2018 Edition

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 almost 13 years of civil war.The 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated democratic elections and a cease-fire, 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 surviving Khmer Rouge leaders have been tried or are awaiting trial for crimes against humanity by a hybrid UN-Cambodian tribunal supported by international assistance. Elections in July 2003 were relatively peaceful, but it took one year of negotiations between contending political parties before a coalition government was formed. In October 2004, King Norodom SIHANOUK abdicated the throne and his son, Prince Norodom SIHAMONI, was selected to succeed him. The most recent local (Commune Council) elections were held in Cambodia in 2012, with little of the preelection violence that preceded prior elections. National elections in July 2013 were disputed, with the opposition - the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) - boycotting the National Assembly. The political impasse was ended nearly a year later, with the CNRP agreeing to enter parliament in exchange for ruling party commitments to electoral and legislative reforms. The CNRP made further gains in local commune elections in June 2017, accelerating sitting Prime Minister Hun SEN’s efforts to marginalize the CNRP before national elections in 2018. Hun Sen arrested CNRP’s President Kem Sokha in September 2017 and subsequently dissolved the CNRP in November 2017 and banned its leaders from participating in politics for at least five years. CNRP’s seats in the National Assembly were redistributed to smaller, more pliant opposition parties.

Area

land

176,515 sq km

total

181,035 sq km

water

4,520 sq km

Area Comparative

one and a half times the size of Pennsylvania; 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

elevation extremes

0 m lowest point: Gulf of Thailand

mean elevation

126 m

note

1810 highest point: Phnum Aoral

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

Environment 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

signed, but not ratified

Law of the Sea

Geographic Coordinates

13 00 N, 105 00 E

Geography Note

a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap (Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake)

Irrigated Land

3,540 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

border countries (3)

Laos 555 km, Thailand 817 km, Vietnam 1158 km

total

2,530 km

Land Use

arable land: 22.7% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0.9% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 8.5% (2011 est.)

agricultural land

32.1% (2011 est.)

forest

56.5% (2011 est.)

other

11.4% (2011 est.)

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

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

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

Terrain

mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north

Age Structure

0-14 years

30.76% (male 2,556,733 /female 2,503,796)

15-24 years

17.84% (male 1,452,795 /female 1,482,065)

25-54 years

41.09% (male 3,312,036 /female 3,446,962)

55-64 years

5.94% (male 406,970 /female 569,383)

65 years and over

4.37% (male 269,159 /female 449,620) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

22.5 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight

23.9% (2014)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

56.3% (2014)

Death Rate

7.4 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

elderly dependency ratio

6.4 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio

15.6 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

55.6 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio

49.2 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 69.1% of population

total: 75.5% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 30.9% of population

total: 24.5% of population (2015 est.)

Education Expenditures

1.9% of GDP (2014)

Ethnic Groups

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

Health Expenditures

5.7% of GDP (2014)

Hiv Aids Adult Prevalence Rate

0.5% (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids Deaths

1,300 (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids People Living With Hiv Aids

67,000 (2017 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

0.8 beds/1,000 population (2015)

Infant Mortality Rate

female

39.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

male

52.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

total

46.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

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

Life Expectancy At Birth

female

67.9 years (2018 est.)

male

62.7 years (2018 est.)

total population

65.2 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

female

70.5% (2015 est.)

male

84.5% (2015 est.)

total population

77.2% (2015 est.)

Major Infectious Diseases

degree of risk

very high (2016)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria (2016)

Major Urban Areas Population

1.952 million PHNOM PENH (capital) (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

161 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median Age

female

26.4 years (2018 est.)

male

24.9 years

total

25.7 years

Mother S Mean Age At First Birth

22.9 years (2014 est.)

note

median age at first birth among women 25-29

Nationality

adjective

Cambodian

noun

Cambodian(s)

Net Migration Rate

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

3.9% (2016)

Physicians Density

0.14 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population

16,449,519 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

1.48% (2018 est.)

