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Which country is Phnom Penh?
If you travel to Cambodia in Southeast Asia, you can’t miss Phnom Penh, because it is considered the “pearl of Asia”. The capital of the country has now become a real insider tip for many holidaymakers – a cosmopolitan capital with flair.
The metropolis is located on the Mekong River, one of the longest rivers in the world, which crosses six different countries. Phnom Penh is in many ways the heart and soul of Cambodia and the springboard to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat or to the beaches of Sihanoukville. The sights of the city, such as the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda and the National Museum, especially fascinate visitors.
The city of 2 million inhabitants is located on the Tonle Sap, a tributary of the Mekong. Its name means “hill temple” because an artificial hill with five statues of Buddha was built in the 14th century.
But it was not until the 2nd half of the 19th century under the French colonial administration that the city emerged, which was described as a flourishing fairy-tale city with magnificent boulevards, Art Nouveau villas and palaces until the 1960s.
This changed with the overthrow of Prince Sihanouk by the general Lon Nol. The battle between the general and the Khmer Rouge brought many refugees to the city, which swelled to over 3 million inhabitants. in 1975, the Khmer Rouge invaded the capital and were initially welcomed as liberators. But then the townspeople had to leave Phnom Penh within 48 hours. No exceptions were made, not even for the sick and elderly. A large part of the inhabitants died due to starvation, malaria or execution. After the expulsion of the Khmer Rouge by the Vietnamese in 1975, the city began to recover.
Is Phnom Penh in Cambodia or Vietnam?
Is Cambodia a part of Vietnam?
What is Phnom Penh known for?
