In 1940 the Japanese government, after negotiating a treaty of
friendship with Thailand, sought special concessions in Indochina
from the French colonial authorities. The Vichy administration in
Hanoi, under pressure from the German government, signed an
agreement with Tokyo that permitted the movement of Japanese troops
through the transportation hubs of Indochina.
Thailand subsequently sought to take advantage of both its
friendship with Tokyo and French military weakness in the region by
launching an invasion of Cambodia's western provinces. Although the
French suffered a series of land defeats in the skirmishes that
followed, a unique twist in the confrontation came from a naval
battle that ensued near the Thai island of Ko Chang. A small French
naval force intercepted a Thai battle fleet, en route to attack
Saigon, and sank two battleships and other light craft. The
Japanese then intervened and arranged a treaty, signed in Tokyo in
March 1941, compelling the French to concede to Thailand the
provinces of Batdambang, Siemreab, and parts of Kampong Thum and
Stoeng Treng. Cambodia thus lost one-third of its territory and
nearly half a million citizens.
The Japanese, while leaving the Vichy colonial government
nominally in charge throughout Indochina, established in Cambodia
a garrison that numbered 8,000 troops by August 1941. Preservation
of order on a day-to-day basis, however, continued to be the
responsibility of the colonial authorities, who were permitted to
retain the constabulary and the light infantry battalion. These
forces were sufficient to quell the first stirrings of
nationalistic unrest in 1941 and in 1942.
Anti-French agitation assumed a more overt form, in July 1942,
when early nationalist leaders Pach Chhoeun and Son Ngoc Thanh
organized a demonstration in Phnom Penh over an obscure incident
involving Cambodian military personnel. In this occurrence, a monk
named Hem Chieu attempted to subvert some Khmer military personnel
by involving them in vague coup plotting against the colonial
administration. The plot was discovered, and the monk was arrested;
Chhoeun and Thanh, believing they had tacit Japanese support,
staged a march on the French residency by some 2,000 people, many
of them monks. The repressive reaction by the colonial authorities
resulted in many injuries and in mass arrests. Although the
Japanese failed to support Thanh as he had expected, they spirited
him away to Japan, where he was trained for the next three years
and was commissioned a captain in the Japanese army. Chhoeun was
arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment.
On March 9, 1945, Japanese forces in Indochina, including those
in Cambodia, overthrew the French colonial administration; and, in
a bid to revive the flagging support of local populations for
Tokyo's war effort, they encouraged indigenous rulers to proclaim
independence
(see The Emergence of Nationalism
, ch. 1). During this
period of Japanese-sponsored independence, the fate of the
constabulary and of the light infantry battalion remained
uncertain. The battalion apparently was demobilized for the most
part, while the constabulary remained in place but was reduced to
ineffectuality. Presumably both forces were leaderless because
their French officers were interned by the Japanese for the
remainder of the war.
Tokyo, however, did not plan to leave the Indochinese countries
without a military force following the March 9 coup. Plans had been
prepared for the creation of 5 volunteer units of 1,000 troops
each. There was no thought that such a native force would fight
alongside Japanese troops, but rather that it would be used to
preserve public order and internal security. It was intended that
recruitment of indigenous personnel for the volunteer units would
be through physical and written exams. Before the plan could be
implemented in Cambodia, however, the war ended, and the concept
died without further action.
The conclusion of World War II caused considerable turmoil in
Cambodia: a defeated Japanese military contingent waited to be
disarmed and repatriated; French nationals newly released from
internment sought to resume their prewar existence; diverse Allied
military units returned to Phnom Penh to reimpose a colonial
administration. In the countryside there were two sources of
unrest. On the western fringes of the country, the Khmer Issarak
(see Appendix B), nationalist insurgents
with Thai backing, declared their opposition to a French return to power
in Cambodia, proclaimed a government-in-exile, and established a base in
Batdambang Province
(see fig. 1). On the eastern frontier, the
Vietnamese communist forces, or Viet Minh
(see Appendix B) infiltrated
the Cambodian border provinces, organized a "Khmer People's Liberation Army"
(not to be confused with the later Cambodian force, the Kampuchean
(or Khmer) People's National Liberation Armed Forces
[KPNLAF--see Appendix B], which is
sometimes called the Khmer People's National Liberation Army), and
began seeking a united front with the Khmer Issarak.
