1992 Edition

Climate

tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to October); dry season (December to March); little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

443 km

Comparative area

slightly smaller than Oklahoma

Contiguous zone

24 nm

Continental shelf

200 nm

Disputes

offshore islands and three sections of the boundary with Vietnam are in dispute; maritime boundary with Vietnam not defined

Environment

a land of paddies and forests dominated by Mekong River and Tonle Sap

Exclusive economic zone

200 nm

Land area

176,520 km2

Land boundaries

2,572 km; Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km

Land use

arable land 16%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and woodland 76%; other 4%; includes irrigated 1%

Natural resources

timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential

Note

buffer between Thailand and Vietnam

Terrain

mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north

Territorial sea

12 nm

Total area

181,040 km2

Birth rate

37 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate

15 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic divisions

Khmer 90%, Chinese 5%, other 5%

Infant mortality rate

121 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force

2.5-3.0 million; agriculture 80% (1988 est.)

Languages

Khmer (official), French

Life expectancy at birth

48 years male, 51 years female (1992)

Literacy

35% (male 48%, female 22%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality

noun - Cambodian(s); adjective - Cambodian

Net migration rate

0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor

Kampuchea Federation of Trade Unions (FSC); under government control

Population

7,295,706 (July 1992), growth rate 2.1% (1992)

Religions

Theravada Buddhism 95%, other 5%

Total fertility rate

4.4 children born/woman (1992)

Administrative divisions

19 provinces (khet, singular and plural) and 2 autonomous cities* Banteay Meanchey, Batdambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Saom City*, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum, Kampot, Kandal, Kaoh Kong, Kracheh, Mondol Kiri, Phnom Phen City*, Pouthisat, Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Rotanokiri, Siemreab-Otdar Meanchey, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev

Capital

Phnom Penh

Chief of State

SNC - Chairman Prince NORODOM SIHANOUK, under United Nations's supervision

Constitution

a new constitution will be drafted after the national election in 1993

Diplomatic representation

the Supreme National Council (SNC) represents Cambodia in international organizations - it filled UN seat in September 1991 US: Charles TWINNING is the US representative to Cambodia

Elections

UN-supervised election for a 120-member constituent assembly based on proportional representation within each province will be held nine months after UN-organized voter registration is complete; the election is not anticipated before April 1993; the assembly will draft and approve a constitution and then transform itself into a legislature that will create a new Cambodian Government

Executive branch

a twelve-member Supreme National Council (SNC), chaired by Prince NORODOM SIHANOUK, composed of representatives from each of the four political

- HUN SEN; Democratic Kampuchea (DK or Khmer Rouge) - KHIEU SAMPHAN; Khmer People's National Liberation Front (KPNLF) - SON SANN; National United Front for an Independent, Peaceful, Neutral, and Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC) - Prince NORODOM RANARIDDH

factions; faction names and delegation leaders are

State of Cambodia (SOC)

Flag

SNC - blue background with white map of Cambodia in middle; SOC - two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and blue with a gold stylized five-towered temple representing Angkor Wat in the center

Head of Government

NGC - vacant, formerly held by SON SANN (since July 1982); will be determined following the national election in 1993; SOC - Chairman of the Council of Ministers HUN SEN (since 14 January 1985)

Independence

8 November 1949 (from France)

Judicial branch

pending a national election in 1993, the incumbent SOC faction's Supreme People's Court is the only functioning national judicial body

Legislative branch

pending a national election in 1993, the incumbent SOC faction's National Assembly is the only functioning national legislative body

Long-form name

none

Member of

AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, ITU, LORCS, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

National holiday

NGC - Independence Day, 17 April (1975); SOC - Liberation Day, 7 January (1979)

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Kampuchea (DK, also known as the Khmer Rouge) under KHIEU SAMPHAN; Cambodian Pracheachon Party or Cambodian People's Party (CPP) (name changed and HENG SAMRIN replaced in October 1991) under CHEA SIM; Khmer People's National Liberation Front (KPNLF) under SON SANN; National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC) under Prince NORODOM RANNARIDH

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Type

currently administered by the Supreme National Council (SNC), a body set up under United Nations' auspices, in preparation for an internationally supervised election in 1993 and including representatives from each of the country's four political factions

Agriculture

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

Budget

revenues $178 million expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991)

Currency

riel (plural - riels); 1 riel (CR) = 100 sen

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $725 million; Western (non-US countries) (1970-89), $300 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $1.8 billion

Electricity

140,000 kW capacity; 200 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates

riels (CR) per US$1 - 714 (May 1992), 500 (December 1991), 560 (1990), 159.00 (1988), 100.00 (1987)

Exports

$32 million (f.o.b., 1988) commodities: natural rubber, rice, pepper, wood partners: Vietnam, USSR, Eastern Europe, Japan, India

External debt

$600 million (1989)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $930 million, per capita $130; real growth rate NA (1991 est.)

Imports

$147 million (c.i.f., 1988) commodities: international food aid; fuels, consumer goods, machinery partners: Vietnam, USSR, Eastern Europe, Japan, India

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

53% (1990 est.)

Overview

Cambodia is a desperately poor country whose economic development has been stymied by deadly political infighting. The economy is based on agriculture and related industries. Over the past decade Cambodia has been slowly recovering from its near destruction by war and political upheaval. The food situation remains precarious; during the 1980s famine was averted only through international relief. In 1986 the production level of rice, the staple food crop, was able to meet only 80% of domestic needs. The biggest success of the nation's recovery program has been in new rubber plantings and in fishing. Industry, other than rice processing, is almost nonexistent. Foreign trade has been primarily with the former USSR and Vietnam, and both trade and foreign aid are being adversely affected by the breakup of the USSR. Statistical data on the economy continue to be sparse and unreliable. Foreign aid from the former USSR and Eastern Europe has virtually stopped.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Airports

16 total, 8 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Highways

13,351 km total; 2,622 km bituminous; 7,105 km crushed stone, gravel, or improved earth; 3,624 km unimproved earth; some roads in disrepair

Inland waterways

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

Ports

Kampong Saom, Phnom Penh

Railroads

612 km 1.000-meter gauge, government owned

Telecommunications

service barely adequate for government requirements and virtually nonexistent for general public; international service limited to Vietnam and other adjacent countries; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, 1 TV

Branches

SOC - Cambodian People's Armed Forces (CPAF); Communist resistance forces - National Army of Democratic Kampuchea (Khmer Rouge); non-Communist resistance forces - Armee National Kampuchea Independent (ANKI), which is sometimes anglicized as National Army of Independent Cambodia (NAIC), and Khmer People's National Liberation Armed Forces (KPNLAF) - under the Paris peace agreement of October 1991, all four factions are to observe a cease-fire and prepare for UN-supervised cantonment, disarmament, and 70% demobilization before the election, with the fate of the remaining 30% to be determined by the newly elected government - the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) will verify the cease-fire and disarm the combatants

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability

males 15-49, 1,877,339; 1,032,102 fit for military service; 61,807 reach military age (18) annually