Cambodia

multiparty liberal democracy under a constitutional monarchyIndependence 9 November 1949 (from France)

Cambodia as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 116 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

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CapitalPhnom Penh
LocationSoutheastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand
1994

Every edition of Cambodia

Populationas each edition published it
10.26 million July 1994 est. · 6.99m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.87% 1994 est. · 4.41% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 19.2 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 49.06 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
5.81 children per woman 1994 est. · 4.5 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
110.6 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 128 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$600 1993 est. · $280 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
7.5% 1993 est. · 6% in 2025

Geography

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand | and Vietnam

25 fields
Land boundaries
2,572km
total · Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km
Irrigated land
920sq km
(1989 est.)

Location

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand and Vietnam

Map references

Asia, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

total area

181,040 sq km

land area

176,520 sq km

comparative area

slightly smaller than Oklahoma

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

International disputes

  • offshore islands and sections of the boundary with Vietnam are in dispute;
  • maritime boundary with Vietnam not defined;
  • parts of border with Thailand in dispute;
  • maritime boundary with Thailand not clearly defined

Climate

  • tropical;
  • rainy, monsoon season (May to October);
  • dry season (December to March);
  • little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain

mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north

Natural resources

timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential

arable land

16%

permanent crops

1%

meadows and pastures

3%

forest and woodland

76%

other

4%

current issues

deforestation resulting in habitat loss and declining biodiversity (in particular, destruction of mangrove swamps threatens natural fisheries)

natural hazards

monsoonal rains (June to November)

international agreements

party to - Marine Life Conservation; signed, but not ratified - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping

Note

a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap

People

21 fields
Population
10,264,628
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 2.87% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
45.09Death
16.36Net migration
0

Ethnic divisions

Khmer 90%Vietnamese 5%Chinese 1%other 4%
Labor force
2.5million to 3 million
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1990 est.)

Infant mortality rate

110.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

49.26 years

male

47.8 years

female

50.8 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.81 children born/woman (1994 est.)

noun

Cambodian(s)

adjective

Cambodian

Religions

Theravada Buddhism 95%, other 5%

Languages

Khmer (official), French

total population

35%

male

48%

female

22%

by occupation

agriculture 80% (1988 est.)

Government

Multiparty liberal democracy under a constitutional monarchy

27 fields

conventional long form

Kingdom of Cambodia

conventional short form

Cambodia

local long form

Reacheanachak Kampuchea

local short form

Kampuchea

Type

multiparty liberal democracy under a constitutional monarchy established in September 1993

Capital

Phnom Penh

Administrative divisions

  • 20 provinces (khet, singular and plural);
  • Banteay Meanchey, Batdambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum, Kampot, Kandal, Kaoh Kong, Kracheh, Mondol Kiri, Phnum Penh, Pouthisat, Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Rotanokiri, Siemreab-Otdar Meanchey, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev

Independence

9 November 1949 (from France)

National holiday

Independence Day, 9 November 1949

Constitution

promulgated September 1993

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

chief of state

King Norodom SIHANOUK (reinstated NA September 1993)

head of government

power shared between First Prime Minister Prince Norodom RANARIDDH and Second Prime Minister HUN SEN

cabinet

Council of Ministers; elected by the National Assembly

Legislative branch

  • unicameral;
  • a 120-member constituent assembly based on proportional representation within each province was establised following the UN-supervised election in May 1993;
  • the constituent assembly was transformed into a legislature in September 1993 after delegates promulgated the constitution

Judicial branch

Supreme Court established under the constitution has not yet been established and the future judicial system is yet to be defined by law

Political parties and leaders

  • National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC) under Prince NORODOM RANARIDDH;
  • Cambodian Pracheachon Party or Cambodian People's Party (CPP) under CHEA SIM;
  • Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party under SON SANN;
  • Democratic Kampuchea (DK, also known as the Khmer Rouge) under KHIEU SAMPHAN

Member of

ACCT (observer), AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, ITU, LORCS, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US

Ambassador SISOWATH SIRIRATH represents Cambodia at the United Nations

chief of mission

Ambassador Charles H. TWINING

embassy

27 EO Street 240, Phnom Penh

mailing address

Box P, APO AP 96546

telephone

(855) 23-26436 or (855) 23-26438

FAX

(855) 23-26437

Flag

horizontal band of red separates two equal horizontal bands of blue with a white three-towered temple representing Angkor Wat in the center

Economy

The Cambodian economy - virtually destroyed by decades of war - is | slowly recovering.

