Nokor Reach

Nokor Reach

"Nokor Reach" (Khmer: បទនគររាជ; Royal Kingdom or Majestic Kingdom) is the national anthem of the Kingdom of Cambodia. It was based on a Cambodian folk tune and written by Chuon Nath, the anthem was originally adopted in 1941 and reconfirmed in 1947, around the time of independence from France. In 1970, the monarchy was abolished, thereby replacing the anthem as well. After the communist victory in 1975, former royalist symbols, including "Nokor Reach", were reinstated for a short while. The Khmer Rouge then replaced it with Dap Prampi Mesa Chokchey ("Glorious Seventeenth of April"). After the royalist party FUNCINPEC defeated the former communists (Cambodian People's Party) in the 1993 elections, the royalist anthem was restored.