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

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

Coastline: 443 km

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

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

Terrain: mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north

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

Natural resources: timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential

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

Irrigated land: 920 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts

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

Geography - note: a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap

Population: 12,775,324 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 2002)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 40.7% (male 2,646,883; female 2,550,015)
15-64 years : 55.8% (male 3,373,692; female 3,758,736)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 182,149; female 263,849) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.24% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 32.93 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 10.51 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years : 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over:0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 64 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population:57.1 years
male: 54.81 years
female : 59.5 years (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate:4.66 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Cambodian(s)
adjective: Cambodian

Ethnic groups: Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4%

Religions: Theravada Buddhism 95%, other 5%

Languages: Khmer (official), French

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

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

Data code: CB

Government type: multiparty liberal democracy under a constitutional monarchy established in September 1993

National capital: Phnom Penh

Administrative divisions: 20 provinces (khett, singular and plural) and 4 municipalities* (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, Pailin*, Phnum Penh*, Pouthisat, Preah Seihanu* (Sihanoukville), Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Rotanah Kiri, Siem Reab, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev

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 in recent years.

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state:King Norodom SIHANOUK (reinstated 24 September 1993)
head of government:Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 30 November 1998) and Deputy Prime Ministers SAR KHENG (since NA) and TOL LAH (since NA)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the king
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

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)
elections: National Assembly - last held 26 July 1998 (next to be held NA July 2003); Senate - last held 2 March 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)
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, other 2 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

Political parties and leaders: Buddhist Liberal Party or BLP [IENG MOULY]; Cambodian Pracheachon Party or Cambodian People's Party or CPP [CHEA SIM]; Khmer Citizen Party or KCP [NGUON SOEUR]; National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia or FUNCINPEC [Prince NORODOM RANARIDDH]; Sam Rangsi Party or SRP (formerly Khmer Nation Party or KNP) [SAM RANGSI]

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)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador ROLAND ENG
chancery: 4500 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 Kent M. WIEDEMANN
embassy: 27 EO Street 240, Phnom Penh
mailing address: Box P, APO AP 96546
telephone: [855] (23) 426436, 426438
FAX: [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.

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.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $18.7 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5.3% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture : 50%
industry: 15%
services: 35% (2000 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 1.6% (2000 est.)

Labor force:6 million (1998 est.)
by occupation : agriculture 80% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate: 2.8% (1999 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $363 million
expenditures: $532 million, including capital expenditures of $225 million (2000 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - capacity: 100,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - production: 132 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 122.76 million kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products: rice, rubber, corn, vegetables

Exports:
total value: $1.05 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
commodities: timber, rubber, soybeans, sesame
partners : US 46.4%, Vietnam 26.1%, Germany 5.6%, Singapore 5.0%, UK 3.9% (2000)

Imports:
total value: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
commodities: cigarettes, construction materials, petroleum products, machinery, motor vehicles
partners : Singapore 22.5%, Thailand 19.8%, Hong Kong 15.6%, China 4.9%, Vietnam 4.9% (2000)

Debt - external: $829 million (1999 est.)

Economic aid:
recipient : $548 million pledged in grants and concessional loans for 2001 by international donors

Currency: 1 new riel (CR) = 100 sen

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)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Telephones: 21,800 (mid-1998)

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)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 3, shortwave 3 (1999)

Radios: 1.34 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 5 (1999)

Televisions: 94,000 (1997)

Railways:
total: 603 km
narrow gauge: 603 km 1.000-m gauge(2001 est.)

Highways:
total : 35,769 km
paved: 4,165 km
unpaved : 31,604 km (1997)

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

Ports and harbors: Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville), Kampot, Krong Kaoh Kong, Phnom Penh

Merchant marine:
total: 404 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,889,404 GRT/2,740,232 DWT
ships by type : bulk 37, cargo 312, chemical tanker 2, combination bulk 5, container 7, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 2, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 15, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 9, short-sea passenger 2

Airports: 20 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways:
total : 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m : 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2001)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 15
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m :13
under 914 m: 1 (2001)

Heliports: 2 (2001)

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 manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,990,790 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 1,673,713 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 162,643 (2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $112 million (FY01 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3% (FY01 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