ARCHIVE // KH // 2001
Cambodia
2001 Edition — sovereign
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Communications
Internet users
(Internet Service Providers (ISPs))
[time series]
2 (2000)
Internet country code
[time series]
.kh
Internet users
[time series]
NA
Broadcast media
(Radio broadcast stations)
[time series]
AM 7, FM 3, shortwave 3 (1999)
Radios
[time series]
1.34 million (1997)
Telecommunication systems
(Telephone system)
[time series]
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)
Telephones - fixed lines
(Telephones - main lines in use)
[time series]
21,800 (mid-1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular
[time series]
80,000 (2000)
Broadcast media
(Television broadcast stations)
[time series]
5 (1999)
Televisions
[time series]
94,000 (1997)
Economy
Agricultural products
(Agriculture - products)
[time series]
rice, rubber, corn, vegetables
Budget
[time series]
revenues: $363 million expenditures: $532 million, including capital expenditures of $225 million (2000 est.)
Exchange rates
(Currency)
[time series]
riel (KHR)
Exchange rates
(Currency code)
[time series]
KHR
Debt - external
[time series]
$829 million (1999 est.)
Economic aid
(Economic aid - recipient)
[time series]
$548 million pledged in grants and concessional loans for 2001 by international donors
Economic overview
(Economy - overview)
[time series]
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.
Electricity - consumption
[time series]
136.7 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports
[time series]
0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports
[time series]
0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production
[time series]
147 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source
[time series]
fossil fuel: 59.18% hydro: 40.82% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)
Exchange rates
[time series]
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)
Exports
[time series]
$942 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities
[time series]
timber, garments, rubber, rice, fish
Exports - partners
[time series]
Vietnam 18%, Thailand 15%, US 10%, Singapore 8%, China 5% (1997)
Fiscal year
[time series]
calendar year
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
(GDP)
[time series]
purchasing power parity - $16.1 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
(GDP - composition by sector)
[time series]
agriculture: 43% industry: 20% services: 37% (1998 est.)
Real GDP per capita
(GDP - per capita)
[time series]
purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2000 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
(GDP - real growth rate)
[time series]
4% (2000 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
[time series]
lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 33.8% (1997)
Imports
[time series]
$1.3 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities
[time series]
cigarettes, gold, construction materials, petroleum products, machinery, motor vehicles
Imports - partners
[time series]
Thailand 16%, Vietnam 9%, Japan 7%, Hong Kong 5%, China 5% (1997)
Industrial production growth rate
[time series]
NA%
Industries
[time series]
garments, tourism, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
[time series]
1.6% (2000 est.)
Labor force
[time series]
6 million (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
[time series]
agriculture 80% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line
[time series]
36% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate
[time series]
2.8% (1999 est.)
Geography
Area
[time series]
total: 181,040 sq km land: 176,520 sq km water: 4,520 sq km
Area - comparative
[time series]
slightly smaller than Oklahoma
Climate
[time series]
tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation
Coastline
[time series]
443 km
Elevation
(Elevation extremes)
[time series]
lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m highest point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 m
Environment - current issues
[time series]
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
International environmental agreements
(Environment - international agreements)
[time series]
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
Geographic coordinates
[time series]
13 00 N, 105 00 E
Geography - note
[time series]
a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap
Irrigated land
[time series]
920 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
[time series]
total: 2,572 km border countries: Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km
Land use
[time series]
arable land: 13% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 11% forests and woodland: 66% other: 10% (1993 est.)
Location
[time series]
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos
Map references
[time series]
Southeast Asia
Maritime claims
[time series]
contiguous zone: 24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Natural hazards
[time series]
monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts
Natural resources
[time series]
timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential
Terrain
[time series]
mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north
Government
Administrative divisions
[time series]
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
Capital
[time series]
Phnom Penh
Constitution
[time series]
promulgated 21 September 1993
Country name
[time series]
conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia conventional short form: Cambodia local long form: Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea local short form: Kampuchea former: Khmer Republic, Kampuchea Republic
Diplomatic representation from the US
[time series]
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
Diplomatic representation in the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Roland ENG chancery: 4500 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-7742
Executive branch
[time series]
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
Diplomatic representation in the US
(FAX)
[time series]
[1] (202) 726-8381
Diplomatic representation in the US
(FAX)
[time series]
[855] (23) 216-437
Flag
(Flag description)
[time series]
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
Government type
[time series]
multiparty liberal democracy under a constitutional monarchy established in September 1993
Independence
[time series]
9 November 1953 (from France)
International organization participation
[time series]
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)
Judicial branch
[time series]
Supreme Council of the Magistracy (provided for in the constitution and formed in December 1997); Supreme Court (and lower courts) exercises judicial authority
Legal system
[time series]
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
Legislative branch
[time series]
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
National holiday
[time series]
Independence Day, 9 November (1953)
Political parties
(Political parties and leaders)
[time series]
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]
Political parties
(Political pressure groups and leaders)
[time series]
NA
Suffrage
[time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background
[time series]
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.
Military
Military and security forces
(Military branches)
[time series]
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
Military expenditures - dollar figure
[time series]
$112 million (FY01 est.)
Military expenditures
(Military expenditures - percent of GDP)
[time series]
3% (FY01 est.)
Military manpower - availability
[time series]
males age 15-49: 2,877,137 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service
[time series]
males age 15-49: 1,610,761 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age
[time series]
18 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually
[time series]
males: 162,643 (2001 est.)
People
Age structure
[time series]
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.)
Birth rate
[time series]
33.16 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate
[time series]
10.65 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Ethnic groups
[time series]
Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
[time series]
4.04% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
[time series]
14,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
[time series]
220,000 (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate
[time series]
65.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Languages
[time series]
Khmer (official) 95%, French, English
Life expectancy at birth
[time series]
total population: 56.82 years male: 54.62 years female: 59.12 years (2001 est.)
Literacy
[time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 35% male: 48% female: 22% (1990 est.)
Nationality
[time series]
noun: Cambodian(s) adjective: Cambodian
Net migration rate
[time series]
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Population
[time series]
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.)
Population growth rate
[time series]
2.25% (2001 est.)
Religions
[time series]
Theravada Buddhist 95%, other 5%
Sex ratio
[time series]
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.)
Total fertility rate
[time series]
4.74 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
[time series]
portions of boundary with Vietnam are disputed; parts of border with Thailand are indefinite
Illicit drugs
[time series]
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
Transportation
Airports
[time series]
19 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
[time series]
total: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
[time series]
total: 13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 11 (2000 est.)
Heliports
[time series]
3 (2000 est.)
Roadways
(Highways)
[time series]
total: 35,769 km paved: 4,165 km unpaved: 31,604 km (1997)
Merchant marine
[time series]
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.)
Ports
(Ports and harbors)
[time series]
Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville), Kampot, Krong Kaoh Kong, Phnom Penh
Railways
[time series]
total: 603 km narrow gauge: 603 km 1.000-m gauge
Waterways
[time series]
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