kampuchea
Proper noun A country in Southeast Asia; was part of the French colonial territory known as Indochina until 1946. This term is a former official name for the country now commonly known as Cambodia.
The term "Kampuchea" is used to refer to the nation of Cambodia, particularly in historical or political contexts. * The official name of the country was the "People's Republic of Kampuchea" from 1979 to 1989. * Many historical documents refer to the region as Kampuchea during the period of French administration.
- Democratic Kampuchea: This was the official name of Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1979. The term is strongly associated with that specific historical period.
- The name "Kampuchea" is derived from the Sanskrit word , meaning "land of the Kambujas."
- Cambodia: The current and most commonly used English name for the country.
- Khmer Republic: The official name of Cambodia from 1970 to 1975.
- Indochina: The colonial federation of French territories in Southeast Asia, which included Kampuchea/Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos.
- Cambodia
- Kingdom of Cambodia (current official name)
While "Kampuchea" and "Cambodia" refer to the same nation, "Kampuchea" is now less common in everyday English usage. "Cambodia" is the standard contemporary term. The use of "Kampuchea" often signals a reference to a specific era in the country's 20th-century history.
- a nation in southeastern Asia; was part of Indochina under French rule until 1946