People's Republic of Kampuchea: Map & History
The People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) was a partially recognised state in Southeast Asia which existed from 1979 to 1992.
Wikipedia Encyclopedic Compendium
Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
The People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) was a partially recognised state in Southeast Asia which existed from 1979 to 1992. It was a satellite state of Vietnam, founded in Cambodia by the Vietnamese-backed Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation, a group of Cambodian communists who were dissatisfied with the Khmer Rouge due to its oppressive rule and defected from it after the overthrow of Democratic Kampuchea, Pol Pot's government. Brought about by an invasion from Vietnam, which routed the Khmer Rouge armies, it had Vietnam and the Soviet Union as its main allies.
Modern Countries Once Part of People's Republic of Kampuchea
At its mapped extent, People's Republic of Kampuchea covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside People's Republic of Kampuchea's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
People's Republic of Kampuchea in Depth
History
On 8 January 1979, after the DK army had been routed and Phnom Penh captured by Vietnamese troops the day before, the KPRC proclaimed that the new official name of Cambodia was the People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK). The new administration was a pro-Soviet government supported by a substantial Vietnamese military force and civilian advisory effort.
Despite the Vietnam-sponsored invasion and control, and the loss of independence that went along with it, the new order was welcomed by almost the entire Cambodian population due to the Khmer Rouge's brutality. However, there was some plundering of the almost empty capital of Phnom Penh by Vietnamese forces, who carried the goods on trucks back to Vietnam.
Government structure
An administrative infrastructure functioning under the Marxist–Leninist KPRC was more or less in place between 1979 and 1980. With the promulgation of the Constitution in June 1981, new organs, such as the National Assembly, the Council of State, and the Council of Ministers, assumed certain functions that the KPRC had provided. These new bodies evolved slowly. It was not until February 1982 that the National Assembly enacted specific laws for these bodies.
Despite the presence of Vietnamese advisors, the government of the PRK was made up entirely of Cambodian KUFNS members. Initially the Vietnamese advisors, like Lê Đức Thọ, had promised that they would not interfere with Cambodian internal affairs.
Historical background
The PRK was established in January 1979 as a result of a process that began with Khmer Rouge belligerence.
Initially, communist North Vietnam was a strong ally of the Khmer Rouge while it was fighting against Lon Nol's Khmer Republic during the 1970–1975 civil war. Only after the Khmer Rouge took power did the Vietnamese opinion of Kampuchea become negative, when on 1 May 1975 (the day after Saigon fell), Khmer Rouge soldiers raided the islands of Phu Quoc and Tho Chau, killing more than five hundred Vietnamese civilians; following the attack, the islands were swiftly recaptured by Vietnam.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: People's Republic of Kampuchea (CC BY-SA 4.0).
People's Republic of Kampuchea: Key Facts
| Capital | Phnom Penh |
|---|---|
| Official language | Khmer |
| Form of government | socialist state, unitary state |
| Currency | riel |
| Founded | 10 January 1979 |
| Dissolved | 1 May 1989 |
Preceded by
- Democratic Kampuchea
Succeeded by
- United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia
Facts from Wikidata Q867778 (CC0).
People's Republic of Kampuchea Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 184,307 km² in 1994 CE.
People's Republic of Kampuchea: Frequently Asked Questions
When did People's Republic of Kampuchea exist?
People's Republic of Kampuchea is dated to 1979 CE – 1995 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of People's Republic of Kampuchea?
The capital of People's Republic of Kampuchea was Phnom Penh.
How large was People's Republic of Kampuchea at its peak?
At its peak in 1994 People's Republic of Kampuchea covered about 184,307 km².
Other Sovereign Realms
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Söğüt, Bursa, Edirne, Constantinople
Industrial Era • Capital: London
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore, Delhi
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Raigad