasts three days as people flood into the city to enjoy the fireworks, boat races, live concerts, eating and partying. The boat racing dates back to ancient times marking
21980-462: The urban and rural elites, many of the poorest peasants probably were sympathetic to Khmer Rouge's goals. In the early 1980s, visiting Western journalists found that the issue of peasant support for the Khmer Rouge was an extremely sensitive subject that officials of the People's Republic of Kampuchea were not inclined to discuss. Although the Southwestern Zone was one original centre of power of
22137-559: The violence that they themselves perpetrated under the Khmer Rouge regime. Phnom Penh fell on 17 April 1975. Sihanouk was given the symbolic position of Head of State for the new government of Democratic Kampuchea and, in September 1975, returned to Phnom Penh from exile in Beijing. After a trip abroad, during which he visited several communist countries and recommended the recognition of Democratic Kampuchea, Sihanouk returned again to Cambodia at
22294-598: The war with Vietnam he departed for the United States where he made Democratic Kampuchea's case before the Security Council. He eventually relocated to China. The "rights and duties of the individual" were briefly defined in Article 12. They included none of what are commonly regarded as guarantees of political human rights except the statement that "men and women are equal in every respect." The document declared, however, that "all workers" and "all peasants" were "masters" of their factories and fields. An assertion that "there
22451-518: Was abandoned for 360 years (from 1505 to 1865) by subsequent kings due to internal fighting between the royal pretenders . Later kings moved the capital several times and established their royal capitals at various locations in Tuol Basan ( Srey Santhor ), Pursat , Longvek , Lavear Em and Oudong . It was not until 1866, under the reign of King Norodom I (1860–1904), the eldest son of King Ang Duong , who ruled on behalf of Siam, that Phnom Penh became
22608-494: Was altered to encourage a more collectivist mentality. People were encouraged to call each other "friend", or "comrade" (in Khmer, មតដ mitt ), and to avoid traditional signs of deference such as bowing or folding the hands in salutation. They were also encouraged to talk about themselves in the plural "we" rather than the singular "I". Aspects of life from the Khmer Republic such as art, television, mail, books, movies, music, and personal vehicles were prohibited. The language
22765-501: Was appointed head of the Calmette Hospital although she had not graduated from secondary school. A niece of Ieng Sary was given a job as English translator for Radio Phnom Penh although her fluency in the language was relative. Family ties were important, both because of the culture and because of the leadership's intense secretiveness and distrust of outsiders, especially of pro-Vietnamese communists. Different ministries, such as
22922-567: Was crowned Cambodia's king in 2004 after his father Sihanouk's abdication. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, reconstruction efforts progressed which led to some political stability through a multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy although Sen's rule has been marred by human rights abuses and corruption . Cambodia's economy grew rapidly in the 2000s and 2010s, and it received considerable investment and infrastructure development support from China as part of its Belt and Road Initiative . A UN-backed war crimes tribunal,
23079-623: Was determined to keep his power and disenfranchise any enemies or potential threats, and thus increased his violent and aggressive actions against his people. Forced repatriation in 1970 and deaths during the Khmer Rouge era reduced the Vietnamese population in Cambodia from between 250,000 and 300,000 in 1969 to a reported 56,000 in 1984. Most of the victims of the Khmer Rouge regime were not ethnic minorities but ethnic Khmer. Professionals, such as doctors, lawyers and teachers, were targeted. According to Robert D. Kaplan , "eyeglasses were as deadly as
23236-565: Was elected prime minister. Upon his father's death in 1960, Sihanouk again became head of state, taking the title of prince. As the Vietnam War progressed, Sihanouk adopted an official policy of neutrality in the Cold War . Sihanouk allowed the Vietnamese communists to use Cambodia as a sanctuary and a supply route for their arms and other aid to their armed forces fighting in South Vietnam. In December 1967 Washington Post journalist Stanley Karnow
23393-550: Was head of the Association of Democratic Khmer Women and her younger sister, Khieu Thirith , served as minister of social action. These two women were considered among the half-dozen most powerful personalities in Democratic Kampuchea. Son Sen's wife, Yun Yat , served as minister for culture, education and learning. Several of Pol Pot's nephews and nieces were given jobs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. One of Ieng Sary 's daughters
23550-415: Was launched at the explicit request of the Khmer Rouge and negotiated by Pol Pot 's then second in command, Nuon Chea . NVA units overran Cambodian army positions while the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) expanded their attacks on lines of communication. In response to the North Vietnamese invasion, US President Richard Nixon announced that US and South Vietnamese ground forces had entered Cambodia in
23707-414: Was made for a transitional stage such as China's New Democracy in which "patriotic" landlord or bourgeois elements were permitted to play a role in socialist construction. Sihanouk writes that in 1975 he, Khieu Samphan , and Khieu Thirith went to visit Zhou Enlai , who was gravely ill. Zhou warned them not to attempt to achieve communism in a single step, as China had attempted in the late 1950s with
23864-594: Was one of the largest kiln pottery center in Cambodia and the earliest known kiln sites in Southeast Asia to produce the ceremonial vessels known as kendi from 5th to 13th century. Archaeologists stated that a large community is surrounded by a circular earthwork structure that is 740 metres in diameter and 4 metres high, built in the 11th century. In addition, there are remnants of other ancient village infrastructure, irrigation system, inscription, Shiva linga as well as an ancient brick temple foundation and its ornate remains which dated back to Funan era. First recorded
24021-543: Was roughly similar to that which existed under Sihanouk and the Khmer Republic, but inhabitants of the villages were organized into groups ( ក្រុម krom ) composed of ten to fifteen families. On each level, administration was directed by a three-person committee ( kanak , or kena ). CPK members occupied committee posts at the higher levels. Subdistrict and village committees were often staffed by local poor peasants, and, very rarely, by "new people." Cooperatives ( សហករណ៍ sahakor ), similar in jurisdictional area to
24178-482: Was sentenced to life in prison. In August 2014, the tribunal sentenced Khieu Samphan , the regime's 83-year-old former head of state, and Nuon Chea , its 88-year-old chief ideologue, to life in prison on war crimes charges for their role in the country's terror period in the 1970s. After the 2013 Cambodian general election , allegations of voter fraud from opposition party Cambodia National Rescue Party led to widespread anti-government protests that continued into
24335-521: Was told by Sihanouk that if the US wanted to bomb the Vietnamese communist sanctuaries, he would not object unless Cambodians were killed. The same message was conveyed to US President Johnson's emissary Chester Bowles in January 1968. In public Sihanouk refuted the right of the U.S. to use air strikes in Cambodia, and on 26 March he said "these criminal attacks must immediately and definitively stop". On 28 March
24492-479: Was transformed in other ways. The Khmer Rouge invented new terms. People were told they must "forge" ( លត់ដំ lot dam ) a new revolutionary character, that they were the "instruments" ( ឧបករណ៍ opokar ) of the Angkar, and that nostalgia for pre-revolutionary times ( ឈឺសតិអារម្មណ៍ chheu satek arom , or "memory sickness") could result in their receiving Angkar's "invitation" to be deindustrialised and to live in
24649-458: Was worked by about 500 BC, with supporting evidence coming from the Khorat Plateau , in what later is Thailand. In Cambodia, some Iron Age settlements were found beneath Baksei Chamkrong and other Angkorian temples while circular earthworks were discovered at the site of Lovea kilometres north-west of Angkor. Burials testify to improvement of food availability and trade, and the existence of
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