2015 Edition

Background

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 cease-fire, 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. The most recent local (Commune Council) elections were held in Cambodia in 2012, with little of the preelection violence that preceded prior elections. National elections in July 2013 were disputed, with the opposition - the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) - boycotting the National Assembly. The political impasse was ended nearly a year later, with the CNRP agreeing to enter parliament in exchange for ruling party commitments to electoral and legislative reforms.

Area

land

176,515 sq km

total

181,035 sq km

water

4,520 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Oklahoma

Climate

tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

443 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Phnum Aoral 1,810 m

lowest point

Gulf of Thailand 0 m

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

159.8 cu m/yr (2006)

total

2.18 cu km/yr (4%/2%/94%)

Geographic coordinates

13 00 N, 105 00 E

Geography - note

a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap (Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake)

Irrigated land

3,536 sq km (2006)

Land boundaries

border countries (3)

Laos 555 km, Thailand 817 km, Vietnam 1,158 km

total

2,530 km

Land use

arable land 22.7%; permanent crops 0.9%; permanent pasture 8.5%

agricultural land

32.1%

forest

56.5%

other

11.4% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts

Natural resources

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

Terrain

mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north

Total renewable water resources

476.1 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

31.43% (male 2,489,964/female 2,447,645)

15-24 years

19.71% (male 1,532,016/female 1,564,240)

25-54 years

39.61% (male 3,043,676/female 3,178,825)

55-64 years

5.2% (male 315,741/female 501,544)

65 years and over

4.04% (male 238,840/female 396,265) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

23.83 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

percentage

39% (2001 est.)

total number

1,345,269

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

29% (2011)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

50.5% (2010/11)

Death rate

7.68 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

6.4%

potential support ratio

15.6% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

55.6%

youth dependency ratio

49.2%

Drinking water source

urban: 100% of population

rural: 69.1% of population

total: 75.5% of population

urban: 0% of population

rural: 30.9% of population

total: 24.5% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

2.6% of GDP (2010)

Ethnic groups

Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4%

Health expenditures

7.5% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.64% (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

2,600 (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

74,600 (2014 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

female

43.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

56.69 deaths/1,000 live births

total

50.04 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Khmer (official) 96.3%, other 3.7% (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

66.7 years (2015 est.)

male

61.69 years

total population

64.14 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

70.5% (2015 est.)

male

84.5%

total population

77.2%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

very high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

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 (2013)

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria

Major urban areas - population

PHNOM PENH (capital) 1.731 million (2015)

Median age

female

25.2 years (2015 est.)

male

23.8 years

total

24.5 years

Nationality

adjective

Cambodian

noun

Cambodian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

2.9% (2014)

Physicians density

0.17 physicians/1,000 population (2012)

Population

15,708,756

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 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

1.58% (2015 est.)

Religions

Buddhist (official) 96.9%, Muslim 1.9%, Christian 0.4%, other 0.8% (2008 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 88.1% of population

rural: 30.5% of population

total: 42.4% of population

urban: 11.9% of population

rural: 69.5% of population

total: 57.6% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

10 years (2008)

male

12 years

total

11 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years

0.98 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.96 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.63 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.6 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.6 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

3.3% (2008 est.)

male

3.5%

total

3.4%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.65% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

20.7% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

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

municipalities

Phnom Penh (Phnum Penh)

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, Tbong Khmum

Capital

geographic coordinates

11 33 N, 104 55 E

name

Phnom Penh

time difference

UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

previous 1947; latest promulgated 21 September 1993; amended 1999, 2008; last in 2014 (2015)

Country name

conventional long form

Kingdom of Cambodia

conventional short form

Cambodia

former

Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, People's Republic of Kampuchea, State of Cambodia

local long form

Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea (phonetic pronunciation)

local short form

Kampuchea

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador William E. TODD (since 17 April 2012)

FAX

[855] (23) 728-600

mailing address

Unit 8166, Box P, APO AP 96546

telephone

[855] (23) 728-000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

4530 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011

chief of mission

Ambassador CHUM Bun Rong (since 3 August 2015)

consulate(s) general

Lowell (MA)

FAX

[1] (202) 726-8381

telephone

[1] (202) 726-7742

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch

chief of state

King Norodom SIHAMONI (since 29 October 2004)

elections/appointments

monarch chosen by the 9-member, Royal Council of the Throne 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 monarch

head of government

Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 14 January 1985); 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 (all 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)

