Cambodia overview
Geography
Cambodia is one of the ten nations of Southeast Asia and part of mainland Southeast Asia. It is bordered on the north by Laos and Thailand, on the west by Thailand, and on the east by Vietnam. Its geographic area is 181,040 square kilometers and it has a coastline on the Gulf of Thailand of 443 kilometers. The Mekong River flows directly through the country from north to south, eventually flowing into the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Cambodia's largest city and capital, Phnom Penh, is on the Mekong River. The other major cities in Cambodia are Battambang, Siem Reap (the gateway to Angkor Wat), and Kompong Som (Sihanoukville), Cambodia's major port.
Population
Cambodia's population was 13.4 million in 2008. The current population growth rate is a relatively high 2.25 percent. If this population rate were to continue, the country's population would double to approximately 25 million by the year 2033. The average Cambodian woman has 4.74 children.
With such a high fertility rate and the loss of much of the adult population through the prolonged civil war, the Cambodian population is extremely young. Around 41.25 percent of the population is less than 15 years of age, and only 3.47 percent of the population is over 65. Unlike many other Southeast Asian countries such as Laos, Burma, Indonesia, and the Philippines, the Cambodian population is relatively homogenous. Approximately 90 percent of the population is Khmer, with 5 percent Vietnamese, 1 percent Chinese, and 4 percent other (Cham, Lao, Tai, and various hill peoples in northeastern areas such as Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri). Khmer is also the official language.
Politics and government
• Independence: November 9, 1953.
• Type: Multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy.
• Administrative subdivisions: 20 provinces and 4 municipalities.
• Constitution: September 24, 1993; amended March 6, 1999 and March 2, 2006.
• Branches:Executive--King Sihamoni (head of state since October 29, 2004), prime minister (Hun Sen since January 14, 1985), nine deputy prime ministers, 15 senior ministers, 26 ministers, 198 secretaries of state, and 205 undersecretaries of state. Legislative-National Assembly, consisting of 123 elected members; Senate, consisting of 61 members. Judicial--Supreme Court and lower courts.
• Political parties and leaders:
Ruling parties--A coalition government of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP), led by Samdech Chea Sim; the National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC), led by Keo Puth Reasmey; and the Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP), led by You Hockry.
Opposition parties--The Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), led by Sam Rainsy; Human Rights Party, led by Khem Sokha.
PM: Cambodian economy in good shape despite global financial crisis
PHNOM PENH, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian economy is in good shape, though it has been affected by the global financial crisis, Prime Minister Hun Sen told the Third Cambodia Economic Forum hereon Thursday.
Kep developments take off
New investments from both the private and public sector are rebuilding the sleepy coastal town of Kep as one of Cambodia's premier tourism getaways
Cambodia's Coastal Revival
In Cambodia, where a decade-long tourism boom has been driven almost entirely by safe and easy access to the ancient Angkor Wat temples, the rebirth of a seaside resort town is helping to lure visitors to the country's long-neglected coastline.
