Home>Asia>Cambodia

Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos

Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N, 105 00 E

Map references: Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 181,040 sq km
land: 176,520 sq km
water: 4,520 sq km

Area—comparative: slightly smaller than Oklahoma

Land boundaries:
total: 2,572 km
border countries: Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km

Coastline: 443 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m
highest point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 m

Natural resources: timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential

Land use:
arable land: 13%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 11%
forests and woodland: 66%
other: 10% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 920 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts

Environment—current issues: illegal logging activities throughout the country and strip mining for gems in the western region along the border with Thailand are resulting in habitat loss and declining biodiversity (in particular, destruction of mangrove swamps threatens natural fisheries); soil erosion; in rural areas, a majority of the population does not have access to potable water; toxic waste delivery from Taiwan sparked unrest in Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville) in December 1998

Environment—international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping

Geography—note: a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap

Population: 11,626,520 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 45% (male 2,667,768; female 2,587,590)
15-64 years: 52% (male 2,821,772; female 3,197,604)
65 years and over: 3% (male 143,016; female 208,770) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.49% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 41.05 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 16.2 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.88 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 105.06 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 48.24 years
male: 46.81 years
female: 49.75 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.81 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Cambodian(s)
adjective: Cambodian

Ethnic groups: Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4%

Religions: Theravada Buddhism 95%, other 5%

Languages: Khmer (official), French

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 35%
male: 48%
female: 22% (1990 est.)

Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia
conventional short form: Cambodia
local long form: Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea
local short form: Kampuchea

Data code: CB

Government type: multiparty liberal democracy under a constitutional monarchy established in September 1993

Capital: Phnom Penh

Administrative divisions: 20 provinces (khett, singular and plural) and 3 municipalities* (krong, singular and plural); Banteay Mean Cheay, Batdambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum, Kampot, Kandal, Kaoh Kong, Keb*, Krachen, Mondol Kiri, Otdar Mean Cheay, Phnum Penh*, Pouthisat, Preah Seihanu* (Sihanoukville), Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Rotanah Kiri, Siem Reab, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev
note: there may be a new municipality called Pailin

Independence: 9 November 1953 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day, 9 November (1953)

Constitution: promulgated 21 September 1993

Legal system: primarily a civil law mixture of French-influenced codes from the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) period, royal decrees, and acts of the legislature, with influences of customary law and remnants of communist legal theory; increasing influence of common law in recent years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: King Norodom SIHANOUK (reinstated 24 September 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 30 November 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch after a vote of confidence by the National Assembly

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (122 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 26 July 1998 (next to be held NA 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party—CPP 41%, FUNCINPEC 32%, SRP 14%, other 13%; seats by party—CPP 64, FUNCINPEC 43, SRP 15
note: pursuant to the coalition agreement signed in November 1998, a Senate is being created and the legislature will thus become bicameral

Judicial branch: Supreme Council of the Magistracy, provided for in the constitution, was formed in December 1997; a Supreme Court and lower courts exercise judicial authority

Political parties and leaders: National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia or FUNCINPEC [Prince NORODOM RANARIDDH]; Cambodian Pracheachon Party or Cambodian People's Party or CPP [CHEA SIM]; Sam Rangsi Party or SRP (formerly Khmer Nation Party or KNP) [SAM RANGSI]; Buddhist Liberal Party or BLP [IENG MOULY]; Populist Party [UNG HUOT]; Khmer Citizen Party or KCP [NGUON SOEUR]

International organization participation: ACCT, AsDB, ASEAN (observer), CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador VAR HUOTH
chancery: 4500 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone: [1] (202) 726-7742
FAX: [1] (202) 726-8381

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Kenneth M. QUINN
embassy: 27 EO Street 240, Phnom Penh
mailing address: Box P, APO AP 96546
telephone: [855] (23) 216-436, 216-438
FAX: [855] (23) 216-811

Flag description: three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (double width), and blue with a white three-towered temple representing Angkor Wat outlined in black in the center of the red band

Economy—overview: After four years of solid macroeconomic performance, Cambodia's economy slowed dramatically in 1997-98 due to the regional economic crisis, civil violence, and political infighting. Foreign investment fell off, and tourism has declined from 1996 levels. Also, in 1998 the main harvest was hit by drought. The long-term development of the economy after decades of war remains a daunting challenge. Human resource levels in the population are low, particularly in the poverty-ridden countryside. The almost total lack of basic infrastructure in the countryside will continue to hinder development. Recurring political instability and corruption within government discourage foreign investment and delay foreign aid. Even so, growth may resume in 1999 at, say, 2%.

