Phnom Penh succeeded Angkor Thom as the capital of the Khmer nation but was abandoned several times before being reestablished in 1865 by King Norodom.

On the banks of the Tonlé Sap, Mekong, and Bassac Rivers, Phnom Penh is home to more than 2 million people, approximately 14% of the Cambodian population.

"hill temple"), or from the ancient Funan Kingdom, which existed from the 1st to the 7th century AD in Southeast Asia and was the forerunner of the current Cambodian monarchy.

Krong Chaktomuk is an abbreviation of the full name, given to it by King Ponhea Yat: Krong Chaktomuk Mongkol Sakal Kampuchea Thipadei Serei Theakreak Bavar Intabat Borei Roat Reach Seima Moha Nokor (Khmer: ក្រុងចតុមុខមង្គលសកលកម្ពុជាធិបតី សិរីធរបវរ ឥន្ទបត្តបុរី រដ្ឋរាជសីមាមហានគរ [kɾoŋ catomuk mɔŋkɔl sakɑl kampuciətʰəpaɗəj serəj tʰeareaɓɑːʋɑː ʔenteapat ɓorəj rɔətʰariəcsəjmaː mɔhaːnɔkɔː]).

Inside the tree she found four Buddha statues and one of Vishnu.The discovery was taken as a divine blessing, and to some a sign that the Khmer capital was to be brought to Phnom Penh from Angkor.

In 1872, the first glimpse of a modern city took shape when King Norodom employed the services of French contractor Le Faucheur to construct 300 brick houses for sale and rental to Chinese traders.

[14] Reports from journalists stated that the Khmer Rouge shelling "tortured the capital almost continuously", inflicting "random death and mutilation" on millions of trapped civilians.

[21] The Khmer Rouge forcibly evacuated the entire city after taking it, in what has been described as a death march: François Ponchaud wrote that "I shall never forget one cripple who had neither hands nor feet, writhing along the ground like a severed worm, or a weeping father carrying his ten-year old daughter wrapped in a sheet tied around his neck like a sling, or the man with his foot dangling at the end of a leg to which it was attached by nothing but skin";[22] Jon Swain recalled that the Khmer Rouge were "tipping out patients from the hospitals like garbage into the streets....In five years of war, this is the greatest caravan of human misery I have seen".

[24] Tuol Sleng High School was taken over by Pol Pot's forces and was turned into the S-21 prison camp, where people were detained and tortured.

Pol Pot sought a return to an agrarian economy and therefore killed many people perceived as educated, "lazy", spies, or political enemies.

Many others starved to death as a result of failure of the agrarian society and the sale of Cambodia's rice to China in exchange for bullets and weaponry.

The former high school is now the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, where Khmer Rouge torture devices and photos of their victims are displayed.

A period of reconstruction began, spurred by the continuing stability of government, attracting new foreign investment and aid by countries including France, Australia, and Japan.

Phnom Penh is an autonomous municipality of area 678.46 square kilometres (261.95 sq mi) with a government status equal to that of the provinces.

A survey by the National Institute of Statistics in 2017 showed that 95.3% of the population in Phnom Penh are Khmer, 4% Chams, and 0.7% others, predominantly Chinese, Vietnamese, and other small ethnic groups who are Thai, Budong, Mnong Preh, Kuy and Chong.

The Bureau of Urban Affairs of Phnom Penh Municipality has plans to expand and construct new infrastructure to accommodate the growing population and economy.

The four wings of the yellow colored market are teeming with numerous stalls selling gold and silver jewelry, antique coins, clothing, clocks, flowers, food, fabrics and shoes.

The largest annual festival in Phnom Penh, this lively gathering celebrates the reversing of the flow of the Tonlé Sap River.

The holiday lasts three days as people flood into the city to enjoy the fireworks, boat races, live concerts, eating and partying.

By offering food and good karma to those possibly trapped in the spirit world, living relatives help assuage their misery and guide them back into the cycle of reincarnation.

Other architects helped construct the newly founded Royal Khmer University, the Institute of Foreign Languages, and the National Sports Centre.

Although these buildings survived the Khmer Rouge era and the civil war, today they are under threat due to economic development and financial speculation.

The rapid growth resulted in the city's infrastructure distinctly lacking (the drainage system is particularly notorious, and Phnom Penh frequently floods during the wet season), and a need for both residential and commercial spaces.

The simultaneous demand for residential and commercial housing and the increase of international investment has led to the planning, if not construction, of several satellite cities.

Noted local football clubs include Phnom Penh Empire, Khemara Keila FC and Military Police.

Taxis, pick-ups, and minibuses leave the city for destinations all over the country, but are fast losing ground to cheaper and more comfortable buses.

Phnom Penh Sorya Transport Co. offers bus service to several provincial destinations along the National Routes and to Saigon.

Giant Ibis is another bus company based in Phnom Penh, which travels to Sihanoukville, Kampot, Siem Reap and Saigon, and has free Wi-Fi, air conditioning and modest pricing.

As the capital of Cambodia, a number of national highways connect the city with various parts of the country: In 2023, a new expressway linking Phnom Penh with Sihanoukville came into operation.

[63]: 29 Water supply in Phnom Penh has improved dramatically in terms of access, service quality, efficiency, cost recovery and governance between 1993 and 2006.