Cambodia
Kingdom of Cambodia conventional short form: Cambodia local long form: Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea local short form: Kampuchea former: Khmer Republic, Kampuchea Republic
multiparty liberal democracy under a constitutional monarchy established in September 1993Independence 9 November 1953 (from France)
Cambodia as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 117 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
Geography
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos
18 fieldsClimate
- tropical;
- rainy, monsoon season (May to November);
- dry season (December to April);
- little seasonal temperature variation
Land use
arable land: 13% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 11% forests and woodland: 66% other: 10% (1993 est.)
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
People
18 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2001 est.)
Population
- 12,491,501 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 2001 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 41.25% (male 2,626,821; female 2,526,510) 15-64 years: 55.28% (male 3,253,611; female 3,651,129) 65 years and over: 3.47% (male 177,577; female 255,853) (2001 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 56.82 years male: 54.62 years female: 59.12 years (2001 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 35% male: 48% female: 22% (1990 est.)
Government
Multiparty liberal democracy under a constitutional monarchy established in September 1993; King Norodom SIHANOUK (reinstated 24 September 1993) head of government: Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 30 November 1998) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch elections: none
20 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Legislature, 181 seatsone dot, one seat
Country name
conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia conventional short form: Cambodia local long form: Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea local short form: Kampuchea former: Khmer Republic, Kampuchea Republic
Government type
multiparty liberal democracy under a constitutional monarchy established in September 1993
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
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
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- King Norodom SIHANOUK (reinstated 24 September 1993) head of government: Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 30 November 1998) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch 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 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 - seats by party - CPP 31, FUNCINPEC 21, SRP 7
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
- 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, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Roland ENG chancery: 4500 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-7742
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Kent M. WIEDEMANN embassy: 16-18 Mongkol lem St. 228, Phnom Penh mailing address: Box P, APO AP 96546 telephone: [855] (23) 216-436
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
Cambodia's economy slowed dramatically in 1997-98 due to the regional economic crisis, civil violence, and political infighting.
32 fieldsTrading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
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. In 1999, the first full year of peace in 30 years, progress was made on economic reforms and growth resumed at 4%. GDP growth for 2000 had been projected to reach 5.5%, but the worst flooding in 70 years severely damaged agricultural crops, and high oil prices hurt industrial production, and growth for the year is estimated at only 4%. Tourism is Cambodia's fastest growing industry, with arrivals up 34% in 2000.
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. Fear of renewed political instability and corruption within the 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.
Budget
revenues: $363 million expenditures: $532 million, including capital expenditures of $225 million (2000 est.)
Industries
garments, tourism, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles
Imports - commodities
cigarettes, gold, construction materials, petroleum products, machinery, motor vehicles
Economic aid - recipient
$548 million pledged in grants and concessional loans for 2001 by international donors
Exchange rates
riels per US dollar - 3,909.0 (January 2001), 3,840.8 (2000), 3,807.8 (1999), 3,744.4 (1998), 2,946.3 (1997), 2,624.1 (1996)
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- 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)
Transportation
9 fieldsWaterways
3,700 km note: navigable all year to craft drawing 0.6 m or less; 282 km navigable to craft drawing as much as 1.8 m
Merchant marine
total: 295 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,305,932 GRT/1,853,487 DWT ships by type: bulk 22, cargo 237, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 3, container 8, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 2, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 7, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 5, short-sea passenger 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Cyprus 3, South Korea 1, Malta 1, Panama 1, Russia 1, Singapore 1 (2000 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 (2000 est.)
Military
7 fieldsMilitary 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: Khmer Rouge and royalist insurgent forces were integrated into the RCAF in 1999
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
portions of boundary with Vietnam are disputed; parts of border with Thailand are indefinite
Illicit drugs
- 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
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Cambodia.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/cambodia/2001.