26 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$600
(1993 est.)
Real growth rate
7.5%
(1993 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 15.6% (year NA); accounts for 10% of GDP

Overview

The Cambodian economy - virtually destroyed by decades of war - is slowly recovering. Government leaders are moving toward restoring fiscal and monetary discipline and have established good working relations with international financial institutions. Despite such positive developments, the reconstruction effort faces many tough challenges.

Rural Cambodia, where 90% of almost ten million Khmer live, remains mired in poverty. The almost total lack of basic infrastructure in the countryside will hinder development and will contribute to a growing imbalance in growth between urban and rural areas over the near term. Moreover, the new government's lack of experience in administering economic and technical assistance programs, and rampant corruption among officials, will slow the growth of critical public sector investment.

Inflation for 1993 as a whole was 60%, less than a quarter of the 1992 rate, and was declining during the year. The government hoped the rate would fall to 10% in early 1994.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $6 billion (1993 est.)

revenues

$350 million

expenditures

$350 million, including capital expenditures of $133 million (1994 est.)

Exports

$70 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)

commodities

natural rubber, rice, pepper, raw timber

partners

Thailand, Japan, India, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Vietnam

Imports

$360 million (c.i.f., 1992 est.)

commodities

international food aid; fuels, consumer goods, machinery

partners

Japan, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Vietnam

External debt

total outstanding bilateral official debt to OECD members $248 million (yearend 1991), plus 840 million ruble debt to former CEMA countries

capacity

35,000 kW

production

70 million kWh

consumption per capita

9 kWh (1990)

Industries

rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining

Agriculture

  • accounts for 50% of GDP;
  • mainly subsistence farming except for rubber plantations;
  • main crops - rice, rubber, corn;
  • food shortages - rice, meat, vegetables, dairy products, sugar, flour

Illicit drugs

secondary transshipment country for heroin produced in the Golden Triangle

recipient

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $725 million;
  • Western (non-US countries) (1970-89), $300 million;
  • Communist countries (1970-89), $1.8 billion;
  • donor countries and multilateral institutions pledged $880 million in assistance in 1992

Currency

1 new riel (CR) = 100 sen

Exchange rates

riels (CR) per US$1 - 2,390 (December 1993), 2,800 (September 1992), 500 (December 1991), 560 (1990), 159.00 (1988), 100.00 (1987)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

13 fields

Railroads

612 km 1.000-meter gauge, government owned

total

13,351 km (some roads in serious disrepair)

paved

bituminous 2,622 km

unpaved

crushed stone, gravel, or improved earth 7,105 km; unimproved earth 3,624 km

Inland waterways

3,700 km navigable all year to craft drawing 0.6 meters; 282 km navigable to craft drawing 1.8 meters

Ports

Kampong Saom, Phnom Penh

total

20

usable

13

with permanent-surface runways

6

with runways over 3,659 m

0

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

2

with runways 1,220-2,439 m

8

Telecommunications

  • service barely adequate for government requirements and virtually nonexistent for general public;
  • international service limited to Vietnam and other adjacent countries;
  • broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, 1 TV

Defense Forces

4 fields

Khmer Royal Armed Forces (KRAF)

  • created in 1993 by the merger of the Cambodian People's Armed Forces and the two non-Communist resistance armies;
  • note - the KRAF is also known as the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF)

Resistance forces

National Army of Democratic Kampuchea (Khmer Rouge)

Manpower availability

  • males age 15-49 2,182,912;
  • fit for military service 1,217,357;
  • reach military age (18) annually 67,463 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Central Intelligence Agency. “Cambodia.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/cambodia/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →