Why did Cambodia change their name to Kampuchea and then back to Cambodia?

Answer 1

Cambodia has had several name changes - when the new ruling party wanted to erase all traces of the previous one. The following names have been used since 1954. * Kingdom of Cambodia under the rule of the monarchy from 1953 through 1970; * Khmer Republic under the Lon Nol led government from 1970 to 1975; * Democratic Kampucheaunder the rule of the communist Khmer Rouge from 1975 to 1979; * People's Republic of Kampuchea under the rule of the Vietnamese-sponsored government from 1979 to 1989; * State of Cambodia under the rule of the United Nations transitional authority from 1989 to 1993; * Once again Kingdom of Cambodia after the restoration of the monarchy in 1993. Edit- Kampuchea is a name that the Khmer people prefer to call themselves. The word "chear" means descendant. Kampu is from the Brahmin prince Kambu Swayambhuva who settled in the area of Cambodia and defeated the Naga race that dwells there. The name, Kampuchea would then refer to "The Descendant of Prince Kambu" The name Cambodia is a "western" mispronounciation of Kampuchea. The French first called it Cambodja (Kampuchea). Kampuchea is a closer written pronounciation of how the Khmer people say it. The Khmer Rouge believed their country should return back into the Old Ways and renounced all western influence and western ideas. During their time, they used "Kampuchea" as the true name of the country. Most Khmer people use Kampuchea to identify their country, while some few who are heavily influenced by western ways refer to their country as "Srok Khmer", which translate to "Khmer Land".

Answer 2

In 1970 the Khmer Rouge took over the democratic monarchy government of Cambodia and renamed it Kampuchea which means land of the Khmer. In 1993 the monarchy was restored.