Cambodia

American  

[kam-boh-dee-uh] / kæmˈboʊ di ə /

noun

1. a republic in Southeast Asia: formerly part of French Indochina. 69,866 sq. mi. (180,953 sq. km). Phnom Penh.

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Cambodia British  

/ kæmˈbəʊdɪə /

noun

1. a country in SE Asia: became part of French Indochina in 1887; achieved self-government in 1949 and independence in 1953; civil war (1970–74) ended in victory for the Khmer Rouge, who renamed the country Kampuchea (1975) and carried out extreme-radical political and economic reforms resulting in a considerable reduction of the population; Vietnamese forces ousted the Khmer Rouge in 1979 and set up a pro-Vietnamese government who reverted (1981) to the name Cambodia; after Vietnamese withdrawal in 1989 a peace settlement with exiled factions was followed in 1993 by the adoption of a democratic monarchist constitution restoring Prince Sihanouk to the throne. The country contains the central plains of the Mekong River and the Cardamom Mountains in the SW. Official language: Khmer; French is also widely spoken. Currency: riel. Capital: Phnom Penh. Pop: 15 205 539 (2013 est). Area: 181 000 sq km (69 895 sq miles)

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Cambodia Cultural  

1. Nation in Southeast Asia; bordered by Laos to the north, Vietnam to the east, the Gulf of Siam to the south, and Thailand to the west and north. Phnom Penh is its capital and largest city.

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Discover More

The Japanese occupied Cambodia during World War II.

In 1979, Vietnam invaded Cambodia and installed a puppet government. In 1989, Vietnamese troops withdrew from Cambodia.

Part of French-ruled Indochina until 1946, it then became self-governing. It was granted full independence in 1953.

It was a major battleground of the Vietnam War.

In 1975, Cambodian communists, called the Khmer Rouge, occupied Phnom Penh and then forcibly expelled most of its population to work in the countryside. More than one million Cambodians died at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, either by outright execution or because of forced labor and deprivation.

Other Word Forms

• anti-Cambodia
  adjective
• pro-Cambodia
  adjective

Example Sentences

The actress also owns several properties in Cambodia, purchasing her first dwelling in the country soon after she adopted her son, Maddox, who was born in the country.

From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026

It was pushed down to third place behind the reformist People's Party, and eclipsed by the conservative Bhumjaithai party, which benefitted from a surge of nationalist sentiment after the border war with Cambodia.

From BBC • May 10, 2026

From January to April, more than 240,000 people, including Chinese, Indonesians, Indians and others, accused of scam involvement "voluntarily departed" Cambodia, the government said last week.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Hun Manet, Cambodia has made combating online scams a national priority, supported by sustained nationwide efforts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

A few months after Khouy and Meng left, rumors that the Youns, or Vietnamese, have tried to invade Cambodia cause the Khmer Rouge to take many teenage boys and girls from their homes.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung