1997 Edition

Area

total: 181,040 sq km land: 176,520 sq km water: 4,520 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Oklahoma

Climate

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

Coastline

443 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m highest point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 m

Environment - current issues

logging activities throughout the country and strip mining for gems in the western region along the border with Thailand are resulting in habitat loss and declining biodiversity (in particular, destruction of mangrove swamps threatens natural fisheries); deforestation; soil erosion; in rural areas, a majority of the population does not have access to potable water

Environment - international agreements

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

Geographic coordinates

13 00 N, 105 00 E

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

920 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

total : 2,572 km border countries: Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km

Land use

arable land: 13% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures : 11% forests and woodland: 66% other : 10% (1993 est.)

Location

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand and Vietnam

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts

Natural resources

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

Terrain

mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north

Age structure

0-14 years: 45% (male 2,573,135; female 2,497,776) 15-64 years : 52% (male 2,668,089; female 3,084,009) 65 years and over: 3% (male 144,001; female 196,851) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

42.63 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

15.39 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4%

Infant mortality rate

106 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

Khmer (official), French

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 50.25 years male: 48.79 years female : 51.79 years (1997 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population : 35% male: 48% female : 22% (1990 est.)

Nationality

noun: Cambodian(s) adjective: Cambodian

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population

11,163,861 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

2.72% (1997 est.)

Religions

Theravada Buddhism 95%, other 5%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years : 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.86 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.81 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Administrative divisions

22 provinces (khett, singular and plural) and 1 municipality* (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, Phnum Penh, Pouthisat, Preah Seihanu (Sihanoukville), Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Rotanah Kiri, Siem Reab, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev

Constitution

promulgated 21 September 1993

Country name

conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia conventional short form: Cambodia local long form: Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea local short form: Kampuchea

Data code

CB

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Kenneth M. QUINN embassy: 27 EO Street 240, Phnom Penh mailing address: Box P, APO AP 96546 telephone: [855] (23) 426436, 426438

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador VAR HUOTH chancery: 4500 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-7742

Executive branch

chief of state: King Norodom SIHANOUK (reinstated 24 September 1993) head of government: power shared between First Prime Minister Prince Norodom RANARIDDH (since NA 1993) and Second Prime Minister HUN SEN (since NA 1993) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the king elections : none; the king is a constitutional monarch; prime ministers appointed by the king

FAX

[1] (202) 726-8381

[855] (23) 426811

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

Government type

multiparty liberal democracy under a constitutional monarchy established in September 1993

Independence

9 November 1949 (from France)

International organization participation

ACCT, AsDB, ASEAN (observer), CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, Mekong Group, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court provided for by the constitution has not yet been established and the future judicial system is yet to be defined by law

Legal system

currently being defined

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 23 May 1993 (next to be held NA 1998) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FUNCINPEC 58, CPP 51, BLDP 10, MOLINAKA 1 note : the May 1993 elections were for the Constituent Assembly which became the National Assembly after the new constitution was promulgated in September 1993

National capital

Phnom Penh

National holiday

Independence Day, 9 November 1949

Political parties and leaders

National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC), Prince NORODOM RANARIDDH; Cambodian Pracheachon Party or Cambodian People's Party (CPP), CHEA SIM; Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party (BLDP), SON SANN faction; Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party (BLDP), IENG MOULY faction; Democratic Kampuchea (DK, also known as the Khmer Rouge), KHIEU SAMPHAN; Movement Pour La Liberation Nationale Khmere (MOLINAKA), PROM NEAKAREACH; Khmer Nation Party (KNP), SAM RAINSY

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

rice, rubber, corn, vegetables

Budget

revenues: $261 million expenditures: $496 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)

Currency

1 new riel (CR) = 100 sen

Debt - external

$1.9 billion (1994)

Economic aid

recipient : ODA, $NA note: international donors pledged a total of $1.8 billion in 1995 and 1996

Economy - overview

The Cambodian economy - virtually destroyed by decades of war - is slowly recovering. Government leaders are moving toward restoring fiscal and monetary discipline and have established good working relations with international financial institutions. Growth, starting from a low base, has been strong in 1991-96. Despite such positive developments, the reconstruction effort faces many tough challenges because of the persistence of internal political divisions and the related lack of confidence of foreign investors. Rural Cambodia, where 90% of about 9.5 million Khmer live, remains mired in poverty. The almost total lack of basic infrastructure in the countryside will hinder development and will contribute to a growing imbalance in growth between urban and rural areas over the near term. Moreover, the government's lack of experience in administering economic and technical assistance programs and rampant corruption among officials will slow the growth of critical public sector investment. The decline of inflation from the 1992 rate of more than 50% is one of the bright spots.

Electricity - capacity

100,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita

17 kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity - production

180 million kWh (1994)

Exchange rates

riels (CR) per US$1 - 2,723.0 (January 1997), 2,624.1 (1996), 2,450.8 (1995), 2,545.3 (1994), 2,689.0 (1993), 1,266.6 (1992)

Exports

total value: $464 million (1996 est.) commodities: timber, rubber, soybeans, sesame partners : Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $7.7 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture : 51% industry: 14% services: 35%

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $710 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

7.4% (1996 est.)

Imports

total value: $1.4 billion (1996 est.) commodities: cigarettes, construction materials, petroleum products, machinery, motor vehicles partners : Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia

Industrial production growth rate

7.9% (1993 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate - consumer price index

5% (1996 est.)

Labor force

2.5 million to 3 million by occupation : agriculture 80% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Radio broadcast stations

AM 5, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios

NA

Telephone system

service barely adequate for government requirements and virtually nonexistent for general public domestic: NA international: landline international service limited to Vietnam and other adjacent countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region)

Telephones

7,000 (1981 est.)

Television broadcast stations

5

Televisions

70,000 (1993 est.)

Airports

14 (1996 est.)

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 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m : 7 (1996 est.)

Heliports

2 (1996 est.)

Highways

total : 35,769 km paved: 2,683 km unpaved : 33,086 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 27 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 187,652 GRT/256,929 DWT ships by type : bulk 4, cargo 20, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1996 est.)

Ports and harbors

Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville), Kampot, Krong Kaoh Kong, Phnom Penh

Railways

total: 603 km narrow gauge: 603 km 1.000-m gauge

Waterways

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

Military branches

Khmer Royal Armed Forces (KRAF) - created in 1993 by the merger of the Cambodian People's Armed Forces and the two noncommunist resistance armies; note - the KRAF is also known as the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF); Resistance forces - National Army of Democratic Kampuchea (Khmer Rouge)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$160 million (1996)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 2,418,916 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males: 1,348,065 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 97,361 (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

offshore islands and sections of the boundary with Vietnam are in dispute; maritime boundary with Vietnam not defined; parts of border with Thailand in dispute; maritime boundary with Thailand not clearly defined

Illicit drugs

transshipment country for Golden Triangle heroin en route to West; possibly becoming money-laundering center; high-level narcotics-related corruption reportedly involving government, military, and police; possible small-scale opium, heroin, and amphetamine production; large producer of cannabis for the international market ______________________________________________________________________ CAMEROON