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. Cambodia 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 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.
Geography of Cambodia
Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand,
between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos
Coordinates:
13 00 N, 105 00 E
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
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
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, 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
Geography - note:
a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong
River and Tonle Sap
Population of Cambodia
Population:
13,881,427 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 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 35.6% (male 2,497,595/female
2,447,754) 15-64 years: 61% (male 4,094,946/female 4,370,159) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 180,432/female 290,541)
Median age:
20.6 years
Growth rate:
1.78%
Infant mortality:
68.78 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 59.29 years male: 57.35 years female: 61.32 years
Total fertility rate:
3.37 children born/woman
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%
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia local short form: Kampuchea local long form: Preahreacheanacha Kampuchea (phonetic
pronunciation) former: Kingdom of Cambodia, Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea,
People's Republic of Kampuchea, State of Cambodia
Government type:
multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy
established in September 1993
Capital:
Phnom Penh
Administrative divisions:
20 provinces (khaitt, singular and plural) and 4
municipalities* (krong, singular and plural); Banteay Mean Chey,
Batdambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum,
Kampot, Kandal, Koh Kong, Keb*, Kracheh, Mondol Kiri, Otdar Mean Chey,
Pailin*, Phnom Penh*, Pouthisat, Preah Sihanouk (formerly Kompong Som)*,
Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Rotanakir, Siem Reab, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng,
Takao
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 SIHAMONI head of government: Prime Minister HUN SEN and Deputy Prime Ministers
SAR KHENG (since 3 February 1992); SOK AN, LU LAY SRENG, TEA BANH, HOR
NAMHONG, NHEK BUNCHHAY cabinet: Council of Ministers in theory appointed by the monarch; in
practice named by the prime minister elections: none; 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)
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
Economy
In 1999, the first full year of peace in 30 years, the government made
progress on economic reforms. 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. 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. 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. Although initial 2005 GDP growth estimates were less than
3%, better-than-expected garment sector performance led the IMF to forecast 6%
growth in 2005. Faced with the possibility that its vibrant garment industry,
with more than 200,000 jobs, could be in serious danger, the Cambodian
government has committed itself to a policy of continued support for high
labor standards in an attempt to maintain favor with buyers. The tourism
industry continues to grow rapidly, with foreign visitors surpassing 1
million for the year by September 2005. In 2005, exploitable oil and natural
gas deposits were found beneath Cambodia's territorial waters, representing a
new revenue stream for the government once commercial extraction begins in
the coming years. The long-term development of the economy remains a daunting
challenge. The Cambodian government continues to work with bilateral and
multilateral donors, including the World Bank and IMF, to address the
country's many pressing needs. In December 2004, official donors pledged $504
million in aid for 2005 on the condition that the Cambodian government
implement steps to reduce corruption. 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 20 years or
younger. The population lacks education and productive skills, particularly
in the poverty-ridden countryside, which suffers from an almost total lack of
basic infrastructure. Fully 75% of the population remains engaged in
subsistence farming.
GDP:
$30.65 billion (2005 est.)
GDP growth rate:
6%
GDP per capita:
$2,200
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 35% industry: 30% services: 35%
Inflation rate:
5.8%
Labor force:
7 million
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 75%
Unemployment:
2.5%
Budget:
revenues: $559.4 million expenditures: $772 million
