In the six decades in which Cambodia has regained independence after French colonial rule, the nation has suffered many upheavals. In the 1960s, Cambodia could not prevent involvement in the war in neighboring Vietnam, and in 1970 the monarchy was overthrown by a pro-U.S. military junta. In 1975, the military government was in turn overthrown by the Communist Khmer Rouge movement, which forcibly dismantled the economy, evacuated the cities, and massacred at least one million Cambodians (and possibly twice that number). Cambodia’s traditional rival, Vietnam, invaded in 1979, dislodging the Khmer Rouge, but civil war broke out. In 1991, the warring factions agreed to a peace plan that included elections supervised by the United Nations (UN). Multiparty elections were held in 1993, and the monarchy was restored.COUNTRY PROFILE
FLAG
The national flag of Cambodia has three horizontal bands: blue at the top, red in the center, and blue at the bottom. There is a white emblem in outline at the center of the red band representing the great temple of Angkor Wat. The pedestal of the temple represents the structure of the universe; the temple itself represents the Buddhist religion; and the top of the temple represents the monarchy. The flag, the national flag of Cambodia from independence until 1970, was reinstated upon the restoration of the monarchy in 1993.
GEOGRAPHY
METROPOLITAN AREAS, 1998 POPULATIONS
NEIGHBORS AND LENGTH OF BORDERS
POPULATION
ECONOMY
GOVERNMENT
TRANSPORTATION
POPULATION PROFILE, 2000 ESTIMATES
