2000 Edition

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.

Area

land

176,520 sq km

total

181,040 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

highest point

Phnum Aoral 1,810 m

lowest point

Gulf of Thailand 0 m

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

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: 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

border countries

Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km

total

2,572 km

Land use

arable land

13%

forests and woodland

66%

other

10% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

0%

permanent pastures

11%

Location

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

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: 42% (male 2,610,009; female 2,505,932) 15-64 years: 55% (male 3,132,198; female 3,542,655) 65 years and over: 3% (male 173,179; female 248,333) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

33.48 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

10.79 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

66.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

Khmer (official) 95%, French, English

Life expectancy at birth

female

58.74 years (2000 est.)

male

54.44 years

total population

56.53 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

22% (1990 est.)

male

48%

total population

35%

Nationality

adjective

Cambodian

noun

Cambodian(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

12,212,306

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 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

2.27% (2000 est.)

Religions

Theravada Buddhist 95%, other 5%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.88 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.82 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Administrative divisions

20 provinces (khett, singular and plural) and 3 municipalities* (krong, singular and plural); Banteay Mean Cheay, Batdambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum, Kampot, Kandal, Kaoh Kong, Keb*, Krachen, Mondol Kiri, Otdar Mean Cheay, Phnum Penh*, Pouthisat, Preah Seihanu* (Sihanoukville), Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Rotanah Kiri, Siem Reab, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev

note

there may be a new municipality called Pailin

Capital

Phnom Penh

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 Kent M. WIEDEMANN

embassy

27 EO Street 240, Phnom Penh

mailing address

Box P, APO AP 96546

telephone

(23) 216-436, 216-438

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

4500 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011

chief of mission

Ambassador Roland ENG

telephone

(202) 726-7742

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch

chief of state

King Norodom SIHANOUK (reinstated 24 September 1993)

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

head of government

Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 30 November 1998)

FAX

(202) 726-8381

(23) 216-811

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 1953 (from France)

International organization participation

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

Judicial branch

Supreme Council of the Magistracy, provided for in the constitution, was formed in December 1997; a Supreme Court and lower courts exercise judicial authority

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

Legislative branch

bicameral consists of the National Assembly (122 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Senate (61 seats; two members appointed by the monarch, two elected by the National Assembly, and 57 elected by "functional constituencies"; members serve five-year terms

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 - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPP 31, FUNCINPEC 21, SRP 7

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)

National holiday

Independence Day, 9 November (1953)

Political parties and leaders

Buddhist Liberal Party or BLP [IENG MOULY]; Cambodian Pracheachon Party or Cambodian People's Party or CPP ; Khmer Citizen Party or KCP ; National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia or FUNCINPEC ; Sam Rangsi Party or SRP (formerly Khmer Nation Party or KNP)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

rice, rubber, corn, vegetables

Budget

expenditures

$393 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)

revenues

$327 million

Currency

1 new riel (CR) = 100 sen

Debt - external

$829 million (1999 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$470 million pledged in grants and concessional loans for 2000 by international donors

Economy - overview

After four years of solid macroeconomic performance, 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. Also, in 1998 the main harvest was hit by drought. But in 1999, the first full year of peace in 30 years, progress was made on economic reforms and growth resumed at 4%. 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. Recurring political instability and corruption within 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. So long as political stability lasts, the Cambodian economy is likely to grow at a respectable pace.

Electricity - consumption

195 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

210 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

59.52%

hydro

40.48%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

new riels (CR) per US$1 - 3,786.0 (January 2000), 3,807.8 (1999), 3,744.4 (1998), 2,946.3 (1997), 2,624.1 (1996), 2,450.8 (1995)

Exports

$821 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Exports - commodities

timber, garments, rubber, rice, fish

Exports - partners

US, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, US

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $8.2 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

43%

industry

20%

services

37% (1998 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $710 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Imports - commodities

cigarettes, gold, construction materials, petroleum products, machinery, motor vehicles

Imports - partners

Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.5% (1999 est.)

Labor force

6 million (1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 80% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line

36% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate

2.8% (1999 est.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

2 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 7, FM 3, shortwave 3 (1999)

Radios

1.34 million (1997)

Telephone system

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)

Telephones - main lines in use

21,800 (mid-1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular

34,880 (1998)

Television broadcast stations

5 (1999)

Televisions

94,000 (1997)

Airports

19 (1999 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 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 11 (1999 est.)

Heliports

3 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

4,165 km

total

35,769 km

unpaved

31,604 km (1997 est.)

Merchant marine

note

a flag of convenience registry; includes ships of 8 countries: Aruba 1, Cyprus 7, Egypt 1, South Korea 1, Malta 1, Panama 1, Russia 5, Singapore 1 (1998 est.)

ships by type

bulk 20, cargo 166, combination bulk 1, container 5, livestock carrier 2, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 7, roll-on/roll-off 6 (1999 est.)

total

211 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 953,105 GRT/1,345,766 DWT

Ports and harbors

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

Railways

narrow gauge

603 km 1.000-m gauge

total

603 km

Waterways

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

Military branches

Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF), including Army, Navy, and Air Force - created in 1993 by the merger of the Cambodian People's Armed Forces and the two noncommunist resistance armies

note

there are also resistance forces comprised of the Khmer Rouge (also known as the National United Army or NUA) and a separate royalist resistance movement

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$85 million (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.4% (FY98)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 2,763,568 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 1,547,078 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

156,119 (2000 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 are indefinite; maritime boundary with Thailand not clearly defined

Illicit drugs

transshipment site for Golden Triangle heroin; possible money laundering; narcotics-related corruption reportedly involving some in the government, military, and police; possible small-scale opium, heroin, and amphetamine production; large producer of cannabis for the international market

CAMEROON