Flag description

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

note

only national flag to incorporate an actual building into its design

Government type

multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy

Independence

9 November 1953 (from France)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

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, MINUSMA, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court (organized into 5- and 9-judge panels and includes a court chief and deputy chief); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members); note - in 1997, the Cambodian Government requested UN assistance in establishing trials to prosecute former Khmer Rouge senior leaders for crimes against humanity committed during the 1975-1979 Khmer Rouge regime; the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts in Cambodia were established and began hearings for the first case in 2009

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judge candidates recommended by the Supreme Council of Magistracy, a 9-member body chaired by the monarch and includes other high-level judicial officers; judges of both courts appointed by the monarch; Supreme Court judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed for 9-year terms with one-third of the court renewed every 3 years

subordinate courts

municipal and provincial courts; appellate courts; military court

Legal system

civil law system (influenced by the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia) customary law, Communist legal theory, and common law

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament of Cambodia consists of the Senate (61 seats; 57 indirectly elected by parliamentarians and commune councils, 2 indirectly elected by the National Assembly, and 2 appointed by the monarch; members serve 6-year terms) and the National Assembly (123 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

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 48.8%, CNRP 44.5%, FUNCINPEC 3.9%, other 2.8%; seats by party - CPP 68, CNRP 55

elections

Senate - last held on 4 February 2012 (next to be held in February 2018); National Assembly - last held on 28 July 2013 (next to be held in July 2018)

note

two seats will be added to the National Assembly in 2018, for a total of 125

National anthem

lyrics/music

CHUON NAT/F. PERRUCHOT and J. JEKYLL

name

"Nokoreach" (Royal Kingdom)

note

adopted 1941, restored 1993; the anthem, based on a Cambodian folk tune, was restored after the defeat of the Communist regime

National holiday

Independence Day, 9 November (1953)

National symbol(s)

Angkor Wat temple, kouprey (wild ox); national colors: red, blue

Political parties and leaders

Cambodian National Rescue Party or CNRP [SAM RANGSI also spelled SAM RAINSY] , a July 2012 merger between the Sam Rangsi Party or SRP and the former Human Rights Party or HRP [KHEM SOKHA, also spelled KEM SOKHA]

Cambodian People's Party or CPP [CHEA SIM]

National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia or FUNCINPEC [NORODOM RANARIDDH]

Nationalist Party or NP former Norodom Ranariddh Party or NRP [SAO RANY]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Partnership for Transparency Fund or PTF (anti-corruption organization)

Students Movement for Democracy

The Committee for Free and Fair Elections or Comfrel

other

human rights organizations; vendors

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

expenditures

$3.386 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$2.673 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-4.2% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

NA% (31 December 2012)

5.25% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

12.6% (31 December 2014 est.)

12.8% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$1.853 billion (2014 est.)

-$1.639 billion (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$5.631 billion (2014 est.)

$5.124 billion (2013 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

37.9 (2008 est.)

41.9 (2004 est.)

Economy - overview

Cambodia has experienced strong economic growth over the last decade. Cambodian GDP grew at an average annual rate of over 8% between 2000 and 2010 and over 7% since 2011. The tourism, garment, construction and real estate, and agriculture sectors accounted for the bulk of growth. Around 600,000 people, the majority of whom are women, are employed in the garment and footwear sector. An additional 500,000 Cambodians are employed in the tourism sector, and a further 50,000 people in construction. 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. Some of the deposits are located within the so-called overlapping claimed areas with Thailand. However, an unresolved border dispute with Thailand has so far prevented development in those areas. 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 and reaching around 4.5 million visitors in 2014. 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. As of 2012, approximately 2.66 million people live on less than $1.20 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 has been working with bilateral and multilateral donors, including the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and IMF, to address the country's many pressing needs; more than 30% of the government budget comes from donor assistance. A 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. Following the 2013 national elections, the government announced a variety of economic and business reforms. The government is also moving forward with new legislation to meet the 2015 deadline for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Community.

Exchange rates

riels (KHR) per US dollar -

4,075 (2014 est.)

3,995 (2013 est.)

4,033 (2012 est.)

4,058.5 (2011 est.)

4,184.9 (2010 est.)

Exports

$7.569 billion (2014 est.)

$6.89 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

US 24.1%, UK 8.7%, Germany 8.1%, Canada 7%, Japan 6.5%, Vietnam 5.3%, Thailand 5%, Netherlands 4.6%, China 4.1% (2014)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

60.8%

government consumption

7.3%

household consumption

77%

imports of goods and services

-65%

investment in fixed capital

18.4%

investment in inventories

1.5%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

32.7%

industry

25.5%

services

41.8% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$3,300 (2014 est.)

$3,100 (2013 est.)

$2,800 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

7% (2014 est.)

7.4% (2013 est.)

7.3% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$16.55 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$49.96 billion (2014 est.)

