Background: Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers, descendants of the Angkor Empire that extended over much of Southeast Asia and reached its zenith between the 10th and 13th centuries. Attacks by the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam) weakened the empire, ushering in a long period of decline. The king placed the country under French protection in 1863, and it became part of French Indochina in 1887. Following Japanese occupation in World War II, Cambodia gained full independence from France in 1953. In April 1975, after a seven-year struggle, communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh and evacuated all cities and towns. At least 1.5 million Cambodians died from execution, forced hardships, or starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under POL POT. A December 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside, began a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off  20 years of civil war.

Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N, 105 00 E

Map reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Total: 181,035 km²
Land: 176,515 km²
Water: 4,520 km²
Rank: 90
Comparative: one and a half times the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Oklahoma

Land boundaries
Total: 2,530 km
Border countries: (3) Laos 555 km; , Thailand 817 km; , Vietnam 1158 km

Coastline: 443 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 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
Mean elevation: 126 m
Lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m
Highest point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 m

Natural resources: oil and gas, timber, gemstones, iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential, arable land

Land use
Agricultural land: 32.1% (2011 est.)
Forest: 56.5% (2011 est.)
Other: 11.4% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 3,540 km² (2012)

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 (Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake)

Population
Distribution: population concentrated in the southeast, particularly in and around the capital of Phnom Penh; further distribution is linked closely to the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers: 16,926,984 (July 2020 est.)
Rank: 69
Growth rate: 1.4% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 79
Below poverty line: 16.5% (2016 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Cambodian(s)
Adjective: Cambodian

Ethnic groups: Khmer 97.6%, Cham 1.2%, Chinese 0.1%, Vietnamese 0.1%, other 0.9% (2013 est.)

Languages: Khmer (official) 96.3%, other 3.7% (2008 est.)

Religions: Buddhist (official) 97.9%, Muslim 1.1%, Christian 0.5%, other 0.6% (2013 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 30.18% (male 2,582,427/female 2,525,619)
15-24 years: 17.28% (male 1,452,784/female 1,472,769)
25-54 years: 41.51% (male 3,442,051/female 3,584,592)
55-64 years: 6.44% (male 476,561/female 612,706)
65 years and over: 4.59% (male 287,021/female 490,454) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 55.7
Youth dependency ratio: 48.2
Elderly dependency ratio: 7.6
Potential support ratio: 13.2 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 26.4 years
Male: 25.6 years
Female: 27.2 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 153

Population growth rate: 1.4% (2020 est.)
Rank: 79

Birth rate: 21.3 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 69

Death rate: 7.3 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 109

Net migration rate: -0.3 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 114

Population distribution: population concentrated in the southeast, particularly in and around the capital of Phnom Penh; further distribution is linked closely to the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers

Urbanization
Urban population: 24.2% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 3.25% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 2.078 million PHNOM PENH (capital) (2020)

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; coastal ecosystems choked by sediment washed loose from deforested areas inland
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, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.78 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 22.9 years (2014 est.)
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Infant mortality rate
Total: 43.7 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 49.8 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 37.3 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 29

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 65.9 years
Male: 63.4 years
Female: 68.6 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 189

Total fertility rate: 2.39 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 78

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 56.3% (2014)

Drinking water source
Urban: 1.6% of population
Rural: 22.2% of population
Total: 19.7% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 5.9% (2017)

Physicians density: 0.19 physicians/1000 population (2014)

Hospital bed density: 1.9 beds/1000 population (2016)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 0% of population
Rural: 44.5% of population
Total: 34.3% of population (2017 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.6% (2019 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 60
People living with hivaids: 73,000 (2019 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 55
Deaths: 1300 (2019 est.)
Deaths rank: 53

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2020)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 3.9% (2016)
Rank: 188

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 24.1% (2014)
Rank: 13

Education expenditures: 2.2% of GDP (2018)
Rank: 158

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 80.5%
Male: 86.5%
Female: 75% (2015)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 11 years
Male: 11 years
Female: 10 years (2008)

Country name
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia
Conventional short form: Cambodia
Local long form: Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea (phonetic transliteration)
Local short form: Kampuchea
Former: Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, Peoples Republic of Kampuchea, State of Cambodia
Etymology: the English name Cambodia is an anglicization of the French Cambodge, which is the French transliteration of the native name Kampuchea

Government type: parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Capital
Name: Phnom Penh
Geographic coordinates: 11 33 N, 104 55 E
Time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time): etymology: Phnom Penh translates as 'Penh's Hill' in Khmer; the city takes its name from the present Wat Phnom (Hill Temple), the tallest religious structure in the city, whose establishment, according to legend, was inspired in the 14th century by a pious nun, Daun PENH

