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| Introduction | Cambodia |
| Background: | Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers, whose Angkor Empire extended over much of Southeast Asia between the 10th and 14th centuries. Subsequently, attacks by the Thai and Vietnamese weakened the empire. In 1863, the king of Cambodia placed the country under French protection; it became part of French Indochina in 1887. Following Japanese occupation in World War II, Cambodia became independent within the French Union in 1948 and fully independent in 1953. After a five-year struggle, Communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh in April 1975 and ordered the evacuation of all cities and towns; over 1.5 million displaced people died from execution, enforced hardships, or starvation. A 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside 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 and the final elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in early 1999. 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 July 2003 elections were relatively peaceful, but it took one year of negotiations between contending political parties before a coalition government was formed. |
| People | Cambodia |
| Population: | 13,363,421 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 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 38.3% (male 2,583,606; female 2,534,460) 15-64 years: 58.6% (male 3,742,178; female 4,095,303) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 149,466; female 258,408) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 19.5 years male: 18.8 years female: 20.4 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 1.8% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 27.13 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 9.1 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.58 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 73.67 deaths/1,000 live births female: 64.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 82.51 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 58.41 years male: 55.71 years female: 61.23 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 3.51 children born/woman (2004 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: | typhoid fever, dengue fever, malaria, Japanese encephalitis overall degree of risk: very high (2004) |
| 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: 69.4% male: 80.8% female: 59.3% (2002) |
| Government | Cambodia |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia conventional short form: Cambodia local short form: Kampuchea former: Kingdom of Cambodia, Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, People's Republic of Kampuchea, State of Cambodia local long form: Preahreacheanacha Kampuchea (phonetic pronunciation) |
| 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) : provinces: Banteay Mean Chey, Batdambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum, Kampot, Kandal, Koh Kong, Kracheh, Mondol Kiri, Otdar Mean Chey, Pouthisat, Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Rotanakir, Siem Reab, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takao : municipalities: Keb, Pailin, Phnom Penh, Preah Sihanouk (formerly Kompong Som) |
| 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 (since 29 October 2004) head of government: Prime Minister HUN Sen (since 14 January 1985) and Deputy Prime Ministers SAR KHENG (since 3 February 1992), Norodom SIRIVUDH, SOK AN, LU LAY SRENG, TEA BANH, HOR NAMHONG, NHEK BUNCHHAY (since 16 July 2004) 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 cabinet: Council of Ministers in theory appointed by the monarch; in practice named by the prime minister |
| 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; two members appointed by the monarch, two elected by the National Assembly, and 57 elected by "functional constituencies"; members serve five-year terms) 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 - NA; seats by party - CPP 31, FUNCINPEC 21, SRP 7, other 2 (July 2003) elections: National Assembly - last held 27 July 2003 (next to be held in July 2008); Senate - last held 2 March 1999 (scheduled to be held in 2004 but delayed) |
| 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 Pracheachon Party (Cambodian People's Party) or CPP [CHEA Sim]; National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia or FUNCINPEC [Prince NORODOM Ranariddh]; Sam Rangsi Party or SRP [SAM Rangsi] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| International organization participation: | ACCT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador ROLAND ENG chancery: 4530 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 FAX: [1] (202) 726-8381 telephone: [1] (202) 726-7742 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Charles Aaron RAY embassy: 27 EO Street 240, Phnom Penh mailing address: Box P, APO AP 96546 telephone: [855] (23) 216-436/438 FAX: [855] (23) 216-437/811 |
| 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; only national flag to incorporate a building in its design |
| Communications | Cambodia |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 35,400 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 380,000 (2002) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: adequate landline and/or cellular service in Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; mobile phone coverage is rapidly expanding in rural areas domestic: NA 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) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 2, FM 17, (2003) |
| Radios: | 1.34 million (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 7 (2003) |
| Televisions: | 94,000 (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .kh |
| Internet hosts: | 818 (2003) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 2 (2000) |
| Internet users: | 30,000 (2002) |
| Transportation | Cambodia |
| Railways: | total: 602 km narrow gauge: 602 km 1.000-m gauge (2003) |
| Highways: | total: 12,323 km paved: 1,996 km unpaved: 10,327 km (2000 est) |
| Waterways: | 2,400 km (mainly on Mekong River) (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: | Kampong Som (Sihanoukville), Kampot, Krong Kaoh Kong, Phnom Penh, Sre Ambol, Keo Phoh Port (privately owned) (2003) |
| Merchant marine: | total: 467 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,913,910 GRT/2,713,967 DWT registered in other countries: 19 (2003 est.) foreign-owned: Algeria 2, Angola 1, Aruba 1, Bahamas 1, Belize 10, British Virgin Islands 7, Bulgaria 1, Canada 4, China 35, Cyprus 14, Egypt 8, Finland 1, France 1, Georgia 1, Germany 1, Gibraltar 1, Greece 9, Honduras 8, Hong Kong 12, Indonesia 2, Iran 1, Italy 2, Japan 1, Jordan 1, North Korea 2, South Korea 31, Lebanon 2, Liberia 7, Malaysia 1, Malta 2, Marshall Islands 11, Netherlands 2, Nigeria 2, Norway 1, Panama 8, Romania 1, Russia 81, Saint Kitts and Nevis 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5, Samoa 2, Singapore 7, Spain 1, Syria 19, Taiwan 1, Turkey 11 by type: bulk 42, cargo 360, chemical tanker 6, combination bulk 3, container 13, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 4, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 16, refrigerated cargo 13, roll on/roll off 5, short-sea/passenger 2 |
| Airports: | 20 (2003 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 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 14 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 11 |
| Heliports: | 2 (2003 est.) |
| Military | Cambodia |
| Military branches: | Royal Cambodian Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 18-30 years of age for compulsory military service for all males; conscription law passed September 2004; service obligation is 18 months (September 2004) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 3,402,703 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 1,899,710 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 170,072 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $112 million (FY01 est.) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 3% (FY01 est.) |
| Transnational Issues | Cambodia |
| Disputes - international: | land boundary disputes persist among Cambodian claims that Thailand and Vietnam moved or destroyed boundary markers; maritime boundary with Vietnam is hampered by dispute over offshore islands; Cambodia periodically accuses Thailand of obstructing access to Preah Vihear temple ruins awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962; 2003 anti-Thai riots in Phnom Penh resulted in the destruction of the Thai Embassy, damage to 17 Thai-owned businesses, and disputes over full payment of compensation |
| Illicit drugs: | 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; vulnerable to money laundering due to its cash-based economy and porous borders |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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