Religions

Buddhist (official) 96.9%, Muslim 1.9%, Christian 0.4%, other 0.8% (2008 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 88.1% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 30.5% of population (2015 est.)

total: 42.4% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban: 11.9% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 69.5% of population (2015 est.)

total: 57.6% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

female

10 years (2008)

male

11 years (2008)

total

11 years (2008)

Sex Ratio

0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

15-24 years

0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

25-54 years

0.96 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

55-64 years

0.65 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

65 years and over

0.6 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth

1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

2.47 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

female

1.4% (2012 est.)

male

1.8% (2012 est.)

total

1.6% (2012 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.25% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

23.4% of total population (2018)

Administrative Divisions

24 provinces (khett, singular and plural) and 1 municipality (krong, singular and plural)provinces: Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Speu, Kampong Thom, Kampot, Kandal, Kep, Koh Kong, Kratie, Mondolkiri, Oddar Meanchey, Pailin, Preah Sihanouk, Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Pursat, Ratanakiri, Siem Reap, Stung Treng, Svay Rieng, Takeo, Tbong Khmum; municipalities: Phnom Penh (Phnum Penh)

Capital

geographic coordinates

11 33 N, 104 55 E

name

Phnom Penh

time difference

UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

Constitution

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 (2017)

history

previous 1947; latest promulgated 21 September 1993 (2017)

Country Name

conventional long form

Kingdom of Cambodia

conventional short form

Cambodia

etymology

the English name Cambodia is an anglicization of the French Cambodge, which is the French transliteration of the native name Kampuchea

former

Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, People's Republic of Kampuchea, State of Cambodia

local long form

Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea (phonetic transliteration)

local short form

Kampuchea

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

chief of mission

Ambassador William A. HEIDT (since 2 December 2015)

embassy

#1, Street 96, Sangkat Wat Phnom, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh

FAX

[855] (23) 728-600

mailing address

Unit 8166, Box P, APO AP 96546

telephone

[855] (23) 728-000

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

chancery

4530 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011

chief of mission

Ambassador CHUM SOUNRY (since 17 September 2018)

FAX

[1] (202) 726-8381

telephone

[1] (202) 726-7742

Executive Branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch

chief of state

King Norodom SIHAMONI (since 29 October 2004)

elections/appointments

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

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, NHEK BUNCHHAY (all since 16 July 2004), BIN CHHIN (since 5 September 2007), KEAT CHHON, YIM CHHAI LY (since 24 September 2008), KE KIMYAN (since 12 March 2009)

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 incorporate an actual building into its design

Government Type

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Independence

9 November 1953 (from France)

International Law Organization Participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

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 in Cambodia (also called the Khmer Rouge Tribunal) were established and began hearings for the first case in 2009; court proceeding were ongoing in 2016

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

Legal System

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

Legislative Branch

description

bicameral Parliament of Cambodia consists of:Senate (62 seats; 58 indirectly elected by parliamentarians and commune councils, 2 indirectly elected by the National Assembly, and 2 appointed by the monarch; members serve 6-year terms) National Assembly (125 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

  Senate - percent of vote by party - CPP 96%, FUNCINPEC 2.4%, KNUP 1.6%; seats by party - CPP 58; composition - men 53, women 9, percent of women 14.5% National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP 76.9%, FUNCINPEC 5.9%, LDP 4.9%, Khmer Will Party 3.4%, other 8.9%; seats by party - CPP 125; composition - men 100, women 25, percent of women 20%; note - total Parliament of Cambodia percent of women 18.2%

elections

Senate - last held on 25 February 2018 (next to be held in 2024); National Assembly - last held on 29 July 2018 (next to be held in 2023)

National Anthem

lyrics/music

CHUON NAT/F. PERRUCHOT and J. JEKYLL

name

"Nokoreach" (Royal Kingdom)

note

adopted 1941, restored 1993; the anthem, based on a Cambodian folk tune, was restored after the defeat of the Communist regime

National Holiday

Independence Day, 9 November (1953)

National Symbol S

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

Political Parties And Leaders

Cambodia National Rescue Party or CNRP [KHEM SOKHA] (dissolved by the government 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]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

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

Budget

expenditures

4.354 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

3.947 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-1.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

NA% (31 December 2012)

5.25% (31 December 2007)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

10.92% (31 December 2017 est.)

11.36% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current Account Balance

-$1.871 billion (2017 est.)

-$1.731 billion (2016 est.)

Debt External

$11.87 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$10.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

37.9 (2008 est.)

41.9 (2004 est.)

