Cambodia is a country in Asia, in Southeast Asia, with about 17.8 million people (2025) and an area of 181,040 square kilometres. Its capital is Phnom Penh, and it shares land borders with 3 countries.
By Team Geography·Last reviewed
Flag of CambodiaCambodia in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.
The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of Cambodia's 5, in full.
PLACELens 1 of 5
Cambodia is shaped by one lake and one river
Cambodia's geography is dominated by the Tonle Sap, Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake, and the Mekong River, which flows through the country's eastern half before splitting into a wide delta in Vietnam. During monsoon season, the Mekong reverses the flow of the Tonle Sap River, causing the lake to swell from roughly 2,500 square kilometers to over 12,000. That seasonal pulse sustains one of the world's most productive inland fisheries and defines the rhythm of rural Cambodian life.
More on Tonle Sap
The Tonle Sap is a hydrological engine: its annual flood-pulse cycle supports over 1.2 million tonnes of fish per year, feeding roughly 60% of Cambodia's protein intake. Floating villages on the lake shift with the waterline, rising and falling with the seasons.
4 more lenses on Cambodia in the app
STORY Angkor is not ruins; it is the national soul
STORY The Khmer Rouge left a wound that still organizes the present
NOW Chinese investment is rebuilding Cambodia, on Chinese terms
THREAD Cambodia is a test case for how small states navigate great-power rivalry
Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.
Compare Cambodia with another country
Opens the country comparison tool with population, area, income and more side by side, every figure dated.
Common questions
What is the capital of Cambodia?
The capital of Cambodia is Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh lies at about 11.6 degrees north and 104.9 degrees east. Cambodia is in Asia, in the region often called Southeast Asia. It is home to about 17.8 million people. The world capitals quiz on this site tests every capital, and the printable capitals sheets cover each continent.
What is the population of Cambodia?
About 17.8 million people live in Cambodia, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 72nd most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 181,040 square kilometres, that is about 99 people per square kilometre.
What countries border Cambodia?
Cambodia shares land borders with 3 countries: Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. The map on this page outlines each of them around Cambodia. The count includes only borders on land, not neighbours across a sea or a lake. Borders here follow Natural Earth at the 1:50 million scale, with Crimea shown as part of Ukraine and Western Sahara as a separate territory.
How big is Cambodia?
Cambodia covers 181,040 square kilometres, or about 69,900 square miles. That makes it the 88th largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 17.8 million gives a density of 99 people per square kilometre.
Cambodia is a country in Asia, in Southeast Asia, with about 17.8 million people (2025) and an area of 181,040 square kilometres. Its capital is Phnom Penh, and it shares land borders with 3 countries.
Capital
Phnom Penh
Continent
Asia
Region
Southeast Asia
Population
17,847,982 2025, World Bank. 72nd of 195.
Area
181,040 km² (69,900 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 88th largest of 195.
Population density
99 people per km²
Land neighbours
3: Laos, Thailand, Vietnam
Official name
Kingdom of Cambodia
UN status
Member state
PLACE · from the Geography app
Cambodia is shaped by one lake and one river
Cambodia's geography is dominated by the Tonle Sap, Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake, and the Mekong River, which flows through the country's eastern half before splitting into a wide delta in Vietnam. During monsoon season, the Mekong reverses the flow of the Tonle Sap River, causing the lake to swell from roughly 2,500 square kilometers to over 12,000. That seasonal pulse sustains one of the world's most productive inland fisheries and defines the rhythm of rural Cambodian life.
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/cambodia/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
Geography · Country report
Cambodia
NameDate
Draw the flag
Colour Cambodia on the map, then fill in what you find.
Capital
Continent
Population
Area
Languages
Currency
Neighbours
Landmarks
Rivers or mountains
Three things I learned
1
2
3
One question I still have
?
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/cambodia/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