Administrative divisions: 24 provinces (khett, singular and plural) and 1 municipality (krong, singular and plural)

Independence: 9 November 1953 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day, 9 November (1953)

Constitution
History: previous 1947; latest promulgated 21 September 1993
Amendments: proposed by the monarch, by the prime minister, or by the president of the National Assembly if supported by one fourth of the Assembly membership; passage requires two-thirds majority of the Assembly membership; constitutional articles on the multiparty democratic form of government and the monarchy cannot be amended; amended 1999, 2008, 2014, 2018

Legal system: civil law system (influenced by the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia) customary law, Communist legal theory, and common law

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Cambodia
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years

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); Permanent Deputy Prime Minister MEN SAM AN (since 25 September 2008); Deputy Prime Ministers SAR KHENG (since 3 February 1992), TEA BANH, Gen., HOR NAMHONG, (since 16 July 2004), BIN CHHIN (since 5 September 2007), YIM CHHAI LY (since 24 September 2008), KE KIMYAN (since 12 March 2009), AUN PORNMONIROTH (since 24 September 2012), Prak SOKONN, CHEA SOPHARA (since 5 April 2016)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch
Electionsappointments: monarch chosen by the 9-member Royal Council of the Throne from among all eligible males of royal descent; following legislative elections, a member of the majority party or majority coalition named prime minister by the Chairman of the National Assembly and appointed by the monarch

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Council (organized into 5- and 9-judge panels and includes a court chief and deputy chief); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members); note - in 1997, the Cambodian Government requested UN assistance in establishing trials to prosecute former Khmer Rouge senior leaders for crimes against humanity committed during the 1975-1979 Khmer Rouge regime; the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts of Cambodia (also called the Khmer Rouge Tribunal) was established in 2006 and began hearings for the first case in 2009; court proceedings remain ongoing in 2019
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court and Constitutional Council judge candidates recommended by the Supreme Council of Magistracy, a 17-member body chaired by the monarch and includes other high-level judicial officers; judges of both courts appointed by the monarch; Supreme Court judges appointed for life; Constitutional Council judges appointed for 9-year terms with one-third of the court renewed every 3 years
Subordinate courts: Appellate Court; provincial and municipal courts; Military Court

Political parties and leaders: Cambodia National Rescue Party or CNRP [KHEM SOKHA] (dissolved by the Cambodian Supreme Court in November 2017; formed from a 2012 merger of the Sam Rangsi Party or SRP and the former Human Rights Party or HRP [KHEM SOKHA, also spelled KEM SOKHA])Cambodian Nationality Party or CNP [SENG SOKHENG]Cambodian People's Party or CPP [HUN SEN]Khmer Economic Development Party or KEDP [HUON REACH CHAMROEUN]Khmer National Unity Party or KNUP [NHEK BUN CHHAY]Khmer Will Party [KONG MONIKA]League for Democracy Party or LDP [KHEM Veasna]National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia or FUNCINPEC [Prince NORODOM RANARIDDH]

International organization participation: ADB, ARF, ASEAN, CICA, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MINUSMA, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador CHUM SOUNRY (since 17 September 2018)
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 Patrick MURPHY (since 23 October 2019)
From the us telephone: [855] (23) 728-000
From the us embassy: #1, Street 96, Sangkat Wat Phnom, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh
From the us mailing address: Unit 8,166, Box P, APO AP 96,546
From the us FAX: [855] (23) 728-600

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; red and blue are traditional Cambodian colors
Note: only national flag to prominently incorporate an actual identifiable building into its design (a few other national flags - those of Afghanistan, San Marino, Portugal, and Spain - show small generic buildings as part of their coats of arms on the flag)

National symbols: Angkor Wat temple, kouprey (wild ox); national colors: red, blue

National anthem
Name: Nokoreach (Royal Kingdom)
Lyricsmusic: CHUON NAT/F. PERRUCHOT and J. JEKYLL
Note: adopted 1941, restored 1993; the anthem, based on a Cambodian folk tune, was restored after the defeat of the Communist regime

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real:
Real note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 18

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Rank: 164

Gross national saving:
Rank: 139

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 76% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 5.4% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 21.8% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.2% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 68.6% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -73% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 25.3% (2017 est.)
Industry: 32.8% (2017 est.)
Services: 41.9% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: rice, rubber, corn, vegetables, cashews, cassava (manioc, tapioca), silk

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

Industrial production growth rate: 10.6% (2017 est.)
Rank: 11

Labor force: 8.913 million (2017 est.)
Rank: 52
By occupation agriculture: 48.7%
By occupation industry: 19.9%
By occupation services: 31.5% (2013 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Note: high underemployment, according to official statistics
Rank: 2

Population below poverty line: 16.5% (2016 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2%
Highest 10: 28% (2013 est.)