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 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 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. 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, and there was little in the way of pre-election violence that preceded prior elections. National elections in July 2008 were relatively peaceful.
|
Location | | Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos
|
Area(sq km) | | total: 181,035 sq km land: 176,515 sq km water: 4,520 sq km
|
Geographic coordinates | | 13 00 N, 105 00 E
|
Land boundaries(km) | | total: 2,572 km border countries: Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km
|
Coastline(km) | | 443 km
|
Climate | | tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation
|
Elevation extremes(m) | | lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m highest point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 m
|
Natural resources | | oil and gas, timber, gemstones, iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential
|
Land use(%) | | arable land: 20.44% permanent crops: 0.59% other: 78.97% (2005)
|
Irrigated land(sq km) | | 2,700 sq km (2003)
|
Total renewable water resources(cu km) | | 476.1 cu km (1999)
|
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) | | total: 4.08 cu km/yr (1%/0%/98%) per capita: 290 cu m/yr (2000)
|
Natural hazards | | monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts
|
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
|
Geography - note | | a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap
|
Population | | 14,494,293 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 2009 est.)
|
Age structure(%) | | 0-14 years: 32.6% (male 2,388,922/female 2,336,439) 15-64 years: 63.8% (male 4,498,568/female 4,743,677) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 197,649/female 329,038) (2009 est.)
|
Median age(years) | | total: 22.1 years male: 21.4 years female: 22.8 years (2009 est.)
|
Population growth rate(%) | | 1.765% (2009 est.)
|
Birth rate(births/1,000 population) | | 25.73 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
|
Death rate(deaths/1,000 population) | | 8.08 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
|
Net migration rate(migrant(s)/1,000 population) | | NA
|
Urbanization(%) | | urban population: 22% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 4.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
|
Sex ratio(male(s)/female) | | at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
|
Infant mortality rate(deaths/1,000 live births) | | total: 54.79 deaths/1,000 live births male: 61.84 deaths/1,000 live births female: 47.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
|
Life expectancy at birth(years) | | total population: 62.1 years male: 60.03 years female: 64.27 years (2009 est.)
|
Total fertility rate(children born/woman) | | 3.04 children born/woman (2009 est.)
|
Nationality | | noun: Cambodian(s) adjective: Cambodian
|
Ethnic groups(%) | | Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4%
|
Religions(%) | | Buddhist 96.4%, Muslim 2.1%, other 1.3%, unspecified 0.2% (1998 census)
|
Languages(%) | | Khmer (official) 95%, French, English
|
Country name | | 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
|
Government type | | multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy
|
Capital | | name: Phnom Penh geographic coordinates: 11 33 N, 104 55 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
|
Administrative divisions | | 23 provinces (khett, singular and plural) and 1 municipality (krong, singular and plural) provinces: Banteay Mean Cheay, Batdambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum, Kampot, Kandal, Kaoh Kong, Keb, Krachen, Mondol Kiri, Otdar Mean Cheay, Pailin, Pouthisat, Preah Seihanu (Sihanoukville), Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Rotanah Kiri, Siem Reab, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev municipalities: Phnum Penh (Phnom Penh)
|
Constitution | | promulgated 21 September 1993
|
Legal system | | 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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
|
Suffrage | | 18 years of age; universal
|
Executive branch | | 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 elections: the king is 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 is named prime minister by the Chairman of the National Assembly and appointed by the king
|
Legislative branch | | 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 22 January 2006 (next to be held in January 2011); National Assembly - last held 27 July 2008 (next to be held in July 2013) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - CPP 69%, FUNCINPEC 21%, SRP 10%; seats by party - CPP 45, FUNCINPEC 10, SRP 2; 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
