Funan, the earliest of the Indianized states, generally is considered by Cambodians to have been the first Khmer kingdom in the area.

Founded in the first century CE, Funan is located on the lower reaches of the Mekong River in the delta area.

Its capital, Vyadhapura, probably was located near the present-day town of Phumi Banam in Prey Veng Province.

The earliest historical reference to Funan is a Chinese description of a mission that visits the country in the third century CE.

The name Funan derives from the Chinese rendition of the old Khmer word bnam (mountain).

What the Funanese call themselves, however, is not known.