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Kingdom of Cambodia

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Kingdom of Cambodia
ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា
Flag of Kingdom of Cambodia
Flag
Coat of arms of Kingdom of Cambodia
Coat of arms
Motto: ជាតិ សាសនា ព្រះមហាក្សត្រ
Nation, Religion, King
Location of Kingdom of Cambodia
Capital
and largest city
Phnom Penh
Official languagesKhmer
Demonym(s)Cambodian . Khmer . Kampuchean (historical)
Dominant mode of productionCapitalism
GovernmentUnitary parliamentary constitutional elective monarchy
• Monarch
Norodom Sihamoni
• Prime Minister
Hun Manet
• President of the Senate
Hun Sen
• President of the National Assembly
Khuon Sodary
Area
• Total
181,035 km²
Population
• 2024 estimate
17,638,801
CurrencyRiel (KHR)
Driving sideright
Calling code+855
ISO 3166 codeKH
Internet TLD.kh


Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a constitutional monarchy and a liberal nation in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, Vietnam to the east and the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest.

History[edit | edit source]

Chenla (550–802)[edit | edit source]

See main article: Chenla (550–802)

Khmer Empire (802–1431)[edit | edit source]

See main article: Khmer Empire (802–1431)

Kingdom of Cambodia (1431–1863)[edit | edit source]

See main article: Kingdom of Cambodia (1431–1863)

French colonisation (1863–1953)[edit | edit source]

In 1863 France imposed an unequal treaty upon Cambodia making it a protectorate as part of its imperial ambitions in Indochina. This treaty was later superseded by a more oppressive treaty in 1884 essentially making the country a full colony and placing the Khmer monarchy under the control of a French governor-general. French oppression continued until the Japanese occupied the country in 1940 during the Second World War. When France reoccupied Cambodia in 1945 it struggled to put down the growing national liberation movement, leading it to give over more and more autonomy until Cambodia achieved full independence on 9 November 1953.[1]

Kingdom of Cambodia (1953–1970)[edit | edit source]

In 1969 and 1970, Kissinger and Nixon secretly bombed Cambodia and then overthrew Prince Sihanouk, who had refused to be a U.S. puppet. The bombing destroyed Cambodia's traditional economy and allowed Pol Pot to take power five years later.[2]

Democratic Kampuchea (1975–1979)[edit | edit source]

Before the US bombing, Pol Pot only had about 5,000 supporters. His recruitment relied on the bombing, and his army grew to 200,000 people when he took power.

In late 1978, Vietnam invaded and ousted Pol Pot, pushing him to the border with Thailand. The United States continued to support Pol Pot and gave him international military support. It also helped Democratic Kampuchea keep its seat at the UN even after it collapsed.[3]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. D. V. Deopik, IU. IA. Mikheev (1979). The Great Soviet Encyclopedia.
  2. William Blum (2002). Rogue State: A Guide to the World's Only Superpower: 'A Concise History of United States Global Interventions, 1945 to the Present' (p. 116). [PDF] Zed Books Ltd. ISBN 9781842772201 [LG]
  3. "Kissinger's secret war in Cambodia reveals mass killings: Intercept" (2023-05-24). Al Mayadeen. Archived from the original on 2023-05-30.