$46.71 billion (2013 est.)

$43.48 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

11.2% of GDP (2014 est.)

11.3% of GDP (2013 est.)

12.5% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

28% (2013 est.)

lowest 10%

2%

Imports

$10.58 billion (2014 est.)

$9.489 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Thailand 28.1%, China 20.6%, Vietnam 16.8%, Singapore 7%, Hong Kong 5.7%, South Korea 4.1% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

9.6% (2014 est.)

Industries

tourism, garments, construction, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.2% (2014 est.)

4.6% (2013 est.)

Labor force

7.974 million (2013 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

48.7%

industry

19.9%

services

31.5% (2013 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

17.7% (2012 est.)

Public debt

33.9% of GDP (2014 est.)

33.4% of GDP (2013 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$5.801 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$4.995 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of broad money

$9.918 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$8.236 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$29.17 billion (2014 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$7.37 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$6.184 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$1.354 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.194 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

15.8% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

0.3% (2013 est.)

0.2% (2012 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

6.5 million Mt (2013 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - production

0.5 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)

Electricity - consumption

3.553 billion kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

32.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

57.4% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

10% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - imports

2.282 billion kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

949,000 kW (2013 est.)

Electricity - production

1.77 billion kWh (2013 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

47,490 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

26,250 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Broadcast media

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)

Internet country code

.kh

Internet users

percent of population

5.4% (2014 est.)

total

831,700

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 50, shortwave NA (2008)

Telephone system

domestic

fixed-line connections stand at about 4 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage, aided by competition among service providers, is increasing rapidly and stands at 92 per 100 persons

general assessment

adequate fixed-line and/or cellular service in Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; mobile-cellular phone systems are widely used in urban areas to bypass deficiencies in the fixed-line network; mobile-phone coverage is rapidly expanding in rural areas

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) (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

3 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

440,000

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

155 (2014 est.)

total

23.9 million

Television broadcast stations

9 (2009)

Airports

16 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

2

2,438 to 3,047 m

3

914 to 1,523 m

1 (2013)

total

6

Airports - with unpaved runways

1 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

2

914 to 1,523 m

7

total

10

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 38, cargo 459, carrier 7, chemical tanker 4, container 4, liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 8, refrigerated cargo 11, roll on/roll off 4, vehicle carrier 1

foreign-owned

352 (Belgium 1, Canada 2, China 177, Cyprus 4, Egypt 4, Estonia 1, French Polynesia 1, Gabon 1, Greece 2, Hong Kong 10, Indonesia 2, Ireland 1, Japan 1, Lebanon 5, Russia 50, Singapore 3, South Korea 10, Syria 22, Taiwan 1, Turkey 15, UAE 2, UK 1, Ukraine 35, Vietnam 1) (2010)

total

544

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Sihanoukville (Kampong Saom)

river port(s)

Phnom Penh (Mekong)

Railways

narrow gauge

642 km 1.000-m gauge

note

under restoration (2014)

total

642 km

Roadways

paved

3,607 km

total

44,709 km

unpaved

41,102 km (2010)

Waterways

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

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

4,003,585 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

3,883,724

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

2,965,328 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

2,638,167

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

154,542 (2010 est.)

male

151,143

Military branches

Royal Cambodian Armed Forces: Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Khmer Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force (2013)

Military expenditures

2% of GDP (2015 est.)

1.8% of GDP (2014)

1.58% of GDP (2013)

1.54% of GDP (2012)

1.5% of GDP (2011)

Military service age and obligation

18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2012)

Disputes - international

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 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

Illicit drugs

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

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Cambodia is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Cambodian men, women, and children migrate to countries within the region and, increasingly, Africa for legitimate work but are subsequently subjected to sex trafficking, domestic servitude, debt bondage, or forced labor, often in the fishing industry; poor Cambodian children are subject to forced labor, including domestic servitude and forced begging, in Thailand and Vietnam; Cambodian and ethnic Vietnamese women and girls are trafficked from rural areas to urban centers for sexual exploitation; Cambodian men are the main exploiters of child prostitutes, but men from other Asian countries, the US, and Europe travel to Cambodia for child sex tourism

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List - Cambodia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2013, the government drafted and implemented a pilot program to test a standardized, nationwide system for identifying victims of vulnerable groups; authorities prosecuted and convicted fewer trafficking offenders and identified fewer victims than in the previous year; corruption continued to impede anti-trafficking endeavors; victims were systematically referred to NGO shelters, which provide the majority of services to those in need, but the lack of available long-term care made victims, particularly children, vulnerable to re-trafficking; efforts to punish fraudulent labor recruiters declined (2014)