Economy Overview

Cambodia has experienced strong economic growth over the last decade; GDP grew at an average annual rate of over 8% between 2000 and 2010 and about 7% since 2011. The tourism, garment, construction and real estate, and agriculture sectors accounted for the bulk of growth. Around 700,000 people, the majority of whom are women, are employed in the garment and footwear sector. An additional 500,000 Cambodians are employed in the tourism sector, and a further 200,000 people in construction. Tourism has continued to grow rapidly with foreign arrivals exceeding 2 million per year in 2007 and reaching 5.6 million visitors in 2017. Mining also is attracting some investor interest and the government has touted opportunities for mining bauxite, gold, iron and gems.Still, Cambodia remains one of the poorest countries in Asia and long-term economic development remains a daunting challenge, inhibited by corruption, limited human resources, high income inequality, and poor job prospects. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the percentage of the population living in poverty decreased to 13.5% in 2016. More than 50% of the population is less than 25 years old. The population lacks education and productive skills, particularly in the impoverished countryside, which also lacks basic infrastructure.The World Bank in 2016 formally reclassified Cambodia as a lower middle-income country as a result of continued rapid economic growth over the past several years. Cambodia’s graduation from a low-income country will reduce its eligibility for foreign assistance and will challenge the government to seek new sources of financing. The Cambodian Government has been working with bilateral and multilateral donors, including the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and IMF, to address the country's many pressing needs; more than 20% of the government budget will come from donor assistance in 2018. A major economic challenge for Cambodia over the next decade will be fashioning an economic environment in which the private sector can create enough jobs to handle Cambodia's demographic imbalance.Textile exports, which accounted for 68% of total exports in 2017, have driven much of Cambodia’s growth over the past several years. The textile sector relies on exports to the United States and European Union, and Cambodia’s dependence on its comparative advantage in textile production is a key vulnerability for the economy, especially because Cambodia has continued to run a current account deficit above 9% of GDP since 2014.

Exchange Rates

riels (KHR) per US dollar -

4,055 (2017 est.)

4,058.7 (2016 est.)

4,058.7 (2015 est.)

4,067.8 (2014 est.)

4,037.5 (2013 est.)

Exports

$11.42 billion (2017 est.)

$10.07 billion (2016 est.)

Exports Commodities

clothing, timber, rubber, rice, fish, tobacco, footwear

Exports 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)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

Gdp Composition By End Use

exports of goods and services

68.6% (2017 est.)

government consumption

5.4% (2017 est.)

household consumption

76% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-73% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

21.8% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

1.2% (2017 est.)

Gdp Composition By Sector Of Origin

agriculture

25.3% (2017 est.)

industry

32.8% (2017 est.)

services

41.9% (2017 est.)

Gdp Official Exchange Rate

$22.09 billion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

Gdp Per Capita Ppp

$4,000 (2017 est.)

$3,800 (2016 est.)

$3,600 (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Purchasing Power Parity

$64.21 billion (2017 est.)

$60.09 billion (2016 est.)

$56.18 billion (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Real Growth Rate

6.9% (2017 est.)

7% (2016 est.)

7% (2015 est.)

Gross National Saving

13.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

14.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

13.4% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

highest 10%

28% (2013 est.)

lowest 10%

28% (2013 est.)

Imports

$14.37 billion (2017 est.)

$12.65 billion (2016 est.)

Imports Commodities

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

Imports Partners

China 34.1%, Singapore 12.8%, Thailand 12.4%, Vietnam 10.1% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

10.6% (2017 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2.9% (2017 est.)

3% (2016 est.)

Labor Force

8.913 million (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

agriculture

48.7%

industry

19.9%

services

31.5% (2013 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

note

NA

Population Below Poverty Line

16.5% (2016 est.)

Public Debt

30.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

29.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

$12.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$9.122 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Broad Money

$2.202 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.748 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment At Home

$29.17 billion (2014 est.)

Stock Of Domestic Credit

$16.53 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$14.27 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Narrow Money

$2.202 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.748 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes And Other Revenues

17.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

0.3% (2017 est.)

0.2% (2016 est.)

note

high underemployment, according to official statistics

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

10.55 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

electrification - rural areas

18% (2013)

electrification - total population

34% (2013)

electrification - urban areas

97% (2013)

population without electricity

9.9 million (2013)

Electricity Consumption

5.857 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

35% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

63% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

1.583 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

1.697 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

5.21 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

45,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

43,030 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2017 est.)

total

129,650 (2017 est.)

