'Angkor' literally means 'Capital City' or 'Holy City'. 'Khmer' refers to the dominant ethnic group in modern and ancient Cambodia. Nowadays, the word 'Angkor' has come to refer to the capital city of the Khmer Empire (that existed in the area of Cambodia between the 9th and 12th centuries), as well as to the empire itself. The temple ruins in the area of Siem Reap are the remnants of the Angkorian capitals, representing the pinnacle of the ancient Khmer architecture, art and civilization.
 

At its height in the Age of Angkor, the capital had more than a million inhabitants. The Khmer's kings constructed vast waterworks and grand temples, and Angkor's military, economic and cultural dominance sway over the area of modern Cambodia, much of Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.