Phnom Penh
Country: Cambodia
Region: Asia
Period: 1372-present
Location: 11.569444°N, 104.921111°E
Description
Phnom Penh, now the capital of Cambodia, became the capital of Colonial Cambodia under French Indochina in 1866. Chosen for its strategic location at the confluence of the Mekong, Tonle Sap, and Bassac Rivers, it served as the administrative and political center of the French protectorate. The French transformed the city with wide boulevards, colonial buildings, and infrastructure that modernized it into a colonial urban hub.
Modern Remains
Many colonial-era buildings still stand in Phnom Penh, such as the Royal Palace, the National Museum, and French colonial villas along the riverside. The city’s layout, with its tree-lined boulevards and public squares, reflects French urban planning. The Central Market (Phsar Thmei) and the train station are other remnants of the colonial period. These structures now coexist with modern development, forming a unique blend of Cambodian tradition and colonial legacy.