|
Judicial branch | | Supreme Council of the Magistracy (provided for in the constitution and formed in December 1997); Supreme Court (and lower courts) exercises judicial authority
|
Political pressure groups and leaders | | 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 other: human rights organizations; vendors
|
International organization participation | | ACCT, ADB, APT, ARF, 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, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
|
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 note: only national flag to incorporate an actual building in its design
|
Economy - overview | | From 2004 to 2007, the economy grew about 10% per year, driven largely by an expansion in the garment sector, construction, agriculture, and tourism. Growth dropped to below 7% in 2008 as a result of the global economic slowdown. With the January 2005 expiration of a WTO Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, Cambodian textile producers were forced to compete directly with lower-priced countries such as China, India, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. The garment industry currently employs more than 320,000 people and contributes more than 85% of Cambodia's exports. In 2005, exploitable oil deposits were found beneath Cambodia's territorial waters, representing a new revenue stream for the government if commercial extraction begins. Mining also is attracting significant investor interest, particularly in the northern parts of the country. The government has said opportunities exist for mining bauxite, gold, iron and gems. In 2006, a US-Cambodia bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) was signed, and several rounds of discussions have been held since 2007. The tourism industry has continued to grow rapidly, with foreign arrivals exceeding 2 million per year in 2007-08, however, economic troubles abroad will dampen growth in 2009. Rubber exports declined more than 15% in 2008 due to falling world market prices. The global financial crisis is weakening demand for Cambodian exports, and construction is declining due to a shortage of credit. The long-term development of the economy remains a daunting challenge. The Cambodian government is working with bilateral and multilateral donors, including the World Bank and IMF, to address the country's many pressing needs. 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 less than 21 years old. The population lacks education and productive skills, particularly in the poverty-ridden countryside, which suffers from an almost total lack of basic infrastructure.
|
GDP (purchasing power parity) | | $28.01 billion (2008 est.) $26.67 billion (2007 est.) $24.2 billion (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars
|
GDP (official exchange rate) | | $11.25 billion (2008 est.)
|
GDP - real growth rate(%) | | 5% (2008 est.) 10.2% (2007 est.) 10.8% (2006 est.)
|
GDP - per capita (PPP) | | $2,000 (2008 est.) $1,900 (2007 est.) $1,800 (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars
|
GDP - composition by sector(%) | | agriculture: 29% industry: 30% services: 41% (2007 est.)
|
Labor force | | 8.6 million (2008 est.)
|
Labor force - by occupation(%) | | agriculture: 75% industry: NA% services: NA% (2004 est.)
|
Unemployment rate(%) | | 3.5% (2007 est.) 2.5% (2000 est.)
|
Population below poverty line(%) | | 35% (2004)
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share(%) | | lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 34.2% (2007)
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index | | 43 (2007 est.) 40 (2004 est.)
|
Investment (gross fixed)(% of GDP) | | 22.4% of GDP (2008 est.)
|
Budget | | revenues: $1.274 billion expenditures: $1.592 billion (2008 est.)
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices)(%) | | 25% (2008 est.) 5.9% (2007 est.)
|
Stock of money | | $591.7 million (31 December 2008) $513.6 million (31 December 2007)
|
Stock of quasi money | | $2.328 billion (31 December 2008) $2.309 billion (31 December 2007)
|
Stock of domestic credit | | $1.67 billion (31 December 2008) $1.131 billion (31 December 2007)
|
Market value of publicly traded shares | | $NA
|
Economic aid - recipient | | $698.2 million pledged in grants and concession loans for 2007 by international donors (2007)
|
Agriculture - products | | rice, rubber, corn, vegetables, cashews, tapioca, silk
|
Industries | | tourism, garments, construction, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles
|
Industrial production growth rate(%) | | 8% (2008 est.)
|
Current account balance | | -$1.06 billion (2008 est.) -$506.3 million (2007 est.)
|
Exports | | $4.708 billion (2008 est.) $4.089 billion (2007 est.)
