Communications
Internet country code [time series]
.kh
Internet users (Internet hosts) [time series]
1,378 (2006)
Internet users [time series]
41,000 (2005)
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM 2, FM 17 (2003)
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
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)
Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]
36,400 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]
1.062 million (2005)
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
11 (including two TV relay stations with French and Vietnamese broadcasts); 12 regional low power TV stations (2006)
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]
rice, rubber, corn, vegetables, cashews, tapioca
Budget [time series]
revenues: $559.4 million expenditures: $772 million; including capital expenditures of $291 million (2005 est.)
Exchange rates (Currency (code)) [time series]
riel (KHR)
Current account balance [time series]
$-166 million (2005 est.)
Debt - external [time series]
$800 million (2003 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]
40 (2004 est.)
Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]
$504 million pledged in grants and concessional loans for 2005 by international donors
Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]
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.
Electricity - consumption [time series]
115 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports [time series]
0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports [time series]
0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production [time series]
123.7 million kWh (2003)
Exchange rates [time series]
riels per US dollar - 4,092.5 (2005), 4,016.25 (2004), 3,973.33 (2003), 3,912.08 (2002), 3,916.33 (2001)
Exports [time series]
$2.663 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities [time series]
clothing, timber, rubber, rice, fish, tobacco, footwear
Exports - partners [time series]
US 48.6%, Hong Kong 24.4%, Germany 5.6%, Canada 4.6% (2005)
Fiscal year [time series]
calendar year
GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]
$4.729 billion (2005 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]
$34.08 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]
agriculture: 35% industry: 30% services: 35% (2004)
Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]
$2,500 (2005 est.)
Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]
13.4% (2005 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]
lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 33.8% (1997)
Imports [time series]
$3.538 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities [time series]
petroleum products, cigarettes, gold, construction materials, machinery, motor vehicles, pharmaceutical products
Imports - partners [time series]
Hong Kong 16.1%, China 13.6%, France 12.1%, Thailand 11.2%, Taiwan 10.2%, South Korea 7.5%, Vietnam 7.1%, Singapore 4.9%, Japan 4.1% (2005)
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
22% (2002 est.)
Industries [time series]
tourism, garments, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
5.8% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed) [time series]
23.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
Labor force [time series]
7 million (2003 est.)
Labor force - by occupation [time series]
agriculture: 75% industry: NA% services: NA% (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption [time series]
0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - production [time series]
0 cu m (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption [time series]
3,700 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports [time series]
NA bbl/day
Oil - imports [time series]
NA bbl/day
Oil - production [time series]
0 bbl/day (2003)
Population below poverty line [time series]
40% (2004 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]
$1.145 billion (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate [time series]
2.5% (2000 est.)
Geography
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, most of the population does not have access to potable water; declining fish stocks because of illegal fishing and overfishing
International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
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]
2,700 sq km (2003)
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: 20.44% permanent crops: 0.59% other: 78.97% (2005)
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]
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts
Natural resources [time series]
oil and gas, 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 (khaitt, singular and plural) and 4 municipalities* (krong, singular and plural) provinces: Banteay Mean Cheay, Batdambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum, Kampot, Kandal, Kaoh Kong, Krachen, Mondol Kiri, Otdar Mean Cheay, Pouthisat, Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Rotanah Kiri, Siem Reab, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev municipalities: Keb, Pailin, Phnum Penh, Preah Seihanu
Capital [time series]
name: Phnom Penh geographic coordinates: 11 33 N, 104 55 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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 (phonetic pronunciation) local short form: Kampuchea former: Kingdom of Cambodia, Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, People's Republic of Kampuchea, State of Cambodia
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph A. MUSSOMELI embassy: #1, Street 96, Sangkat Wat Phnom, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh mailing address: Box P, APO AP 96546 telephone: [855] (23) 728-000 FAX: [855] (23) 728-600
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador EK SEREYWATH chancery: 4530 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-7742 FAX: [1] (202) 726-8381
Executive branch [time series]
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); SOK AN, LU LAY SRENG, TEA BANH, HOR NAMHONG, NHEK BUNCHHAY (since 16 July 2004); KEV PUT REAKSMEI (since 24 October 2006) 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
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; only national flag to incorporate an actual building in its design
Government type [time series]
multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy
Independence [time series]
9 November 1953 (from France)
International organization participation [time series]
ACCT, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, EAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch [time series]
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) elections: National Assembly - last held 27 July 2003 (next to be held in July 2008); Senate - last held 22 January 2006 (next to be held in January 2011) 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 - CPP 69%, FUNCINPEC 21%, SRP 10%; seats by party - CPP 45, FUNCINPEC 10, SRP 2 (January 2006)
National holiday [time series]
Independence Day, 9 November (1953)
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
Cambodian Pracheachon Party (Cambodian People's Party) or CPP [CHEA SIM]; National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia or FUNCINPEC [KEV PUT REAKSMEI]; Sam Rangsi Party or SRP [SAM RANGSI]
Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]
NA
Suffrage [time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background [time series]
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.
