People

Overview

The majority of Cambodia's population consists of the Khmer, who form a remarkably homogeneous group in Southeast Asia, fostering a strong national identity.  Ethnic diversity is also present, with minorities such as the Chinese, Vietnamese, Cham-Malays (Muslim Cham), Laotians, and various indigenous communities in the rural highlands.

The Khmer people, belonging to the Mon-Khmer ethnic and linguistic group, primarily residing in the lowland regions surrounding the Mekong River and Tonle Sap, as well as along the coast. Their history is marked by centuries of intricate cultural and ethnic blending. They migrated southward before 200 BCE, leaving the Khorat Plateau in present-day Thailand for the fertile Mekong Delta. Over time, they were influenced by successive waves of Indian and Indo-Malayan cultures, possibly including immigration from Java. From the 10th to the 15th century, Tai people immigrated, followed by Vietnamese starting in the 17th century and Chinese in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Before 1975, the Chinese minority played a significant role in Cambodia's economic life but lost influence during the communist-led revolution of the 1970s, becoming a lower income making population. Some returned and regained their influence as urban centers revived.

The Vietnamese minority held a somewhat lower status than the Chinese and most left or were repatriated to Vietnam after 1970. However, in the 1980s, a substantial number of Vietnamese migrants, including former residents of Cambodia, resettled in the country. Centuries of mutual distrust have strained Vietnamese-Khmer relations, with intermarriage being infrequent and often frowned upon.