Land & People

Cambodia's history begins with one of the most powerful and sophisticated civilizations that ever existed in Southeast Asia.

Foundation and Rise

In 802 AD, King Jayavarman II declared himself the "universal ruler" (Devaraja — god-king) on Mount Phnom Kulen and founded the Khmer Empire. What followed was an unprecedented rise: Over the next 600 years, the Khmer built an empire that at times stretched from Myanmar to Vietnam and from southern China to the Malay Peninsula.

Angkor's Golden Era (10th–13th Century)

The heart of the empire was Angkor. At its peak in the 12th century, it was the largest pre-industrial city in the world — recent satellite images show an area of over 1,000 km² with up to a million inhabitants. By comparison, London had 20,000 inhabitants at the same time.

The Khmer kings built not only temples but a water management system that was centuries ahead of its time: Huge reservoirs (Barays), canals, and irrigation systems enabled up to four rice harvests per year and fed the population. The most important kings:

• Suryavarman II (1113–1150): Builder of Angkor Wat — the largest religious structure in human history.
• Jayavarman VII (1181–1218): The greatest of all Khmer kings. After a devastating attack by the Cham from Vietnam, he built Angkor Thom, the Bayon, Ta Prohm, Banteay Chhmar, and hundreds of hospitals and rest stations. He was the first Buddhist king (his predecessors were Hindus).

Decline and Fall

After Jayavarman VII, a slow decline began. Religious conflicts (Hindu vs. Buddhist), exhaustion from monumental constructions, climate changes (droughts disrupted the irrigation system), and repeated attacks by the Thai weakened the empire. In 1431, the Siamese (Thai) conquered Angkor, and the capital was moved to Phnom Penh. Angkor sank into the jungle and was only "rediscovered" by European explorers in the 19th century.

The Darkest Four Years

The Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot established one of the most brutal regimes in human history between April 1975 and January 1979. In just four years, an estimated 1.5 to 2 million people died — a quarter of the entire population.

What Happened

On April 17, 1975, the Khmer Rouge marched into Phnom Penh. Within 48 hours, the entire city population (2 million people) was driven into the countryside — the elderly, the sick, children, pregnant women. The city became a ghost town.

The goal: a radical agrarian communist utopia — the "Year Zero". All city dwellers were made into farmers, the population forced into labor camps. What followed:

• Systematic murder of intellectuals, teachers, doctors, monks, ethnic minorities, and anyone with education (wearing glasses marked one as an "intellectual").
• Abolition of money, schools, religion, private clothing, family structures. The country was turned into a massive labor colony.
• Forced labor: 12–16 hours a day in the rice fields, with minimal food. Those who did not work were killed.
• S-21 and the Killing Fields: Over 300 execution sites across the country. In S-21 (Tuol Sleng) in Phnom Penh, over 17,000 people were interrogated, tortured, and taken to Choeung Ek (Killing Fields) to be murdered.

The End

On January 7, 1979, Vietnamese troops liberated Phnom Penh. What they found shocked the world: a country systematically destroyed. There were practically no doctors, teachers, or skilled workers left. The infrastructure was destroyed, the population traumatized.

Pol Pot fled into the jungle and continued fighting as a guerrilla. He died in 1998, never having been tried for his crimes. The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) convicted some leaders starting in 2006 — including Duch (head of S-21, died in 2020 in custody) and Nuon Chea (Pol Pot's right-hand man, died in 2019 in custody, convicted of genocide).

The Long Road Back (1979–Today)

After the fall of the Khmer Rouge, a reconstruction that took decades began — and continues to this day. The 1980s were marked by Vietnamese occupation and civil war. The Khmer Rouge continued to fight as guerrillas, supported (yes, really) by the USA and China as a counterbalance to Vietnam.

In 1991, the Paris Peace Agreement brought peace, and in 1993 the United Nations (UNTAC) organized the first free elections. King Norodom Sihanouk returned, and Cambodia became a constitutional monarchy once again.

Cambodia Today

Since 1993, Cambodia has experienced a remarkable economic upswing:

• Tourism: From practically zero visitors in the 1980s to over 6 million international tourists per year (before COVID). Angkor Wat is the economic engine.
• Textile Industry: Cambodia produces clothing for international fashion brands — the largest export sector.
• Poverty: The poverty rate dropped from 53% (2004) to under 18% (2023) — a tremendous progress, but still high.
• Infrastructure: Roads have dramatically improved (just 15 years ago, the route Phnom Penh → Siem Reap was a 12-hour ordeal on pothole-ridden tracks).

Politics

Hun Sen ruled Cambodia from 1985 to 2023 — one of the longest-serving leaders in the world. In 2023, he handed over power to his son Hun Manet. The political landscape is authoritarian: The opposition has been largely dismantled, press freedom is restricted. At the same time, there is relative stability, and most Cambodians focus on economic advancement.

Society & Religion

Cambodia is a deeply Buddhist country. About 97% of the population practice Theravada Buddhism — the oldest and most conservative branch of Buddhism. Monks enjoy the highest respect, pagodas are the social center of every village, and many young men enter the monastery for a few weeks or months. Buddhism was banned under the Khmer Rouge, and most monks were murdered — rebuilding the religious infrastructure was one of the first priorities after 1979.

The family is the most important social network. Cambodians are incredibly hospitable — despite or perhaps because of their history. The ubiquitous smile is genuine and an expression of a culture that values harmony and kindness over confrontation.