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For centuries
the old Khmer kingdom was called Cambodia, a derivation of "Kambuja."
After Cambodia won its independence from the French in 1953, it was
called the Kingdom of Cambodia. Later, in 1970, Lon Nol took control
and renamed the Kingdom of Cambodia to the Khmer Republic. Then, when
Pol Pot seized power in 1975, he outlawed the name "Cambodia" because
it had been used by the French and called the country "Democratic Kampuchea."
The Vietnamese-installed government called Cambodia the "People's Republic
of Kampuchea." This lasted until 1989 when it was renamed the State
of Cambodia. After the elections of May 1993 and the crowning of Sihanouk
in September of 1993, the country's name once again became the Kingdom
of Cambodia. In the Khmer language, Cambodian's pronounce their country's
name as "Kampuchea." For many foreigners, however, this becomes confused
with Democratic Kampuchea and therefore, most international organizations
refer to the country as Cambodia.
Designed by: Marie Baldwin mmb10@cornell.edu. Last modified: |