|
Exports - commodities(%) | | clothing, timber, rubber, rice, fish, tobacco, footwear
|
Exports - partners(%) | | US 54.4%, Germany 7.7%, Canada 5.9%, UK 5.5%, Vietnam 4.5% (2008)
|
Imports | | $6.534 billion (2008 est.) $5.424 billion (2007 est.)
|
Imports - commodities(%) | | petroleum products, cigarettes, gold, construction materials, machinery, motor vehicles, pharmaceutical products
|
Imports - partners(%) | | Thailand 26.8%, Vietnam 19%, China 14.5%, Hong Kong 8.1%, Singapore 6.9% (2008)
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | | $2.641 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $2.143 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
|
Debt - external | | $4.127 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $3.89 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
|
Exchange rates | | riels (KHR) per US dollar - 4,070.94 (2008 est.), 4,006 (2007), 4,103 (2006), 4,092.5 (2005), 4,016.25 (2004)
|
Currency (code) | | riel (KHR)
|
Telephones - main lines in use | | 45,100 (2008)
|
Telephones - mobile cellular | | 4.237 million (2008)
|
Telephone system | | general assessment: mobile-phone systems are widely used in urban areas to bypass deficiencies in the fixed-line network; fixed-line connections stand at well less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage, aided by increasing competition among service providers, is increasing and stands at 30 per 100 persons domestic: adequate landline and/or cellular service in Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; 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) (2008)
|
Internet country code | | .kh
|
Internet users | | 74,000 (2008)
|
Airports | | 17 (2009)
|
Roadways(km) | | total: 38,093 km paved: 2,977 km unpaved: 35,116 km (2007)
|
Ports and terminals | | Phnom Penh, Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville)
|
Military branches | | Royal Cambodian Armed Forces: Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Khmer Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force (2009)
|
Military service age and obligation(years of age) | | conscription law of October 2006 requires all males between 18-30 to register for military service; 18-month service obligation (2006)
|
Manpower available for military service | | males age 16-49: 3,759,034 females age 16-49: 3,784,333 (2008 est.)
|
Manpower fit for military service | | males age 16-49: 2,673,383 females age 16-49: 2,763,256 (2009 est.)
|
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually | | male: 177,881 female: 175,332 (2009 est.)
|
Military expenditures(% of GDP) | | 3% of GDP (2005 est.)
|
Disputes - international | | Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of boundary with missing boundary markers and claims of Thai encroachments into Cambodian territory; maritime boundary with Vietnam is hampered by unresolved dispute over sovereignty of offshore islands; Thailand accuses Cambodia of obstructing inclusion of Thai areas near Preah Vihear temple ruins, awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962, as part of a planned UN World Heritage site
|
Electricity - production(kWh) | | 1.273 billion kWh (2007 est.)
|
Electricity - production by source(%) | | fossil fuel: 65% hydro: 35% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
|
Electricity - consumption(kWh) | | 1.272 billion kWh (2007 est.)
|
Electricity - exports(kWh) | | 0 kWh (2008 est.)
|
Electricity - imports(kWh) | | 167 million kWh (2007 est.)
|
Oil - production(bbl/day) | | 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
Oil - consumption(bbl/day) | | 4,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
Oil - exports(bbl/day) | | 0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
|
Oil - imports(bbl/day) | | 30,970 bbl/day (2007 est.)
|
Oil - proved reserves(bbl) | | 0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
|
Natural gas - production(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008 est.)
|
Natural gas - consumption(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008 est.)
|
Natural gas - exports(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008)
|
Natural gas - proved reserves(cu m) | | 0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate(%) | | 0.8% (2007 est.)
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | | 75,000 (2007 est.)
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths | | 6,900 (2007 est.)
|
Major infectious diseases | | 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)
|
Literacy(%) | | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 73.6% male: 84.7% female: 64.1% (2004 est.)
|
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)(years) | | total: 10 years male: 10 years female: 9 years (2006)
|
Education expenditures(% of GDP) | | 1.7% of GDP (2004)
|