When did Cambodia exist?

Cambodia existed 1953–present. On this map it is drawn 1956–1975, 1996–2024.

How large was Cambodia?

At its greatest extent drawn on this map, Cambodia covered about 186,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.

Southeast Asia · The modern states

Cambodia

Kingdom (constitutional monarchy) · 1953–present

Cambodia gained independence from France on 9 November 1953, negotiated by King Norodom Sihanouk, who had been placed on the throne by the French in 1941. Sihanouk abdicated in 1955 to enter politics directly, dominating the country as prime minister and later head of state while pursuing neutrality in the Cold War.

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Type: Kingdom (constitutional monarchy)
Existed: 1953–present
Shown on the map: 1956–1975, 1996–2024 (2 periods)
Peak area: 186k km²
Region: Southeast Asia

Origins & foundation

Political history & notable leaders

Sihanouk's neutralist kingdom tolerated North Vietnamese and Viet Cong sanctuaries in the east; in March 1970 he was deposed by Lon Nol, who proclaimed the Khmer Republic and aligned with the United States. The ensuing civil war ended on 17 April 1975 when the Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh, beginning the genocidal Democratic Kampuchea regime (1975–79). Vietnam installed the People's Republic of Kampuchea in 1979; after the 1991 Paris agreements and the UNTAC transitional administration (1992–93), the monarchy was restored on 24 September 1993 with Sihanouk again king. The royalist FUNCINPEC won the 1993 election but was forced to share power with Hun Sen's CPP; Hun Sen seized sole power in the 1997 coup and dominated Cambodia for over three decades, handing the premiership to his son Hun Manet in August 2023. Norodom Sihamoni has been king since 2004.

Economy, culture & society

Cambodia covers 181,035 km² and is overwhelmingly Khmer and Theravada Buddhist. Its economy relies on garments, tourism (centred on Angkor) and agriculture, recovering from the destruction of the Khmer Rouge era, which the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) has prosecuted, convicting S-21 chief Duch in 2010.

Territorial extent & key events

Modern borders were fixed by the French colonial period, with lingering disputes with Thailand around Preah Vihear temple (ICJ ruling 1962, reaffirmed 2013). Cambodia joined ASEAN on 30 April 1999.

Conflicts & turning points

The 1970 coup, Khmer Rouge victory, genocide, Vietnamese occupation (1979–89) and the 1997 Hun Sen coup are the defining ruptures.

Legacy & present-day status

Cambodia is formally a constitutional monarchy and multiparty state, but the dissolution of the opposition CNRP before the 2018 election left the CPP in de facto one-party control, recently transferred dynastically within the Hun family.

Common questions

What was Cambodia?: Cambodia gained independence from France on 9 November 1953, negotiated by King Norodom Sihanouk, who had been placed on the throne by the French in 1941. Sihanouk abdicated in 1955 to enter politics directly, dominating the country as prime minister and later head of state while pursuing neutrality in the Cold War.
When did Cambodia exist?: Cambodia existed 1953–present. On this map it is drawn 1956–1975, 1996–2024.
How large was Cambodia?: At its greatest extent drawn on this map, Cambodia covered about 186,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.
Where was Cambodia?: Modern borders were fixed by the French colonial period, with lingering disputes with Thailand around Preah Vihear temple (ICJ ruling 1962, reaffirmed 2013). Cambodia joined ASEAN on 30 April 1999.
Who ruled Cambodia?: Sihanouk's neutralist kingdom tolerated North Vietnamese and Viet Cong sanctuaries in the east; in March 1970 he was deposed by Lon Nol, who proclaimed the Khmer Republic and aligned with the United States. The ensuing civil war ended on 17 April 1975 when the Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh, beginning the genocidal Democratic Kampuchea regime (1975–79).
What is the present status of Cambodia?: Cambodia is formally a constitutional monarchy and multiparty state, but the dissolution of the opposition CNRP before the 2018 election left the CPP in de facto one-party control, recently transferred dynastically within the Hun family.
What did the economy and culture of Cambodia rest on?: Cambodia covers 181,035 km² and is overwhelmingly Khmer and Theravada Buddhist. Its economy relies on garments, tourism (centred on Angkor) and agriculture, recovering from the destruction of the Khmer Rouge era, which the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) has prosecuted, convicting S-21 chief Duch in 2010.

Sources

Every source below was consulted while writing this entry.

Wikipedia: Cambodia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodia

This entry was written from the sources above and last updated 10 September 2026.

This entry was researched and drafted with AI from the sources above, and has not been reviewed by a historian. How entries are made

Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0: reuse it with a credit to The World Through Time and a link to this page. Passages drawing on the Wikipedia articles listed above are also licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by their contributors.

Border geometry for the map itself comes from Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC-BY-4.0).

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