What is the capital of Cambodia?

The capital of Cambodia is Phnom Penh. The city sits at the confluence of the Mekong, Tonlé Sap, and Bassac rivers and serves as Cambodia’s political, economic, industrial, and cultural center.

According to tradition, the city was founded after Lady Penh discovered sacred Buddhist statues and a statue of Vishnu inside a floating tree. She built a shrine on a hill to house them; that site became Wat Phnom. In Khmer, phnom means “hill,” while Penh refers to the legendary founder.

Phnom Penh first became the royal capital in the 15th century after King Ponhea Yat moved the court from Angkor Thom. It later lost capital status for several centuries before becoming the permanent seat of government again in 1865 under King Norodom. French colonial planning helped transform it into a modern city.

A darker chapter came in 1975, when the Khmer Rouge forcibly evacuated Phnom Penh’s population. The city was largely emptied until Vietnamese-backed forces captured it in 1979. Today, the Royal Palace, Wat Phnom, and the riverside reflect the capital’s layered Khmer, Buddhist, and colonial history.