Phnom Penh

Cambodia’s capital and most populous city, Phnom Penh is home to 2.5 million people. It has been the national capital since the days of the French colonists. Its location at the junction of two major rivers, the Mekong and Tonle Sap, also makes it the industrial, economic, and cultural center of the country.

Known for its ornate royal palace, Phnom Penh also has a massive art deco central market, the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, and the Wat Phnom Daun Penh Buddhist temple.

When the Khmer Rouge came to power in Cambodia in 1975, they forcibly evacuated the entire population of Phnom Penh and drove its residents into the countryside. The city remained virtually deserted until Vietnamese forces invaded Cambodia and overthrew the Khmer Rouge in 1979.

Phnom Penh was gradually repopulated in the following years. Because of the virtual extermination of Cambodia’s educated class by the Khmer Rouge, the city’s educational institutions faced a long and difficult period of recovery.

More than 97% of the people of Cambodia are Khmer and are overwhelming Theravada Buddhist. However, there is a rapidly growing population of evangelical Christians. According to Joshua Project, Christians are currently just 2% of the population but are growing at an annual rate of 8.8%.
The constitution provides for freedom of belief and religious worship, as long as such freedom neither interferes with others’ beliefs and religions nor violates public order and security. There is a ban on door-to-door evangelism or using loudspeakers for proselytizing activities. Open-ended assistance activities by missions groups are encouraged.

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