1953 Forces Armees Royales Khmeres Plan or Map of Angkor, Cambodia

This is a 1953 'Service Géographique des Forces Armées Royales Khmères' map of Angkor, Cambodia. Angkor, home to the world-famous temples of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, among others, was the capital of the Khmer Empire which flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries. Both Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom are illustrated and labeled, their moats making them instantly recognizable. Angkor Wat, while the smaller of the two sites, is said to be the world's largest single religious monument and is Cambodia's most popular tourist attraction. Both temples, along with the surrounding area, are collectively a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Using satellite photography and other modern techniques, an international team of researchers determined that Angkor was the largest pre-industrial city in the world in 2007. They realized that an interconnected community that covered at least 390 square miles, with Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom at its center. Today, over two million people visit the site annually.

Forces Armées Royales Khmères

The Forces Armées Royales Khmères (FARK, Royal Khmer Armed Forces) was founded in 1953 after Cambodia concluded a convention with France. Signed during the Indochina War, the convention allowed Indochina to create its own military, and not long after Cambodia declared its independence from France. In Cambodia, this new military force was known as the Forces Armées Royales Khmères. With a strength of less than 35,000 men, the army was organized into battalions. FARK existed until March 18, 1970, when Lon Nol, the pro-U.S. prime minister and defense minister, overthrew Prince Norodom Sihanouk and established the Khmer Republic. FARK became Forces Armées Nationales Khmères (FANK, Khmer National Armed Forces).

Publication History and Census

This map was created by the Service Géographique des Forces Armées Royales Khmères and published in 1953. This is the only known surviving example.