all facts of cambodia
10/06/2013 | 09:36

Introduction ::CAMBODIA
Geography ::CAMBODIA
People and Society ::CAMBODIA
Government ::CAMBODIA
Economy ::CAMBODIA
Energy ::CAMBODIA
Communications ::CAMBODIA
Transportation ::CAMBODIA
Military ::CAMBODIA
Transnational Issues ::CAMBODIA

all-facts-of-cambodia

East & Southeast Asia :: Cambodia
 
page last updated on June 5, 2013
Flag of Cambodia
 
Location of Cambodia
 
 
Map of Cambodia
 
 
 
Introduction ::Cambodia
 
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, and it 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 surviving Khmer Rouge leaders have been tried or are awaiting trial for crimes against humanity by a hybrid UN-Cambodian tribunal supported by international assistance. Elections in July 2003 were relatively peaceful, but it took one year of negotiations between contending political parties before a coalition government was formed. In October 2004, King Norodom SIHANOUK abdicated the throne and his son, Prince Norodom SIHAMONI, was selected to succeed him. Local elections were held in Cambodia in April 2007, with little of the pre-election violence that preceded prior elections. National elections in July 2008 were relatively peaceful, as were commune council elections in June 2012.
 
 
Geography ::Cambodia
 
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos
 
13 00 N, 105 00 E
 
 
total: 181,035 sq km
country comparison to the world: 90
land: 176,515 sq km
water: 4,520 sq km
 
slightly smaller than Oklahoma
 
total: 2,572 km
border countries: Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km
 
443 km
 
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
 
tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation
 
mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north
 
lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m
highest point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 m
 
oil and gas, timber, gemstones, iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential
 
arable land: 22.09%
permanent crops: 0.86%
other: 77.05% (2011)
 
3,536 sq km (2006)
 
476.1 cu km (2011)
 
total: 2.18 cu km/yr (4%/2%/94%)
per capita: 159.8 cu m/yr (2006)
 
monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts
 
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
 
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, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
 
a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap (Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake)
 
 
People and Society ::Cambodia
 
noun: Cambodian(s)
adjective: Cambodian
 
Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4%
 
Khmer (official) 95%, French, English
 
Buddhist (official) 96.4%, Muslim 2.1%, other 1.3%, unspecified 0.2% (1998 census)
 
15,205,539 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
 
0-14 years: 31.7% (male 2,428,507/female 2,397,327)
15-24 years: 21.2% (male 1,597,990/female 1,627,161)
25-54 years: 38.2% (male 2,828,752/female 2,985,226)
55-64 years: 4.9% (male 287,073/female 464,991)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 221,356/female 367,156) (2013 est.)
 
total: 23.7 years
male: 23 years
female: 24.4 years (2013 est.)
 
1.67% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
 
24.88 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
 
7.88 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
 
-0.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
 
urban population: 20% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 3.2% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
 
PHNOM PENH (capital) 1.55 million (2011)
 
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.63 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
 
250 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 44
 
total: 52.7 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 37
male: 59.54 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 45.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
 
total population: 63.41 years
country comparison to the world: 179
male: 61.01 years
female: 65.93 years (2013 est.)
 
2.72 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
 
5.6% of GDP (2010)
country comparison to the world: 121
 
0.23 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
 
0.84 beds/1,000 population (2010)
 
improved:
urban: 87% of population
rural: 58% of population
total: 64% of population
unimproved:
urban: 13% of population
rural: 42% of population
total: 36% of population (2010 est.)
 
improved:
urban: 73% of population
rural: 20% of population
total: 31% of population
unimproved:
urban: 27% of population
rural: 80% of population
total: 69% of population (2010 est.)
 
0.5% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
 
63,000 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
 
3,100 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45
 
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
 
2.1% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 183
 
29% (2011)
country comparison to the world: 19
 
2.6% of GDP (2010)
country comparison to the world: 153
 
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 77.6%
male: 85.1%
female: 70.9% (2008 census)
 
total: 10 years
male: 10 years
female: 9 years (2007)
 
total: 3.4%
country comparison to the world: 137
male: 3.5%
female: 3.3% (2008)
 
 
Government ::Cambodia
 
conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia
conventional short form: Cambodia
local long form: Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea (phonetic pronunciation)
local short form: Kampuchea
former: Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, People's Republic of Kampuchea, State of Cambodia
 
multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy
 
name: Phnom Penh
geographic coordinates: 11 33 N, 104 55 E
time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
 
23 provinces (khett, singular and plural) and 1 municipality (krong, singular and plural)
provinces: Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Speu, Kampong Thom, Kampot, Kandal, Kep, Koh Kong, Kratie, Mondolkiri, Oddar Meanchey, Pailin, Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Pursat, Ratanakiri, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Stung Treng, Svay Rieng, Takeo
municipalities: Phnom Penh (Phnum Penh)
 
9 November 1953 (from France)
 
Independence Day, 9 November (1953)
 
promulgated 21 September 1993
 
civil law system (influenced by the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia) customary law, Communist legal theory, and common law
 
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
 
18 years of age; universal
 
chief of state: King Norodom SIHAMONI (since 29 October 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 14 January 1985) [co-prime minister from 1993 to 1997]; Permanent Deputy Prime Minister MEN SAM AN (since 25 September 2008); Deputy Prime Ministers SAR KHENG (since 3 February 1992); SOK AN, TEA BANH, HOR NAMHONG, NHEK BUNCHHAY (since 16 July 2004); BIN CHHIN (since 5 September 2007); KEAT CHHON, YIM CHHAI LY (since 24 September 2008); KE KIMYAN (since 12 March 2009)
cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch
(For more information visit the World Leaders website Opens in New Window)
elections: the king chosen by a Royal Throne Council from among all eligible males of royal descent; following legislative elections, a member of the majority party or majority coalition named prime minister by the Chairman of the National Assembly and appointed by the king
 
bicameral, consists of 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) and the National Assembly (123 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held on 4 February 2012 (next to be held in February 2018); National Assembly - last held on 27 July 2008 (next to be held on 28 July 2013)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - CPP 77.8%, SRP 22.2%; seats by party - CPP 46, SRP 11; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP 58%, SRP 22%, HRP 7%, NRP 6%, FUNCINPEC 5%, others 2%; seats by party - CPP 90, SRP 26, HRP 3, FUNCINPEC 2, NRP 2
 
Supreme Council of the Magistracy (provided for in the constitution and formed in December 1997); Supreme Court (and lower courts) exercises judicial authority
 

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 Hallo Mario
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