The Kingdom of Cambodia is home to one of the
ancient wonders of the world, Angkor Wat, the
largest religious building in the world. The
land was called Kampuchea by Cambodians, where
the Khmer Empire flourished and reigned over
much of Southeast Asia, from the 9th to the 13th
centuries. It was colonized by France in the
1860s, and granted independence in 1953. In
1970, a conflict began with neighboring Vietnam,
during which time the Khmer Rouge came to play a
major role. In 1975, the Khmer Rouge began a
massive, radical, and brutal forced
restructuring of the entire country, with the
goal of making Cambodia a perfect agrarian
communal society. This effort resulted in nearly
20 years of disastrous civil violence. Today the
country is a constitutional monarchy, with
elected government officials. Cambodians,
ranging from officials to common people, are
eager to establish Cambodia as a stable, safe
environment in which to live, work, and
travel.
This website will present information and
pictures collected about the Kingdom of
Cambodia, primarily from the Fulbright
Study Tour in the summer of 1999. It is
organized according to the State of Oregon
Geography Standards.
