Sihanouk Ville, 230 km from Phnom Penh, is the provincial center (Town) of the Kampong Som province. The town was named afterKing Sihanouk (in power 1954 - 1970) as a dedication to his effort of creating a port city to improve the international trades. The town was re-named "Kampong Som city", after the King was overthrown in 1970 by Lon Nol, his military leader. Many people these days still call the port city Kampong Som. The town has a population of 18,000 (government census 2003). There are several beaches in Sihanouk Ville but the most popular and developed one is O Chheu Teal beach. There are some other beaches sprawling along the cost but they are not as well developed, such as Chmkar Dong and Thmar Thom beaches. The popular Beaches: Victoria, Independence, Sokha, O Chheu Teal, and O Tres.