Broadcast Media

mixture of state-owned, joint public-private, and privately owned broadcast media; 14 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, and 2 TV relay stations - one relaying a French TV station and the other relaying a Vietnamese TV station; multi-channel cable and satellite systems are available (2018); roughly 50 radio broadcast stations - 1 state-owned broadcaster with multiple stations and a large mixture of public and private broadcasters; several international broadcasters are available (2009)

Internet Country Code

.kh

Internet Users

percent of population

25.6% (July 2016 est.)

total

4,080,372 (July 2016 est.)

Telephone System

domestic

fixed-line connections stand at about 1 per 100 persons and declining; mobile-cellular usage, aided by competition among service providers, has increased to about 115 per 100 persons; in 2021 Camboidia hopes to launch it first communications satellite into orbit; fixed broadband penetration is predicted to reach over 2% by 2023 (2017)

general assessment

adequate fixed-line and/or cellular service in Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; mobile-cellular phone systems are widely used in urban areas to bypass deficiencies in the fixed-line network; mobile-phone coverage is rapidly spreading in rural areas; about 50% of Cambodians own at least one smart phone; in 2018 the MPTC began a free Wi-Fi service for visitors and residents of Phnom Penh, in selected parks around the city customers can access free Wi-Fi services (2017)

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) (2016)

Telephones Fixed Lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

132,911 (2017 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

115 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

18,572,973 (2017 est.)

Airports

16 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

2 (2017)

2,438 to 3,047 m

3 (2017)

914 to 1,523 m

1 (2017)

total

6 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

2 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m

7 (2013)

total

10 (2013)

under 914 m

1 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

XU (2016)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant Marine

by type

container ship 3, general cargo 328, oil tanker 26, other 85 (2017)

total

442 (2017)

National Air Transport System

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

2,301,260 mt-km (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

1,103,880 (2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

10 (2015)

number of registered air carriers

4 (2015)

Ports And Terminals

major seaport(s)

Sihanoukville (Kampong Saom)

river port(s)

Phnom Penh (Mekong)

Railways

narrow gauge

642 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)

note

under restoration

total

642 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

3,607 km (2010)

total

44,709 km (2010)

unpaved

41,102 km (2010)

Waterways

3,700 km (mainly on Mekong River) (2012)

Military Branches

Royal Cambodian Armed Forces: Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Khmer Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force; the Royal Cambodian Gendarmerie is the military police force responsible for internal security; the National Committee for Maritime Security performs Coast Guard functions and has representation from military and civilian agencies (2016)

Military Expenditures

1.85% of GDP (2016)

2.11% of GDP (2015)

1.66% of GDP (2014)

1.58% of GDP (2013)

1.55% of GDP (2012)

Military Service Age And Obligation

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

Disputes International

Cambodia is concerned about Laos' extensive upstream dam constructionCambodia and Thailand dispute sections of boundaryin 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 ICJ decision in 1962 and part of a UN World Heritage siteCambodia accuses Vietnam of a wide variety of illicit cross-border activitiesprogress on a joint development area with Vietnam is hampered by an unresolved dispute over sovereignty of offshore islands

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

Trafficking In Persons

current situation

Cambodia is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Cambodian men, women, and children migrate to countries within the region and, increasingly, the Middle East for legitimate work but are subjected to sex trafficking, domestic servitude, or forced labor in fishing, agriculture, construction, and factories; Cambodian men recruited to work on Thai-owned fishing vessels are subsequently subjected to forced labor in international waters and are kept at sea for years; poor Cambodian children are vulnerable and, often with the families’ complicity, are subject to forced labor, including domestic servitude and forced begging, in Thailand and Vietnam; Cambodian and ethnic Vietnamese women and girls are trafficked from rural areas to urban centers and tourist spots for sexual exploitation; Cambodian men are the main exploiters of child prostitutes, but men from other Asian countries, and the West travel to Cambodia for child sex tourism

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List – Cambodia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute making significant efforts to meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; authorities made modest progress in prosecutions and convictions of traffickers in 2014 but did not provide comprehensive data; endemic corruption continued to impede law enforcement efforts, and no complicit officials were prosecuted or convicted; the government sustained efforts to identify victims and refer them to NGOs for care, but victim protection remained inadequate, particularly for assisting male victims and victims identified abroad; a new national action plan was adopted, but guidelines for victim identification and guidance on undercover investigation techniques are still pending after several years (2015)