Cochinchina (, , ) is a region encompassing the southern third of
Vietnam whose principal city is
Saigon or
Prey Nokor in Khmer. It was a French colony from 1862 to 1954. The later state of
South Vietnam was created in 1954 by combining Cochinchina with southern
Annam. In Vietnamese, the region is called
Nam Bộ. Historically, it was
Gia Định (1779–1832),
Nam Kỳ (1834–1945),
Nam Bộ (1945–48),
Nam phần (1948–56),
Nam Việt (1956–75), and later
Miền Nam. In French, it was called
la colonie de Cochinchine.