Map of Cambodia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: Following a five-year struggle communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh in 1975 and ordered the evacuation of all cities and towns; over 1 million displaced people died from execution or enforced hardships. A 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside and touched off 13 years of fighting. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normalcy as did the rapid diminishment of the Khmer Rouge in the mid-1990s.


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

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Total area total: 181,040 km²
Land: 176,520 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Oklahoma

Land boundaries: total 2,572 km, 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

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

Land use
Arable land: 16%
Permanent crops: 1%
Meadows and pastures: 3%
Forest and woodland: 76%
Other: 4%

Irrigated land: 920 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

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


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Population: 10,561,373 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 2.83% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Cambodian(s)
Adjective: Cambodian

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

Languages: Khmer (official), French

Religions: Theravada Buddhism 95%, other 5%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 46% (female 2,367,414; male 2,438,104)
15-64 years: 51% (female 2,932,788; male 2,494,203)
65 years and over: 3% (female 185,337; male 143,527) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.83% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 44.42 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 16.16 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: 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); deforestation; soil erosion; in rural areas, a majority of the population does not have access to potable water
Current issues natural hazards: monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts
Current issues international agreements: party to - Marine Life Conservation, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 109.6 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 49.46 years
Male: 48 years
Female: 51 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.81 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Total population: 35%
Male: 48%
Female: 22%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia
Conventional short form: Cambodia
Local long form: Reacheanachak Kampuchea
Local short form: Kampuchea

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

Capital: Phnom Penh

Administrative divisions: 21 provinces (khet, singular and plural); Banteay Meanchey, Batdambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum, Kampot, Kandal, Kaoh Kong, Kracheh, Mondol Kiri, Phnum Penh, Pouthisat, Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Rotanokiri, Siemreab-Otdar Meanchey, Sihanoukville, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev
Note: Siemreab-Otdar Meanchey may have been divided into two provinces named Siemreab and Otdar Meanchey

Dependent areas

Independence: 9 November 1949 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day, 9 November 1949

Constitution: promulgated September 1993

Legal system: currently being defined

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: King Norodom SIHANOUK (reinstated 24 September 1993)
Head of government: power shared between First Prime Minister Prince Norodom RANARIDDH and Second Prime Minister HUN SEN
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; elected by the National Assembly

Legislative branch: unicameral; a 120-member constituent assembly based on proportional representation within each province was established following the UN-supervised election in May 1993; the constituent assembly was transformed into a legislature in September 1993 after delegates promulgated the constitution

Judicial branch: Supreme Court provided for by the constitution has not yet been established and the future judicial system is yet to be defined by law

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACCT, AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador SISOWATH SIRIRATH represents Cambodia at the United Nations
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Charles H. TWINING
From the us embassy: 27 EO Street 240, Phnom Penh
From the us mailing address: Box P, APO AP 96,546
From the us telephone: [855] (23) 26,436, 26,438
From the us FAX: [855] (23) 26,437

Flag description: horizontal band of red separates two equal horizontal bands of blue with a white three-towered temple representing Angkor Wat in the center

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The Cambodian economy - virtually destroyed by decades of war - is slowly recovering. Government leaders are moving toward restoring fiscal and monetary discipline and have established good working relations with international financial institutions. Growth, starting from a low base, has been strong in 1991-94. Despite such positive developments, the reconstruction effort faces many tough challenges because of the persistence of internal political divisions and the related lack of confidence of foreign investors. Rural Cambodia, where 90% of about 9.5 million Khmer live, remains mired in poverty. The almost total lack of basic infrastructure in the countryside will hinder development and will contribute to a growing imbalance in growth between urban and rural areas over the near term. Moreover, the government's lack of experience in administering economic and technical assistance programs and rampant corruption among officials will slow the growth of critical public sector investment. Inflation for 1994 as a whole was less than a quarter of the 1992 rate and was declining during the year.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $630 (1994 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: mainly subsistence farming except for rubber plantations; main crops - rice, rubber, corn; food shortages - rice, meat, vegetables, dairy products, sugar, flour

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

Industrial production growth rate: 7.9% (1993 est.), accounts for 8% of GDP

Labor force: 2.5 million to 3 million
By occupation: agriculture 80% (1988 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $190 million
Expenditures: $365 million, including capital expenditures of $120 million (1994 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $283.6 million (f.o.b., 1993)
Commodoties: timber, rubber, soybeans, sesame
Partners: Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia

Imports: $479.3 million (c.i.f., 1993)
Commodoties: cigarettes, construction materials, petroleum products, machinery
Partners: Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $383 million to OECD members (1993)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: riels (CR) per US$1 - 2,470 (December 1993), 2,800 (September 1992), 500 (December 1991), 560 (1990), 159.00 (1988), 100.00 (1987)


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Electricity
Capacity: 40,000 kW
Production: 160 million kWh
Production consumption per capita: 14 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: NA telephones; service barely adequate for government requirements and virtually nonexistent for general public
Local: NA
Intercity: NA
International: international service limited to Vietnam and other adjacent countries

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $85 million, 1.4% of GDP (1995 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 22
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With paved runways under 914 m: 2
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2438 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 10

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

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

Merchant marine: none

Ports and terminals


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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 in dispute; maritime boundary with Thailand not clearly defined

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: increasingly used as a transshipment country for heroin produced in the Golden Triangle; growing money-laundering center; high-level narcotics-related corruption in government; possible small-scale heroin production; large producer of cannibis