Belgium (2001) | Cambodia (2001) | |
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Administrative divisions | 10 provinces (French: provinces, singular - province; Flemish: provincien, singular - provincie); Antwerpen, Brabant Wallon, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, Vlaams Brabant, West-Vlaanderen; note - the Brussels Capitol Region is not included within the 10 provinces | 20 provinces (khett, singular and plural) and 4 municipalities* (krong, singular and plural); Banteay Mean Cheay, Batdambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum, Kampot, Kandal, Kaoh Kong, Keb*, Kracheh, Mondol Kiri, Otdar Mean Cheay, Pailin*, Phnum Penh*, Pouthisat, Preah Seihanu* (Sihanoukville), Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Rotanah Kiri, Siem Reab, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
17.48% (male 916,957; female 876,029) 15-64 years: 65.57% (male 3,390,145; female 3,336,908) 65 years and over: 16.95% (male 709,212; female 1,029,511) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years:
41.25% (male 2,626,821; female 2,526,510) 15-64 years: 55.28% (male 3,253,611; female 3,651,129) 65 years and over: 3.47% (male 177,577; female 255,853) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk | rice, rubber, corn, vegetables |
Airports | 42 (2000 est.) | 19 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
24 over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 6 (2000 est.) |
total:
6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
18 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 16 (2000 est.) |
total:
13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 11 (2000 est.) |
Area | total:
30,510 sq km land: 30,230 sq km water: 280 sq km |
total:
181,040 sq km land: 176,520 sq km water: 4,520 sq km |
Area - comparative | about the size of Maryland | slightly smaller than Oklahoma |
Background | Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830 and was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. It has prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Tensions between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy. | Following a five-year struggle, communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh in 1975 and ordered the evacuation of all cities and towns; over 1 million displaced people died from execution or enforced hardships. A 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside and touched off 13 years of fighting. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normalcy, as did the rapid diminishment of the Khmer Rouge in the mid-1990s. A coalition government, formed after national elections in 1998, brought renewed political stability and the surrender of remaining Khmer Rouge forces. |
Birth rate | 10.74 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 33.16 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$114.8 billion expenditures: $117 billion, including capital expenditures of $7.6 billion (1999) |
revenues:
$363 million expenditures: $532 million, including capital expenditures of $225 million (2000 est.) |
Capital | Brussels | Phnom Penh |
Climate | temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy | tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 66 km | 443 km |
Constitution | 7 February 1831, last revised 14 July 1993; parliament approved a constitutional package creating a federal state | promulgated 21 September 1993 |
Country name | conventional long form:
Kingdom of Belgium conventional short form: Belgium local long form: Royaume de Belgique/Koninkrijk Belgie local short form: Belgique/Belgie |
conventional long form:
Kingdom of Cambodia conventional short form: Cambodia local long form: Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea local short form: Kampuchea former: Khmer Republic, Kampuchea Republic |
Currency | Belgian franc (BEF); euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced the euro as a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in Belgium at a fixed rate of 40.3399 Belgian francs per euro and will replace the local currency for all transactions in 2002 |
riel (KHR) |
Death rate | 10.1 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 10.65 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $28.3 billion (1999 est.) | $829 million (1999 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant) embassy: 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels mailing address: PSC 82, Box 002, APO AE 09710 telephone: [32] (2) 508-2111 FAX: [32] (2) 511-2725 |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Kent M. WIEDEMANN embassy: 16-18 Mongkol lem St. 228, Phnom Penh mailing address: Box P, APO AP 96546 telephone: [855] (23) 216-436 FAX: [855] (23) 216-437 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Alexis REYN chancery: 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 333-6900 FAX: [1] (202) 333-3079 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Roland ENG chancery: 4500 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-7742 FAX: [1] (202) 726-8381 |
Disputes - international | none | portions of boundary with Vietnam are disputed; parts of border with Thailand are indefinite |
Economic aid - donor | ODA, $764 million (1997) | - |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $548 million pledged in grants and concessional loans for 2001 by international donors |