Military
Manpower available for military service [time series]
males age 18-49: 3,002,718 females age 18-49: 3,108,254 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service [time series]
males age 18-49: 1,955,141 females age 18-49: 2,048,611 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually [time series]
males age 18-49: 175,497 females age 18-49: 172,788 (2005 est.)
Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces: Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Khmer Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force (2005)
Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]
3% (FY01 est.)
Military service age and obligation [time series]
conscription law made effective in October 2006 requires all males between 18-30 to register for military service; service obligation is 18 months (2006)
People
Age structure [time series]
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) (2006 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
26.9 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate [time series]
9.06 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Ethnic groups [time series]
Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]
2.6% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]
15,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]
170,000 (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate [time series]
total: 68.78 deaths/1,000 live births male: 77.35 deaths/1,000 live births female: 59.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Languages [time series]
Khmer (official) 95%, French, English
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 59.29 years male: 57.35 years female: 61.32 years (2006 est.)
Literacy [time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 73.6% male: 84.7% female: 64.1% (2004 est.)
Major infectious diseases [time series]
degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis are high risks in some locations note: at present, H5N1 avian influenza poses a minimal risk; during outbreaks among birds, rare cases could occur among US citizens who have close contact with infected birds or poultry (2005)
Median age [time series]
total: 20.6 years male: 19.9 years female: 21.4 years (2006 est.)
Nationality [time series]
noun: Cambodian(s) adjective: Cambodian
Net migration rate [time series]
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Population [time series]
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.)
Population growth rate [time series]
1.78% (2006 est.)
Religions [time series]
Theravada Buddhist 95%, other 5%
Sex ratio [time series]
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
3.37 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
Southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of boundary with missing boundary markers and Thai encroachments into Cambodian territory; maritime boundary with Vietnam is hampered by unresolved dispute over offshore islands; Cambodia accuses Thailand of obstructing access to Preah Vihear temple ruins awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962; in 2004, Cambodian-Laotian and Laotian-Vietnamese boundary commissions re-erected missing markers completing most of their demarcations
Illicit drugs [time series]
narcotics-related corruption reportedly involving some in the government, military, and police; possible small-scale heroin and methamphetamine production; vulnerable to money laundering due to its cash-based economy and porous borders
Trafficking in persons [time series]
current situation: Cambodia is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor; a significant number of women and children are trafficked to Thailand and Malaysia for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; men are trafficked primarily to Thailand for forced labor in the construction and agricultural sectors, particularly the fishing industry, while women and girls are trafficked for factory and domestic work; children are trafficked to Vietnam and Thailand for the purpose of forced begging; Cambodia is a transit and destination point for women from Vietnam trafficked for sexual exploitation; trafficking for sexual exploitation also occurs within Cambodia's borders, from rural areas to the cities tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Cambodia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is committed to making significant efforts to sustain progress over the coming year
Transportation
Airports [time series]
20 (2006)
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 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]
total: 14 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Heliports [time series]
2 (2006)
Merchant marine [time series]
total: 544 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,777,907 GRT/2,529,708 DWT by type: bulk carrier 41, cargo 443, chemical tanker 11, container 10, livestock carrier 3, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 19, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1 foreign-owned: 407 (Bulgaria 1, Canada 6, China 128, Cyprus 12, Egypt 8, Gabon 1, Greece 8, Hong Kong 15, Indonesia 1, Japan 4, South Korea 23, Latvia 2, Lebanon 6, Nigeria 2, Norway 1, Philippines 1, Russia 105, Singapore 4, Spain 1, Syria 20, Taiwan 2, Turkey 26, UAE 1, Ukraine 17, US 8, Yemen 3, unknown 1) (2006)
Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]
Phnom Penh
Railways [time series]
total: 602 km narrow gauge: 602 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)
Roadways [time series]
total: 12,323 km paved: 1,996 km unpaved: 10,327 km (2000)
Waterways [time series]
2,400 km (mainly on Mekong River) (2005)