Lying in the plains in southern Cambodia at the confluence of the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers, Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia. With one million inhabitants it is the largest city in Cambodia and also its economic and political centre. Once considered the most beautiful of the cities in French Indochina, Phnom Penh has suffered during the dark years of the war and civil war, but has managed to preserve its rich colonial and cultural heritage. It has beautiful temples and palaces, colonial architecture, wide boulevards with immaculate parks, and a charming palm fringed riverfront with restaurants and cafes.