Economy - overview | This modern private enterprise economy has capitalized on its central geographic location, highly developed transport network, and diversified industrial and commercial base. Industry is concentrated mainly in the populous Flemish area in the north, although the government is encouraging investment in the southern region of Wallonia. With few natural resources, Belgium must import substantial quantities of raw materials and export a large volume of manufactures, making its economy unusually dependent on the state of world markets. About three-quarters of its trade is with other EU countries. Belgium's public debt is expected to fall below 100% of GDP in 2002, and the government has succeeded in balancing is budget. Belgium became a charter member of the European Monetary Union (EMU) in January 1999. Economic growth in 2000 was broad based, putting the government in a good position to pursue its energy market liberalization policies and planned tax cuts. | Cambodia's economy slowed dramatically in 1997-98 due to the regional economic crisis, civil violence, and political infighting. Foreign investment and tourism fell off. In 1999, the first full year of peace in 30 years, progress was made on economic reforms and growth resumed at 4%. GDP growth for 2000 had been projected to reach 5.5%, but the worst flooding in 70 years severely damaged agricultural crops, and high oil prices hurt industrial production, and growth for the year is estimated at only 4%. Tourism is Cambodia's fastest growing industry, with arrivals up 34% in 2000. The long-term development of the economy after decades of war remains a daunting challenge. The population lacks education and productive skills, particularly in the poverty-ridden countryside, which suffers from an almost total lack of basic infrastructure. Fear of renewed political instability and corruption within the government discourage foreign investment and delay foreign aid. On the brighter side, the government is addressing these issues with assistance from bilateral and multilateral donors. |
Electricity - consumption | 75.089 billion kWh (1999) | 136.7 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 8.207 billion kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 9.055 billion kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 79.829 billion kWh (1999) | 147 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
40.01% hydro: 0.42% nuclear: 58.33% other: 1.24% (1999) |
fossil fuel:
59.18% hydro: 40.82% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
North Sea 0 m highest point: Signal de Botrange 694 m |
lowest point:
Gulf of Thailand 0 m highest point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 m |
Environment - current issues | the environment is exposed to intense pressures from human activities: urbanization, dense transportation network, industry, intense animal breeding and crop cultivation; air and water pollution also have repercussions for neighboring countries; uncertainties regarding federal and regional responsibilities (now resolved) have impeded progress in tackling environmental challenges | 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, a majority of the population does not have access to potable water; toxic waste delivery from Taiwan sparked unrest in Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville) in December 1998 |
Environment - international agreements | party to:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping |
Ethnic groups | Fleming 58%, Walloon 31%, mixed or other 11% | Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4% |
Exchange rates | euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); Belgian francs per US dollar - 34.77 (January 1999), 36.229 (1998), 35.774 (1997), 30.962 (1996) | riels per US dollar - 3,909.0 (January 2001), 3,840.8 (2000), 3,807.8 (1999), 3,744.4 (1998), 2,946.3 (1997), 2,624.1 (1996) |
Executive branch | chief of state:
King ALBERT II (since 9 August 1993); Heir Apparent Prince PHILIPPE, son of the monarch head of government: Prime Minister Guy VERHOFSTADT (since 13 July 1999) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch and approved by Parliament elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch and then approved by Parliament note: government coalition - VLD, PRL, PS, SP, AGALEV, and ECOLO |
chief of state:
King Norodom SIHANOUK (reinstated 24 September 1993) head of government: Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 30 November 1998) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is chosen by a Royal Throne Council; prime minister appointed by the monarch after a vote of confidence by the National Assembly |
Exports | $181.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000) | $942 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
Exports - commodities | machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products | timber, garments, rubber, rice, fish |
Exports - partners | EU 76% (Germany 18%, France 18%, Netherlands 12%, UK 10%) (1999) | Vietnam 18%, Thailand 15%, US 10%, Singapore 8%, China 5% (1997) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of France | 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 |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $259.2 billion (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $16.1 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
1.4% industry: 26% services: 72.6% (2000 est.) |
agriculture:
43% industry: 20% services: 37% (1998 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $25,300 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.1% (2000 est.) | 4% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 50 50 N, 4 00 E | 13 00 N, 105 00 E |
Geography - note | crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels which is the seat of both the EU and NATO | a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap |
Heliports | 1 (2000 est.) | 3 (2000 est.) |
Highways | total:
145,774 km paved: 116,182 km (including 1,674 km of expressways) unpaved: 29,592 km (1999) |
total:
35,769 km paved: 4,165 km unpaved: 31,604 km (1997) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
3.7% highest 10%: 20.2% (1992) |
lowest 10%:
2.9% highest 10%: 33.8% (1997) |
Illicit drugs | growing producer of synthetic drugs; transit point for US-bound ecstasy; source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for cocaine, heroin, hashish, and marijuana entering Western Europe | possible money laundering; narcotics-related corruption reportedly involving some in the government, military, and police; possible small-scale opium, heroin, and amphetamine production; large producer of cannabis for the international market |
Imports | $166 billion (c.i.f., 2000) | $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals and metal products | cigarettes, gold, construction materials, petroleum products, machinery, motor vehicles |
Imports - partners | EU 71% (Germany 18%, Netherlands 17%, France 14%, UK 9%) (1999) | Thailand 16%, Vietnam 9%, Japan 7%, Hong Kong 5%, China 5% (1997) |
Independence | 21 July 1831 (from the Netherlands) | 9 November 1953 (from France) |
Industrial production growth rate | 5.5% (2000 est.) | NA% |
Industries | engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum, coal | garments, tourism, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles |
Infant mortality rate | 4.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | 65.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.2% (2000 est.) | 1.6% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC | ACCT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 61 (2000) | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 920 sq km (1993 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) or Cour de Cassation (in French) (judges are appointed for life by the monarch) | Supreme Council of the Magistracy (provided for in the constitution and formed in December 1997); Supreme Court (and lower courts) exercises judicial authority |
Labor force | 4.34 million (1999) | 6 million (1998 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | services 73%, industry 25%, agriculture 2% (1999 est.) | agriculture 80% (1999 est.) |
Land boundaries | total:
1,385 km border countries: France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km |
total:
2,572 km border countries: Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km |
Land use | arable land:
24% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 20% forests and woodland: 21% other: 34% |
arable land:
13% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 11% forests and woodland: 66% other: 10% (1993 est.) |
Languages | Dutch 58%, French 32%, German 10%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French) | Khmer (official) 95%, French, English |
Legal system | civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations | 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 in recent years |
Legislative branch | bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate or Senaat in Dutch, Senat in French (71 seats; 40 members are directly elected by popular vote, 31 are indirectly elected; members serve four-year terms) and a Chamber of Deputies or Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers in Dutch, Chambre des Representants in French (150 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate and Chamber of Deputies - last held 13 June 1999 (next to be held in NA 2003) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - VLD 15.4%, CVP 14.7%, PRL 10.6%, PS 9.7%, VB 9.4%, SP 8.9%, ECOLO 7.4%, AGALEV 7.1%, PSC 6.0%, VU 5.1%; seats by party - VLD 11, CVP 10, PS 10, PRL 9, VB 6, SP 6, ECOLO 6, AGALEV 5, PSC 5, VU 3; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - VLD 14.3%, CVP 14.1%, PS 10.2%, PRL 10.1%, VB 9.9%, SP 9.5%, ECOLO 7.4%, AGALEV 7.0%, PSC 5.9%, VU 5.6%; seats by party - VLD 23, CVP 22, PS 19, PRL 18, VB 15, SP 14, ECOLO 11, PSC 10, AGALEV 9, VU 8, FN 1 note: as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities; this reality leaves six governments each with its own legislative assembly; for other acronyms of the listed parties see Political parties and leaders |
bicameral consists of the National Assembly (122 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Senate (61 seats; two members appointed by the monarch, two elected by the National Assembly, and 57 elected by "functional constituencies"; members serve five-year terms
elections: National Assembly - last held 26 July 1998 (next to be held NA 2003); Senate - last held 2 March 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP 41%, FUNCINPEC 32%, SRP 14%, other 13%; seats by party - CPP 64, FUNCINPEC 43, SRP 15; Senate - seats by party - CPP 31, FUNCINPEC 21, SRP 7 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
77.96 years male: 74.63 years female: 81.46 years (2001 est.) |
total population:
56.82 years male: 54.62 years female: 59.12 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 35% male: 48% female: 22% (1990 est.) |
Location | Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands | Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos |
Map references | Europe | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | continental shelf:
median line with neighbors exclusive fishing zone: median line with neighbors (extends about 68 km from coast) territorial sea: 12 NM |
contiguous zone:
24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total:
21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 32,912 GRT/53,161 DWT ships by type: cargo 6, chemical tanker 9, petroleum tanker 6 (2000 est.) |
total:
