Map of Cambodia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


Background: Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers whose Angkor Empire extended over much of Southeast Asia and reached its zenith between the 10th and 13th centuries. Subsequently attacks by the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam) weakened the empire ushering in a long period of decline. In 1863 the king of Cambodia placed the country under French protection; it became part of French Indochina in 1887. Following Japanese occupation in World War II Cambodia became independent within the French Union in 1949 and fully independent in 1953. After a five-year struggle Communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh in April 1975 and ordered the evacuation of all cities and towns; at least 1.5 million Cambodians died from execution enforced hardships or starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under POL POT. A December 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside led to a 10-year Vietnamese occupation and touched off almost 13 years of civil war. The 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated democratic elections and a ceasefire which was not fully respected by the Khmer Rouge. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normalcy and the final elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in early 1999. Factional fighting in 1997 ended the first coalition government but a second round of national elections in 1998 led to the formation of another coalition government and renewed political stability. The July 2003 elections were relatively peaceful but it took one year of negotiations between contending political parties before a coalition government was formed. Nation-wide local elections are scheduled for 2007 and national elections for 2008.


top of page


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

Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N 105 00 E

Map reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Total: 181,040 km²
Land: 176,520 km²
Water: 4,520 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Oklahoma

Land boundaries
Total: 2,572 km
Border countries: (3) Laos 541 km; , Thailand 803 km; , Vietnam 1,228 km

Coastline: 443 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 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
Extremes highest point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 m

Natural resources: oil and gas timber gemstones some iron ore manganese phosphates hydropower potential

Land use
Arable land: 20.96%
Permanent crops: 0.61%
Other: 78.43% (2001)

Irrigated land: 2,700 km² (1998 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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

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


top of page


Population
Note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 1.8% (2004 est.)
Below poverty line: 36% (1997 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Cambodian
Adjective: Cambodian

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

Languages: Khmer (official) 95% French English

Religions: Theravada Buddhist 95% other 5%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 38.3% (male 2,583,606; female 2,534,460)
15-64 years: 58.6% (male 3,742,178; female 4,095,303)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 149,466; female 258,408) (2004 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 19.5 years
Male: 18.8 years
Female: 20.4 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.8% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 27.13 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 9.1 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: illegal logging activities throughout the country and strip mining for gems in the western region along the border with Thailand have resulted in habitat loss and declining biodiversity (in particular destruction of mangrove swamps threatens natural fisheries); soil erosion; in rural areas most of the population does not have access to potable water; declining fish stocks because of illegal fishing and overfishing
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male/female
65 years and over: 0.58 male/female
Total population: 0.94 male/female (2004 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 73.67 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 82.51 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 64.44 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 58.41 years
Male: 55.71 years
Female: 61.23 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.51 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 2.6% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 170,000 (2003 est.)
Deaths: 15,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 69.4%
Male: 80.8%
Female: 59.3% (2002)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia
Conventional short form: Cambodia
Local long form: Preahreacheanacha Kampuchea (phonetic pronunciation)
Local short form: Kampuchea
Former: Kingdom of Cambodia, Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, People's Republic of Kampuchea, State of Cambodia

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

Capital: Phnom Penh

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: King Norodom SIHAMONI (since 29 October 2004)
Head of government: Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 14 January 1985) and Deputy Prime Ministers SAR KHENG (since 3 February 1992), Norodom SIRIVUDH, SOK AN, LU LAY SRENG, TEA BANH, HOR NAMHONG, NHEK BUNCHHAY (since 16 July 2004)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers in theory appointed by the monarch; in practice named by the prime minister
Elections: none; the monarch is chosen by a Royal Throne Council; following legislative elections, a member of the majority party or majority coalition is named prime minister by the Chairman of the National Assembly and appointed by the king

Legislative branch
Elections: National Assembly - last held 27 July 2003 (next to be held in July 2008); Senate - last held 2 March 1999 (scheduled to be held in 2004 but delayed)
Election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP 47%, SRP 22%, FUNCINPEC 21%, other 10%; seats by party - CPP 73, FUNCINPEC 26, SRP 24; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPP 31, FUNCINPEC 21, SRP 7, other 2 (July 2003)

Judicial branch: Supreme Council of the Magistracy (provided for in the constitution and formed in December 1997); Supreme Court (and lower courts) exercises judicial authority

Political parties and leaders: Cambodian Pracheachon Party (Cambodian People's Party) or CPP [CHEA SIM]; National United Front for an Independent Neutral Peaceful and Cooperative Cambodia or FUNCINPEC [Prince NORODOM Ranariddh]; Sam Rangsi Party or SRP [SAM RANGSI]

International organization participation: ACCT ARF AsDB ASEAN FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICCt ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ISO (subscriber) ITU MIGA NAM OPCW (signatory) PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador EK SEREYWATH
In the us chancery: 4,530 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,011
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 726-7,742
In the us fax: [1] (202) 726-8,381
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Charles Aaron RAY
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) 216-436/438
From the us fax: [855] (23) 216-437/811

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; only national flag to incorporate a building in its design

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: Cambodia's economy slowed dramatically in 1997-1998 due to the regional economic crisis civil violence and political infighting. Foreign investment and tourism fell off. In 1999 the first full year of peace in 30 years progress was made on economic reforms. Growth resumed and has remained about 5.0% during 2000-2003. Tourism was Cambodia's fastest growing industry with arrivals up 34% in 2000 and up another 40% in 2001 before the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the US. Cambodia expects 1 million foreign tourists in 2004. Economic growth has been largely driven by expansion in the clothing sector and tourism. Clothing exports were fostered by the U.S.-Cambodian Bilateral Textile Agreement signed in 1999. Even given Cambodia's recent growth the long-term development of the economy after decades of war remains a daunting challenge. The population lacks education and productive skills particularly in the poverty-ridden countryside which suffers from an almost total lack of basic infrastructure. Fear of renewed political instability and a dysfunctional legal system coupled with government corruption discourage foreign investment. The Cambodian government continues to work with bilateral and multilateral donors to address the country's many pressing needs. The major economic challenge for Cambodia over the next decade will be fashioning an economic environment in which the private sector can create enough jobs to handle Cambodia's demographic imbalance. About 60% of the population is 20 years or younger; most of these citizens will seek to enter the workforce over the course of the next 10 years.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5% (2003 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1900 (2003 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 35%
Industry: 30%
Services: 35% (2003 est.)

Agriculture products: rice rubber corn vegetables cashews tapioca

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

Industrial production growth rate: 22% (2002 est.)

Labor force: 7 million (2003 est.)
By occupation: agriculture 75% (2003 est.)