Phnom Penh

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Geography & Travel

Phnom Penh

national capital, Cambodia

Also known as: Phnum Pénh, Phom Penh, Pnom Penh

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 31, 2024 • Article History

Category: Geography & Travel

Also spelled:: Pnom Penh or Phom Penh

Khmer:: Phnum Pénh

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Phnom Penh, capital and chief city of Cambodia. It lies at the confluence of the Basăk (Bassac), Sab, and Mekong river systems, in the south-central part of the country. Phnom Penh was founded in 1434 to succeed Angkor Thom as the capital of the Khmer nation but was abandoned several times before being reestablished in 1865 by King Norodom. The city formerly functioned as a processing centre, with textiles, pharmaceuticals, machine manufacturing, and rice milling. Its chief assets, however, were cultural. Institutions of higher learning included the National University of Phnom Penh (founded in 1956 as the Royal Khmer University), ...(100 of 510 words)

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