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The kingdom of Cambodia, often referred top as Kampuchea, is a Southeast Asian
country. The nation is flanked by Vietnam in the east, Laos in the North and the
Gulf of Thailand to its Southwest. Cambodia has recently emerged as one of the
top destinations in the tourism map and is known for its idyllic beaches and exotic
temples, rivers and banana plantations.
Early History of Cambodia
The Khmer People in Cambodia were the one of the first to adopt religious and
political practices from India and to establish centralized kingdoms with large
territories. The earliest known kingdom in the area, Funan, flourished from
around the first to the sixth century AD It was succeeded by Chenla, which controlled
large areas of modern Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.
Khmer Empire
History of Cambodia talks also mentions how the country of Cambodia came to
be called so. The Khmer empire's golden ages were between thirteenth and nineteenth
century when the kingdom of Kambuja was in power and ruled regions of Angkor
and western Cambodia. The name Cambodia was derived from Kambuja. The Angkorian
monarchy ruled the country till 1431 when it was captured by the Thai's and
the Cambodian King was forced to take shelter in the southern part of the country.
French Colonial History of Cambodia
After 1863, when King Norodom signed a treaty with the French to establish
protectorate over his kingdom, the country came under the rule of the French.
A partial agreement for more autonomy was struck in October 1953. King Sihanouk
declared that independence had been achieved and returned in triumph to Phnom
Penh.
Modern History of Cambodia
A period of civil war between opposing parties and factions ensued from 1970s
and peace efforts started to show results only after 1989 and 1991 with two
international conferences in Paris, and a UN peacekeeping mission helped maintain
a cease-fire. In the mid 90's Norodom Sihanouk was reinstated as King. After
some conflict in 1997-1998, a coalition government, formed after national elections,
brought renewed political stability and the surrender of remaining Khmer Rouge
forces in 1998. Compared to its recent past, the period of1993-2003 has been
relatively peaceful in Cambodia. However, political violence continues to be
a typical problem to Cambodia history.
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