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. A coalition government formed after national elections in 1998 brought renewed political stability and the surrender of remaining Khmer Rouge forces.

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
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
Extremes 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 km² (1993 est.)

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

Population
Note: estimates for this country explicitly 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 and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: 2.25% (2001 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%

Age structure
0-14 years: 41.25% (male 2,626,821; female 2,526,510)
15-64 years: 55.28% (male 3,253,611; female 3,651,129)
65 years and over: 3.47% (male 177,577; female 255,853) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.25% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 33.16 births/1000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 10.65 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 0.89 male/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male/female
Total population: 0.94 male/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 65.41 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 56.82 years
Male: 54.62 years
Female: 59.12 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.74 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 4.04% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: 220,000 (1999 est.)
Deaths: 14,000 (1999 est.)

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
Former: Khmer Republic, Kampuchea Republic

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 4 municipalities* (krong singular and plural); Banteay Mean Cheay Batdambang Kampong Cham Kampong Chhnang Kampong Spoe Kampong Thum Kampot Kandal Kaoh Kong Keb* Kracheh Mondol Kiri Otdar Mean Cheay Pailin* Phnum Penh* Pouthisat Preah Seihanu* (Sihanoukville) Preah Vihear Prey Veng Rotanah Kiri Siem Reab Stoeng Treng Svay Rieng Takev

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 chosen by a Royal Throne Council; prime minister appointed by the monarch after a vote of confidence by the National Assembly

Legislative branch
Elections: National Assembly - last held 26 July 1998 (next to be held NA 2003); Senate - last held 2 March 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)
Election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP 41%, FUNCINPEC 32%, SRP 14%, other 13%; seats by party - CPP 64, FUNCINPEC 43, SRP 15; Senate - seats by party - CPP 31, FUNCINPEC 21, SRP 7

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

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Roland ENG
In the us chancery: 4,500 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 Kent M. WIEDEMANN
From the us embassy: 16-18 Mongkol lem St. 228, Phnom Penh
From the us mailing address: Box P, APO AP 96,546
From the us telephone: [855] (23) 216-436
From the us fax: [855] (23) 216-437

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: Cambodia's economy slowed dramatically in 1997-98 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 and growth resumed at 4%. GDP growth for 2000 had been projected to reach 5.5% but the worst flooding in 70 years severely damaged agricultural crops and high oil prices hurt industrial production and growth for the year is estimated at only 4%. Tourism is Cambodia's fastest growing industry with arrivals up 34% in 2000. 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 corruption within the government discourage foreign investment and delay foreign aid. On the brighter side the government is addressing these issues with assistance from bilateral and multilateral donors.

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (2000 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1300 (2000 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 43%
Industry: 20%
Services: 37% (1998 est.)

Agriculture products: rice rubber corn vegetables

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 6 million (1998 est.)
By occupation: agriculture 80% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 2.8% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line: 36% (1997 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.9%
Highest 10: 33.8% (1997)

Budget
Revenues: $363 million
Expenditures: $532 million, including capital expenditures of $225 million (2000 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.6% (2000 est.)

Exports: $942 million (f.o.b. 2000 est.)
Commodities: timber garments rubber rice fish
Partners: Vietnam 18% Thailand 15% US 10% Singapore 8% China 5% (1997)

Imports: $1.3 billion (f.o.b. 2000 est.)
Commodities: cigarettes gold construction materials petroleum products machinery motor vehicles
Partners: Thailand 16% Vietnam 9% Japan 7% Hong Kong 5% China 5% (1997)

Debt external: $829 million (1999 est.)

Exchange rates: riels per US dollar - 3,909 (January 2001) 3,841 (2000) 3,808 (1999) 3,744 (1998) 2,946 (1997) 2,624 (1996)

Electricity
Production: 147 million kWh (1999)
Production by source fossil fuel: 59.18%
Production by source hydro: 40.82%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1999)
Consumption: 136.7 million kWh (1999)
Exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Imports: 0 kWh (1999)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 21,800 (mid-1998)
Mobile cellular: 80,000 (2000)

Telephone system
General assessment: 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)

Internet
Country code: .kh
Service providers isps: 2 (2000)
Users: NA

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $112 million (FY01 est.)
Percent of gdp: 3% (FY01 est.)

Airports: 19 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 6
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2000 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 13
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 11 (2000 est.)

Heliports: 3 (2000 est.)

Railways
Total: 603 km
Narrow gauge: 603 km 1.000-m gauge

Waterways
Note: navigable all year to craft drawing 0.6 m or less; 282 km navigable to craft drawing as much as 1.8 m

Merchant marine
Total: 295 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,305,932 GRT/1,853,487 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 22, cargo 237, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 3, container 8, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 2, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 7, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 5, short-sea passenger 1
Note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Cyprus 3, South Korea 1, Malta 1, Panama 1, Russia 1, Singapore 1 (2000 est.)

Disputes international: portions of boundary with Vietnam are disputed; parts of border with Thailand are indefinite