Simple directory > Regional > Cambodia

Official name: Preah Réachéanachâkr Kâmpuchéa (The Kingdom of Cambodia) Head of State: King Norodom Sihamoni (from 14 Oct 2004) Head of government: Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen (KPK) (since 1985); Speaker of the National Assembly: Prince Norodom Ranariddh (since Nov 1998) Ruling party: Coalition government: Kanakpak Pracheachon Kâmpuchéa (KPK) (Cambodian People's Party) and United National Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful and Co-operative Cambodia (Funcinpec) (sworn in 16 Jul 2004) Area: 181,035 square km Population: 13.81 million (2004) Capital: Phnom Penh Official language: Khmer Currency: Riel (R) = 100 sen Exchange rate: R3,850.00 per US$ (Nov 2004) GDP per capita: US$280 (2003) GDP real growth: 5.20% (2003) Labour force: 6.00 million (2003) Unemployment: 2.80% (2003) Inflation: 3.50% (2003) Balance of trade: -US$350.00 million (2003) Foreign debt: US$829.00 million (2003)

 

Historical profile

1863 Cambodia was made a French Protectorate.

1941 Prince Norodom Sihanouk became King. Cambodia was occupied by the Japanese during the Second World War.

1945 Japanese occupation ended.

1946 France re-imposed its protectorate. A new constitution permitted Cambodians to form political parties. Communist guerrillas began an insurgency against French rule.

1953 Cambodia became independent with King Sihanouk as head of state.

1955 Sihanouk abdicated to pursue a political career as prime minister. His father, Norodom Suramarit, became King.

1960 King Suramarit died and Sihanouk became head of state.

1965 Sihanouk cut off relations with the US and gave support to North Vietnamese guerrillas fighting the US-backed regime in South Vietnam.

1969 The US began bombing Cambodia.

1970 Sihanouk was overthrown in a US-backed coup. General Lon Nol became president, proclaimed the Khmer Republic and began fighting the North Vietnamese in Cambodia. Sihanouk formed a guerrilla movement, known as the Khmer Rouge, while in exile in China.

1970–75 Civil war and intensive American bombing caused widespread destruction.

1975 Lon Nol was overthrown by the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot. Sihanouk briefly served as head of state.

1975–79 Under the Khmer Rouge regime, around 1.7 million people were killed and towns and industry destroyed. The cities were emptied and people were forced into the countryside to become agricultural workers.

1976 Sihanouk was replaced by Khieu Samphan as head of state and Pol Pot as prime minister.

1979 The Khmer Rouge was ejected by a Vietnamese invasion and the regime's policies were reversed.

1981 The pro-Vietnamese Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party (KPRP) won the elections to the National Assembly, but the international community, led by the US, refused to recognise the new government. Instead, Cambodia was represented in the UN by the Khmer Rouge.

1985 Hun Sen became prime minister.

1989 Vietnam claimed to have withdrawn its remaining troops from the country. Hun Sen abandoned his socialist programme in an effort to appease the US and gain international recognition.

1991 The signing of a peace agreement brought to an end 13 years of civil war. A UN transitional authority was established to share power between the country's varius factions. Sihanouk became head of state.

1993 The UN organised elections. The Cambodian National Unity Party (Khmer Rouge) guerrilla group boycotted the poll. The two main parties, United National Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful and Co-operative Cambodia (Funcinpec) and Kanakpak Pracheachon Kâmpuchéa (KPK) (Cambodian People's Party), agreed on a joint government under which they would share power. A constitutional monarchy was established and, in May, the country was renamed the Kingdom of Cambodia. The government-in-exile lost its seat in the UN.

1994 Thousands of Khmer Rouge fighters surrendered after the government called an amnesty.

1997 Second Prime Minister Hun Sen (KPK) seized power, removing First Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh (Funcinpec) from office, in a move condemned by the international community.

1998 The Khmer Rouge founder, Pol Pot, died. The KPK won the elections, but the opposition parties objected saying the election was fraudulent. A coalition government was formed with Funcinpec. Hun Sen became prime minister and Ranariddh became president of the National Assembly.

1999 Two Khmer Rouge leaders were arrested and charged with genocide.

2001 Parliament approved a law to create a special tribunal to bring genocide charges against Khmer Rouge leaders.

2002 The KPK scored an overwhelming victory in the country's first multi-party local elections, giving it control of over 98 per cent of the country's communes.

2003 Anti-Thai riots in January were set off by claims that Angkor Wat really belonged to Thailand and not to Cambodia. Damage to Thai companies in Phnom Penh was estimated at US$50 million. The Cambodian government apologised and agreed to pay compensation. The KPK was re-elected in the 27 July parliamentary elections, but failed to secure a two-thirds majority required under the constitution to govern alone.

2004 In July, the two main political parties, KPK and Funcinpec, agreed to form a coalition government with Hun Sen remaining as prime minister – this ended a government crisis that had crippled the kingdom for almost a year; the coalition government was sworn in on 16 July. Cambodia became a member of the WTO on 13 October. On 14 October, the Council of the Throne chose Prince Norodom Sihamoni as the new King.

 

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