GDP: purchasing power parity—$7.8 billion (1998 est.)

GDP—real growth rate: 0% (1998 est.)

GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$700 (1998 est.)

GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 51%
industry: 15%
services: 34% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15% (1998 est.)

Labor force: 2.5 million to 3 million

Labor force—by occupation: agriculture 80% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $261 million
expenditures: $496 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)

Industries: rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles

Industrial production growth rate: 7% (1995 est.)

Electricity—production: 195 million kWh (1996)

Electricity—production by source:
fossil fuel: 61.54%
hydro: 38.46%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity—consumption: 195 million kWh (1996)

Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Agriculture—products: rice, rubber, corn, vegetables

Exports: $736 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)

Exports—commodities: timber, garments, rubber, soybeans, sesame

Exports—partners: Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, US

Imports: $1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.)

Imports—commodities: cigarettes, gold, construction materials, petroleum products, machinery, motor vehicles

Imports—partners: Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand

Debt—external: $2.2 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid—recipient: $569.8 million (1995)

Currency: 1 new riel (CR) = 100 sen

Exchange rates: riels (CR) per US$1—3,772.0 (January 1999), 3,744.4 (1998), 2,946.3 (1997), 2,624.1 (1996), 2,450.8 (1995), 2,545.3 (1994)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Telephones: 7,000 (1981 est.)

Telephone system: adequate landline and/or cellular service in Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; rural areas have little telephone service
domestic: NA
international: adequate but expensive landline and cellular service available to all countries from Phnom Penh and major provincial cities; satellite earth station—1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 3, shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 1 government-operated station and four commercial stations broadcasting to Phnom Penh and major provincial cities via relay (1998)

Televisions: 800,000 (1996 est.)

Railways:
total: 603 km
narrow gauge: 603 km 1.000-m gauge

Highways:
total: 35,769 km
paved: 4,165 km
unpaved: 31,604 km (1997 est.)

Waterways: 3,700 km navigable all year to craft drawing 0.6 m; 282 km navigable to craft drawing 1.8 m

Ports and harbors: Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville), Kampot, Krong Kaoh Kong, Phnom Penh

Merchant marine:
total: 141 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 598,867 GRT/841,240 DWT
ships by type: barge carrier 1, bulk 16, cargo 108, container 4, livestock carrier 2, multifunctional large-load carrier 1, oil tankers 1, refrigerated cargo 4, roll-on/roll-off cargo 4
note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships of 8 countries: Aruba 1, Cyprus 7, Egypt 1, South Korea 1, Malta 1, Panama 1, Russia 5, Singapore 1 (1998 est.)

Airports: 20 (1998 est.)

Airports—with paved runways:
total: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1998 est.)

Airports—with unpaved runways:
total: 13
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 10 (1998 est.)

Heliports: 3 (1998 est.)

Military branches: Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF)—created in 1993 by the merger of the Cambodian People's Armed Forces and the two noncommunist resistance armies
note: there are also resistance forces comprised of the Khmer Rouge (also known as the National United Army or NUA) and a separate royalist resistance movement

Military manpower—military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower—availability:
males age 15-49: 2,562,112 (1999 est.)

Military manpower—fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,428,523 (1999 est.)

Military manpower—reaching military age annually:
males: 119,839 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures—dollar figure: $85.3 million (1998)

Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 2.4% (1998)

Disputes—international: offshore islands and sections of the boundary with Vietnam are in dispute; maritime boundary with Vietnam not defined; parts of border with Thailand are indefinite; maritime boundary with Thailand not clearly defined

Illicit drugs: transshipment site for Golden Triangle heroin; possible money laundering; narcotics-related corruption reportedly involving some in the government, military, and police; possible small-scale opium, heroin, and amphetamine production; large producer of cannabis for the international market

Source: 1999 CIA World Factbook