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.

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

slightly smaller than Oklahoma

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

oil and gas, timber, gemstones, iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential

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

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

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)

14,952,665 (July 2012 est.)

25.17 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

7.97 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

-0.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

PHNOM PENH (capital) 1.519 million (2009)

250 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

2.78 children born/woman (2012 est.)

0.227 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

0.1 beds/1,000 population (2004)

urban: 67% of population

rural: 18% of population

total: 29% of population

urban: 33% of population

rural: 82% of population

total: 71% of population

multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy

23 provinces (khett, singular and plural) and 1 municipality (krong, singular and plural)

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

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)

Supreme Council of the Magistracy (provided for in the constitution and formed in December 1997); Supreme Court (and lower courts) exercises judicial authority

Cambodian People's Party or CPP [CHEA SIM]; Cambodian National Rescue Party or NRP [SAM RANGSI also spelled SAM RAINSY]; National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia or FUNCINPEC [KEV PUT REAKSMEI]; Nationalist Party or NP former Norodom Ranariddh Party or NRP [SAO RANY]

Cambodian Freedom Fighters or CFF; Partnership for Transparency Fund or PTF (anti-corruption organization); Students Movement for Democracy; The Committee for Free and Fair Elections or Comfrel

ADB, ARF, ASEAN, CICA, CICA (observer), EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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; red and blue are traditional Cambodian colors

Angkor Wat temple; kouprey (wild ox)

Since 2004, garments, construction, agriculture, and tourism have driven Cambodia's growth. GDP climbed more than 6% per year between 2010 and 2012. The garment industry currently employs more than 335,000 people and accounts for more than 75% of Cambodia's total exports. In 2005, exploitable oil deposits were found beneath Cambodia's territorial waters, representing a potential revenue stream for the government, if commercial extraction becomes feasible. Mining also is attracting some investor interest and the government has touted opportunities for mining bauxite, gold, iron and gems. The tourism industry has continued to grow rapidly with foreign arrivals exceeding 2 million per year since 2007. Cambodia, nevertheless, remains one of the poorest countries in Asia and long-term economic development remains a daunting challenge, inhibited by endemic corruption, limited educational opportunities, high income inequality, and poor job prospects. Approximately 4 million people live on less than $1.25 per day and 37% of Cambodian children under the age of 5 suffer from chronic malnutrition. More than 50% of the population is less than 25 years old. The population lacks education and productive skills, particularly in the impoverished countryside, which also lacks basic infrastructure. The Cambodian government is working with bilateral and multilateral donors, including the World Bank and IMF, to address the country's many pressing needs; more than 50% of the government budget comes from donor assistance. 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.

$36.59 billion (2012 est.)

$34.37 billion (2011 est.)

$32.1 billion (2010 est.)

$14.25 billion (2012 est.)

8.8 million (2010 est.)

19.1% of GDP (2012 est.)

15.6% of GDP (2012 est.)

-5% of GDP (2012 est.)

NA% (31 December 2008)

5.25% (31 December 2007)

15.7% (31 December 2012 est.)

15.22% (31 December 2011 est.)

$1.094 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$965.8 million (31 December 2011 est.)

$5.695 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$5.037 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$3.689 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$3.115 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

rice, rubber, corn, vegetables, cashews, cassava (manioc), silk

-$1.508 billion (2012 est.)

-$1.158 billion (2011 est.)

$6.148 billion (2012 est.)

$6.018 billion (2011 est.)

clothing, timber, rubber, rice, fish, tobacco, footwear

US 39.5%, Canada 8.2%, Germany 7.8%, UK 7.5%, Vietnam 6%, Japan 4.3% (2011)

$8.84 billion (2012 est.)

$8.213 billion (2011 est.)

petroleum products, cigarettes, gold, construction materials, machinery, motor vehicles, pharmaceutical products

Thailand 24.6%, Vietnam 20.6%, China 19.9%, Singapore 7.8%, Hong Kong 6% (2011)

$3.732 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$4.069 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$5.071 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$5.03 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

riels (KHR) per US dollar -

1.137 billion kWh (2009 est.)

1.759 billion kWh (2009 est.)

842 million kWh (2009 est.)

390,900 kW (2009 est.)

95.2% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

3.3% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

1.5% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

39,350 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

34,340 bbl/day (2008 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

3.59 million Mt (2010 est.)

13.757 million (2011)

mixture of state-owned, joint public-private, and privately-owned broadcast media; 9 TV broadcast stations with most operating on multiple channels, including 1 state-operated station broadcasting from multiple locations, 6 stations either jointly operated or privately-owned with some broadcasting from several locations, and 2 TV relay stations - one relaying a French TV station and the other relaying a Vietnamese TV station; multi-channel cable and satellite systems are available; roughly 50 radio broadcast stations - 1 state-owned broadcaster with multiple stations and a large mixture of public and private broadcasters; several international broadcasters are available (2009)

3,700 km (mainly on Mekong River) (2012)

Phnom Penh, Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville)

Royal Cambodian Armed Forces: Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Khmer Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force (2011)

conscription law of October 2006 requires all males between 18-30 to register for military service; 18-month service obligation (2006)

3% of GDP (2005 est.)

Cambodia is concerned about Laos' extensive upstream dam construction; Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of boundary; in 2011 Thailand and Cambodia resorted to arms in the dispute over the location of the boundary on the precipice surmounted by Preah Vihear temple ruins, awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962 and part of a planned UN World Heritage site; Cambodia accuses Vietnam of a wide variety of illicit cross-border activities; progress on a joint development area with Vietnam is hampered by an unresolved dispute over sovereignty of offshore islands

narcotics-related corruption reportedly involving some in the government, military, and police; limited methamphetamine production; vulnerable to money laundering due to its cash-based economy and porous borders