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. Cambodia 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 five-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 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 under a coalition government. 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 remaining elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in early 1999. Some of the remaining Khmer Rouge leaders are awaiting trial by a UN-sponsored tribunal for crimes against humanity. Elections in July 2003 were relatively peaceful, but it took one year of negotiations between contending political parties before a coalition government was formed.
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
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
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
20.44%
permanent crops
0.59%
other
78.97% (2005)
Irrigated land
2,700 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards
monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts
a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap
Population
13,995,904
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 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
34% (male 2,405,561/female 2,355,404)
15-64 years
62.4% (male 4,234,701/female 4,500,994)
65 years and over
3.6% (male 189,090/female 310,154) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
21.3 years
male
20.6 years
female
22.1 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
1.729% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
25.53 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
8.24 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.021 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.941 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.61 male(s)/female
total population
0.953 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
58.45 deaths/1,000 live births
male
65.74 deaths/1,000 live births
female
50.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
61.29 years
male
59.27 years
female
63.4 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
3.12 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
2.6% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
170,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
15,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk
very high
food or waterborne diseases
bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases
dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis are high risks in some locations
note
highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007)
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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
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); Deputy Prime Ministers SAR KHENG (since 3 February 1992); SOK AN, LU LAY SRENG, TEA BANH, HOR NAMHONG, NHEK BUNCHHAY (since 16 July 2004); KEV PUT REAKSMEI (since 24 October 2006)
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
bicameral, consists of the National Assembly (123 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Senate (61 seats; 2 members appointed by the monarch, 2 elected by the National Assembly, and 57 elected by parliamentarians and commune councils; members serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly - last held 27 July 2003 (next to be held in July 2008); Senate - last held 22 January 2006 (next to be held in January 2011)
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 - CPP 69%, FUNCINPEC 21%, SRP 10%; seats by party - CPP 45, FUNCINPEC 10, SRP 2 (January 2006)
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 People's Party or CPP [CHEA SIM]; National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia or FUNCINPEC [KEV PUT REAKSMEI]; Norodom Ranariddh Party or NRP [Norodom RANARIDDH]; Sam Rangsi Party or SRP [SAM RANGSI]
#1, Street 96, Sangkat Wat Phnom, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh
mailing address
Box P, APO AP 96546
telephone
[855] (23) 728-000
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; only national flag to incorporate an actual building in its design
Economy - overview
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$37.73 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$6.6 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
7.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$2,700 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
35%
industry
30%
services
35% (2004)
Labor force
7 million (2003 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
75%
industry
NA%
services
NA% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate
2.5% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line
40% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
2.9%
highest 10%
33.8% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index
40 (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
5% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
18.7% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$731 million
expenditures
$931.8 million; including capital expenditures of $291 million (2006 est.)
petroleum products, cigarettes, gold, construction materials, machinery, motor vehicles, pharmaceutical products
Imports - partners
Thailand 32.3%, China 18%, Hong Kong 14.3%, Singapore 11.8% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$1.385 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external
$3.664 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$504 million pledged in grants and concession loans for 2005 by international donors
Currency (code)
riel (KHR)
Currency code
KHR
Exchange rates
riels per US dollar - 4,103 (2006), 4,092.5 (2005), 4,016.25 (2004), 3,973.33 (2003), 3,912.08 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
36,400 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular
1.062 million (2005)
Telephone system
general assessment
adequate landline and/or cellular service in Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; mobile phone coverage is rapidly expanding in rural areas
domestic
NA
international
country code - 855; 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 2, FM 17, shortwave NA (2003)
Radios
1.34 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations
9 (including 2 TV relay stations with French and Vietnamese broadcasts); excludes 18 regional relay stations (2006)
Televisions
94,000 (1997)
Internet country code
.kh
Internet hosts
1,378 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
2 (2000)
Internet users
41,000 (2005)
Airports
20 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
6
2,438 to 3,047 m
2
1,524 to 2,437 m
2
914 to 1,523 m
2 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
14
1,524 to 2,437 m
2
914 to 1,523 m
11
under 914 m
1 (2006)
Heliports
2 (2006)
Railways
total
602 km
narrow gauge
602 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)
Roadways
total
38,257 km
paved
2,406 km
unpaved
35,851 km (2004)
Waterways
2,400 km (mainly on Mekong River) (2005)
Merchant marine
total
544 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,777,907 GRT/2,529,708 DWT
407 (Bulgaria 1, Canada 6, China 128, Cyprus 12, Egypt 8, Gabon 1, Greece 8, Hong Kong 15, Indonesia 1, Japan 4, South Korea 23, Latvia 2, Lebanon 6, Nigeria 2, Norway 1, Philippines 1, Russia 105, Singapore 4, Spain 1, Syria 20, Taiwan 2, Turkey 26, UAE 1, Ukraine 17, US 8, Yemen 3, unknown 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals
Phnom Penh, Preah Seihanu (Sihanoukville)
Military branches
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces: Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Khmer Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force (2005)
Military service age and obligation
conscription law made effective in October 2006 requires all males between 18-30 to register for military service; service obligation is 18 months (2006)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49
3,002,718
females age 18-49
3,108,254 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
1,955,141
females age 18-49
2,048,611 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49
175,497
females age 18-49
172,788 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
3% (2005 est.)
Disputes - international
Southeast Asian states must maintain border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of boundary with missing boundary markers and claims of Thai encroachments into Cambodian territory; maritime boundary with Vietnam is hampered by unresolved dispute over sovereignty of offshore islands; Cambodia accuses Thailand of obstructing access to Preah Vihear temple ruins awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962
Trafficking in persons
current situation
Cambodia is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor; a significant number of women and children are trafficked to Thailand and Malaysia for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; men are trafficked primarily to Thailand for forced labor in the construction and agricultural sectors, particularly the fishing industry, while women and girls are trafficked for factory and domestic work; children are trafficked to Vietnam and Thailand for the purpose of forced begging; Cambodia is a transit and destination point for women from Vietnam trafficked for sexual exploitation; trafficking for sexual exploitation also occurs within Cambodia's borders, from rural areas to the cities
tier rating
Tier 2 Watch List - Cambodia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is committed to making significant efforts to sustain progress over the coming year
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
