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Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Water
  1. Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Description

From 1975 to 1978, Cambodia was ruled by the Khmer Rouge regime, which sought among other things to build a vast system of irrigation canals. These images show an area around Cambodia's capital city of Phnom Penh where such waterworks were built. Many areas east of the Mekong River show a gridwork of canals by 1985.

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Location

Jan. 3, 1973, Landsat 1 (path/row 135/52) — Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Jan. 3, 1973, Landsat 1 (path/row 135/52) — Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Jan. 7, 1989, Landsat 5 (path/row 126/52) — Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Jan. 7, 1989, Landsat 5 (path/row 126/52) — Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Jan. 8, 1995, Landsat 5 (path/row 126/52) — Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Jan. 8, 1995, Landsat 5 (path/row 126/52) — Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Jan. 14, 2009, Landsat 5 (path/row 126/52) — Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Jan. 14, 2009, Landsat 5 (path/row 126/52) — Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Jan. 13, 2020, Landsat 8 (path/row 126/52) — Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Jan. 13, 2020, Landsat 8 (path/row 126/52) — Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Jan. 13, 2020, Landsat 8 (path/row 126/52) — Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Jan. 13, 2020, Landsat 8 (path/row 126/52) — Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Jan. 3, 1973, Landsat 1 (path/row 135/52) — Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Jan. 7, 1989, Landsat 5 (path/row 126/52) — Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Jan. 8, 1995, Landsat 5 (path/row 126/52) — Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Jan. 14, 2009, Landsat 5 (path/row 126/52) — Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Jan. 13, 2020, Landsat 8 (path/row 126/52) — Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Jan. 13, 2020, Landsat 8 (path/row 126/52) — Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Phnom Penh, Cambodia Additional Imagery & Stories

Further Problems
Further Problems

Many projects were headed by loyal party leaders with no technical skills, which is another reason the canals were not more effective. Teachers, techn...

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Population Change
Population Change

Phnom Penh is the largest city along the Mekong River. Its population fluctuated wildly during the 1970s and 1980s; the population of 1.2 million in 1...

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Rivers and Rain
Rivers and Rain

Phnom Penh lies just west of the four-river intersection called the Chattomukh ("Four Faces"). From the northwest and northeast, respectively, flow th...

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The Initial Irrigation Idea
The Initial Irrigation Idea

From 1975 to 1978, Cambodia was governed by Pol Pot. His regime was known as the Khmer Rouge ("Red Khmer"). In their desire to radically transform Cam...

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References

References (Earthshot Overview/Parent Only)

Demographia, 2019, Demographia World Urban Areas--Built-Up Urban Areas or World Agglomerations (15th ed.): Belleville, Ill., Demographia, 123 p., accessed July 23, 2019, at http://demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf.

The Economist, 1992, Cambodia—not a grain of truth: v. 322, no. 7741, p. 34.

Fuller, T., 2008, Cambodia revives Pol Pot's deadly canals: New York Times, December 4, 2008, available at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/world/asia/04iht-canal.4.18410736.htm…. (Accessed September 19, 2012.)

Jackson, K.D., ed., 1989, Cambodia, 1975–1978—rendezvous with death: Princeton, N.J., Princeton University Press, 360 p.

O'Neill, T., 1993, The Mekong River: National Geographic, v. 183, no. 2, p. 10.

Ross, R.R., ed., 1990, Cambodia—a country study: Washington, D.C., Headquarters, Dept. of the Army, 395 p.

Sattaur, O., 1992, Raising rice in Cambodia's ruins: New Scientist, v. 134, no. 1824, p. 36.

Vickery, M., 2000, Cambodia—1975–1982: Chiang Mai, Thailand, Silkworm Books, 432 p.

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