History of Cambodia

In spite of the fact that Cambodia has very rich history, in the 19th century it was on the threshold of dissolution. France continued to control the country even after the start of World War II. At last France recognized Cambodia as an autonomous kingdom within the French Union. In the conference held in Geneva and devoted to the French-Indochina war the Cambodian delegation agreed to the neutrality of the three Indochinese states. By the mid-1960s some of eastern provinces of Cambodia became the base for North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong (NVA/VC) forces operating against South Vietnam. The constitution of Cambodia was adopted in 1972. It provided the locals with a wide range of internationally recognized human rights. Step by step agriculture was collectivized and the surviving part of the industrial base was placed under state control. Cambodian economy continued to suffer from the decades of war and internal strife. In 1993 the United States and the Kingdom of Cambodia established full diplomatic relations.