295 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,305,932 GRT/1,853,487 DWT ships by type: bulk 22, cargo 237, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 3, container 8, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 2, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 7, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 5, short-sea passenger 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Cyprus 3, South Korea 1, Malta 1, Panama 1, Russia 1, Singapore 1 (2000 est.) |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Medical Service | Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF), including Army, Navy, and Air Force - created in 1993 by the merger of the Cambodian People's Armed Forces and the two noncommunist resistance armies
note: Khmer Rouge and royalist insurgent forces were integrated into the RCAF in 1999 |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $2.5 billion (FY01) | $112 million (FY01 est.) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.2% (FY99) | 3% (FY01 est.) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
2,517,596 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49:
2,877,137 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
2,079,624 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49:
1,610,761 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | 19 years of age | 18 years of age |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males:
63,247 (2001 est.) |
males:
162,643 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 21 July (1831) | Independence Day, 9 November (1953) |
Nationality | noun:
Belgian(s) adjective: Belgian |
noun:
Cambodian(s) adjective: Cambodian |
Natural hazards | flooding is a threat in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes | monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts |
Natural resources | coal, natural gas | timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential |
Net migration rate | 0.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | crude oil 161 km; petroleum products 1,167 km; natural gas 3,300 km | - |
Political parties and leaders | AGALEV (Flemish Greens) [Dos GEYSELS]; ECOLO (Francophone Greens) [no president]; Flemish Christian Democrats or CVP (Christian People's Party) [Stefaan DE CLERCK, president]; Flemish Liberal Democrats or VLD [Karel DE GUCHT, president]; Flemish Socialist Party or SP [Patrick JANSSENS, president]; Francophone Christian Democrats or PSC (Social Christian Party) [Joelle MILQUET, president]; Francophone Liberal Reformation Party or PRL [Daniel DUCARME, president]; Francophone Socialist Party or PS [Elio DI RUPO, president]; National Front or FN [Daniel FERET]; Vlaams Blok or VB [Frank VANHECKE]; Volksunie or VU [leader vacant]; other minor parties | Buddhist Liberal Party or BLP [IENG MOULY]; Cambodian Pracheachon Party or Cambodian People's Party or CPP [CHEA SIM]; Khmer Citizen Party or KCP [NGUON SOEUR]; National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia or FUNCINPEC [Prince NORODOM RANARIDDH]; Sam Rangsi Party or SRP (formerly Khmer Nation Party or KNP) [SAM RANGSI] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Christian and Socialist Trade Unions; Federation of Belgian Industries; numerous other associations representing bankers, manufacturers, middle-class artisans, and the legal and medical professions; various organizations represent the cultural interests of Flanders and Wallonia; various peace groups such as Pax Christi and groups representing immigrants | NA |
Population | 10,258,762 (July 2001 est.) | 12,491,501
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 4% | 36% (1997 est.) |
Population growth rate | 0.16% (2001 est.) | 2.25% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Antwerp (one of the world's busiest ports), Brugge, Gent, Hasselt, Liege, Mons, Namur, Oostende, Zeebrugge | Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville), Kampot, Krong Kaoh Kong, Phnom Penh |
Radio broadcast stations | FM 79, AM 7, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 7, FM 3, shortwave 3 (1999) |
Radios | 8.075 million (1997) | 1.34 million (1997) |
Railways | total:
3,437 km (2,446 km electrified; 2,563 km double track) standard gauge: 3,437 km 1.435-m gauge (1998) |
total:
603 km narrow gauge: 603 km 1.000-m gauge |
Religions | Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25% | Theravada Buddhist 95%, other 5% |
Sex ratio | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment:
highly developed, technologically advanced, and completely automated domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; extensive cable network; limited microwave radio relay network international: 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Eutelsat |
general assessment:
adequate landline and/or cellular service in Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; rural areas have little telephone service domestic: NA international: 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) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 4.769 million (1997) | 21,800 (mid-1998) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 974,494 (1997) | 80,000 (2000) |
Television broadcast stations | 25 (plus 10 repeaters) (1997) | 5 (1999) |
Terrain | flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast | mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north |
Total fertility rate | 1.61 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 4.74 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 8.4% (2000 est.) | 2.8% (1999 est.) |
Waterways | 2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use) | 3,700 km
note: navigable all year to craft drawing 0.6 m or less; 282 km navigable to craft drawing as much as 1.8 m |