Budget
Revenues: 3.947 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 4.354 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -1.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 97

Taxes and other revenues: 17.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 164

Public debt:
Rank: 165

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 146

Current account balance:
Rank: 165

Exports:
Rank: 91
Partners: US 21.5%, UK 9%, Germany 8.6%, Japan 7.6%, China 6.9%, Canada 6.7%, Spain 4.7%, Belgium 4.5% (2017)
Commodities: clothing, timber, rubber, rice, fish, tobacco, footwear

Imports:
Rank: 95
Commodities: petroleum products, cigarettes, gold, construction materials, machinery, motor vehicles, pharmaceutical products
Partners: China 34.1%, Singapore 12.8%, Thailand 12.4%, Vietnam 10.1% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 69

Debt external:
Rank: 107

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access population without electricity: 4 million (2019)
Access electrification total population: 75% (2019)
Access electrification urban areas: 100% (2019)
Access electrification rural areas: 67% (2019)
Production: 5.21 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 121
Consumption: 5.857 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 117
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 116
Imports: 1.583 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 60
Installed generating capacity: 1.697 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 119
Generation sources fossil fuels: 35% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 177
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 61
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 63% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 27
Generation sources other renewable sources: 2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 136

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 119
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 103
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 106
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 115

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 127
Products consumption: 45,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 108
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 140
Products imports: 43,030 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 86

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 113
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 129
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 78
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 102
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 119

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 10.55 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 104

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 56,749 (2019 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 156
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 21,684,767
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 129.92 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 56

Broadcast media: mixture of state-owned, joint public-private, and privately owned broadcast media; 27 TV broadcast stations with most operating on multiple channels, including 1 state-operated station broadcasting from multiple locations, 11 stations either jointly operated or privately owned with some broadcasting from several locations; multi-channel cable and satellite systems are available (2019); 84 radio broadcast stations - 1 state-owned broadcaster with multiple stations and a large mixture of public and private broadcasters; one international broadcaster is available (2019) as well as one Chinese joint venture television station with the Ministry of Interior; several television and radio operators broadcast online only (often via Facebook) (2019)

Internet
Country code: .kh
Users total: 6,579,808
Users percent of population: 40% (July 2018 est.)
Users rank: 74

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 166,200
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2018 est.)
Rank: 114

Military expenditures:
Rank: 38

Military and security forces: Royal Cambodian Armed Forces: High Command Headquarters, Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Khmer Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force; Gendarmerie Royale Khmer (military police force responsible for internal security under Ministry of Interior); the National Counter Terrorism Committee; the National Committee for Maritime Security (performs Coast Guard functions and has representation from military and civilian agencies) (2019)

Military service age and obligation: 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2012)

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 6 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 25
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,411,059 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 680,000
Note: mt-km (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: XU (2016)

Airports: 16 (2013)
Rank: 142
With paved runways total: 6 (2019)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways total: 10 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Railways
Total: 642 km (2014)
Narrow gauge: 642 km
Note:
Rank: 107

Roadways
Total: 47,263 km (2013)
Paved: 12,239 km (2013)
Unpaved: 35,024 km (2013)
Rank: 84

Waterways: 3,700 km
Note: (mainly on Mekong River) (2012)
Rank: 28

Merchant marine
Total: 268
By type: bulk carrier 2, general cargo 176, oil tanker 19, other 71 (2019)
Rank: 57

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Sihanoukville (Kampong Saom)
River port: Phnom Penh (Mekong)

Disputes international: Cambodia is concerned about Laos' extensive upstream dam construction; Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of boundary; in 2011 Thailand and Cambodia resorted to arms in the dispute over the location of the boundary on the precipice surmounted by Preah Vihear Temple ruins, awarded to Cambodia by an International Court of Justice decision in 1962 and part of a UN World Heritage site; Cambodia accuses Vietnam of a wide variety of illicit cross-border activities; progress on a joint development area with Vietnam is hampered by an unresolved dispute over sovereignty of offshore islands

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Stateless persons: 57,444 (2019)

Illicit drugs: narcotics-related corruption reportedly involving some in the government, military, and police; limited methamphetamine production; vulnerable to money laundering due to its cash-based economy and porous borders