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
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. In October 2004, King SIHANOUK abdicated the throne due to illness
and his son, Prince Norodom SIHAMONI, was selected to succeed him. Local
elections were held in Cambodia in April 2007, and there was little in the
way of pre-election violence that preceded prior elections. National
elections are scheduled for July 2008.
Geography
Cambodia
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
total: 4.08 cu km/yr
(1%/0%/98%) per capita: 290 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
monsoonal rains (June to
November); flooding; occasional droughts
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
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
Geography - note:
a land of paddies and forests
dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap
People
Cambodia
Population:
14,241,640 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 2008 est.)
total: 21.7 years
male: 21 years female: 22.5 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.752% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
25.68 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Death rate:
8.16 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04
male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64
years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.61
male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008
est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 56.59
deaths/1,000 live births male: 63.76 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 49.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.69
years male: 59.65 years female: 63.83 years (2008
est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.08 children born/woman (2008
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, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria note: highly
pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it
poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US
citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Cambodian(s)
adjective: Cambodian
Ethnic groups:
Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%,
Chinese 1%, other 4%
Religions:
Theravada Buddhist 95%, other
5%
Languages:
Khmer (official) 95%, French,
English
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write total population: 73.6%
male: 84.7% female: 64.1% (2004 est.)
Government
Cambodia
Country name:
conventional long form:
Kingdom of Cambodia conventional short form: Cambodia
local long form: Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea (phonetic
pronunciation) local short form: Kampuchea former:
Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, People's Republic of Kampuchea,
State of Cambodia
Government type:
multiparty democracy under a
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
name: Phnom Penh
geographic coordinates: 11 33 N, 104 55 E time
difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard
Time)
Administrative divisions:
20 provinces (khaitt, singular
and plural) and 4 municipalities* (krong, singular and plural)
provinces: Banteay Mean Cheay, Batdambang, Kampong Cham,
Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum, Kampot, Kandal, Kaoh Kong,
Krachen, Mondol Kiri, Otdar Mean Cheay, Pouthisat, Preah Vihear, Prey
Veng, Rotanah Kiri, Siem Reab, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev
municipalities: Keb, Pailin, Phnum Penh (Phnom Penh), Preah
Seihanu (Sihanoukville)
Independence:
9 November 1953 (from France)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 9 November
(1953)
Constitution:
promulgated 21 September 1993
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; 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) [co-prime minister from
1993 to 1997]; 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), BIN CHHIN (since 5
September 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers in theory
appointed by the monarch; in practice named by the prime minister
elections: 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 on 27 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]
chief of mission:
Ambassador EK SEREYWATH chancery: 4530 16th Street NW,
Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-7742
FAX: [1] (202) 726-8381
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Joseph A. MUSSOMELI embassy: #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
note: only national flag to incorporate an actual building in
its design
Economy
Cambodia
Economy - overview:
From 2001 to 2004, the economy
grew at an average rate of 6.4%, driven largely by an expansion in the
garment sector and tourism. The US and Cambodia signed a Bilateral Textile
Agreement, which gave Cambodia a guaranteed quota of US textile imports
and established a bonus for improving working conditions and enforcing
Cambodian labor laws and international labor standards in the industry.
With the January 2005 expiration of a WTO Agreement on Textiles and
Clothing, Cambodia-based textile producers were forced to compete directly
with lower-priced producing countries such as China and India.
Better-than-expected garment sector performance led to more than 9% growth
in 2007. Its vibrant garment industry employs more than 350,000 people and
contributes more than 70% of Cambodia's exports. The Cambodian government
has committed itself to a policy supporting high labor standards in an
attempt to maintain buyer interest. In 2005, exploitable oil and natural
gas deposits were found beneath Cambodia's territorial waters,
representing a new revenue stream for the government if commercial
extraction begins. Mining also is attracting significant investor
interest, particularly in the northeastern parts of the country, and the
government has said opportunities exist for mining bauxite, gold, iron and
gems. In 2006, a US-Cambodia bilateral Trade and Investment Framework
Agreement (TIFA) was signed and the first round of discussions took place
in early 2007. The tourism industry continues to grow rapidly, with
foreign arrivals reaching 2 million in 2007. In 2007 the government signed
a joint venture agreement with two companies to form a new national
airline. The long-term development of the economy remains a daunting
challenge. The Cambodian government is working with bilateral and
multilateral donors, including the World Bank and IMF, to address the
country's many pressing needs. The 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. More than 50% of the population is less than 21 years old. The
population lacks education and productive skills, particularly in the
poverty-ridden countryside, which suffers from an almost total lack of
basic infrastructure.
US 53.3%, Hong Kong 15.2%,
Germany 6.6%, UK 4.3% (2006)
Imports:
$5.3 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
petroleum products, cigarettes,
gold, construction materials, machinery, motor vehicles, pharmaceutical
products
Imports - partners:
Hong Kong 18.1%, China 17.5%,
Thailand 13.9%, Taiwan 12.7%, Vietnam 9%, Singapore 5.3%, South Korea
4.9%, Japan 4.3% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$698.2 million pledged in
grants and concession loans for 2007 by international donors (2007)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.662 billion (31 December
2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$3.98 billion (31 December 2007
est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Currency (code):
riel (KHR)
Currency code:
KHR
Exchange rates:
riels per US dollar - 4,006
(2007), 4,103 (2006), 4,092.5 (2005), 4,016.25 (2004), 3,973.33 (2003)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications
Cambodia
Telephones - main lines in use:
32,800 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.14 million (2006)
Telephone system:
general assessment:
mobile-phone systems are widely used in urban areas to bypass deficiencies
in the fixed-line network; fixed-line connections stand at well less than
1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage, aided by increasing competition
among service providers, is increasing and stands at about 8 per 100
persons domestic: adequate landline and/or cellular service in
Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; mobile-phone coverage is rapidly
expanding in rural areas 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) (2007)
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:
941 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)
Internet users:
44,000 (2005)
Transportation
Cambodia
Airports:
17 (2007)
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
(2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 11 1,524
to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 1
(2007)
Heliports:
1 (2007)
Railways:
total: 602 km
narrow gauge: 602 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)
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: 586 ships (1000
GRT or over) 1,889,909 GRT/2,682,881 DWT by type: bulk carrier
40, cargo 487, chemical tanker 10, container 9, livestock carrier 3,
passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 11, refrigerated cargo 18, roll
on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1
foreign-owned: 463 (Canada 6, China 166, Cyprus 9, Egypt 14,
Estonia 1, Gabon 1, Greece 5, Hong Kong 11, Indonesia 1, Japan 3, South
Korea 29, Latvia 2, Lebanon 7, Nigeria 2, Romania 1, Russia 112, Singapore
2, Syria 32, Taiwan 1, Turkey 20, Ukraine 27, UAE 2, US 6, Yemen 3) (2007)
Ports and terminals:
Phnom Penh, Kampong Saom
(Sihanoukville)
Military
Cambodia
Military branches:
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces:
Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Khmer Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
conscription law of October
2006 requires all males between 18-30 to register for military service;
18-month service obligation (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49:
3,759,034 females age 16-49: 3,784,333 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49:
2,581,045 females age 16-49: 2,676,075 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 16-49: 185,959
females age 16-49: 182,558 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues
Cambodia
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
