Officially - Kingdom of Cambodia, Khmer - Preahréachéanachâkr Kâmpuchéa
French - Royaume de Cambodge
Formerly - (1970-76)Khmer Republic, (1976-79) Democratic Kampuchea, or (1979-89) People's Republic of Kampuchea
Capital: Phnom Penh.
Area: 181,000 square km. 74 percent of the land is forested and the remainder is cultivable. Cambodia is bordered by Vietnam to the east and Thailand to the west and northwest. It shares a short frontier with Laos. Cambodia's maximum length from north to south is 450 km, and its maximum width from east to west is 580 km.
Population: 10.9 million (1999), projected 16.5 million (2025).
Language: The official language is Khmer, but French is also spoken.
Ethnic groups: Khmer, with Vietnamese and Chinese minorities.
Religion: The principal religion is Theravada Buddhism.
Flag: Horizontally striped blue-red-blue national flag featuring, in white, the main building of the temple, Angkor Wat.
In different artistic representations, the central building of Angkor Wat appeared on Khmer national flags since the 19th century. The first flag was red bordered in blue with the temple in white. The flag was "modernised" in 1948 by adoption of unequal horizontal stripes of dark blue, red, and dark blue, and the temple was altered to correspond more closely to the original. That flag continued to be used after Cambodia became independent. The end of the monarchy and the proclamation of the Khmer Republic resulted in a new flag in October 1970.
Communist rebels first used the 1948-70 flag but came to power in April 1975 beneath a plain red flag. When their Democratic Kampuchea adopted its constitution in January 1976, a three-towered yellow temple silhouette was placed in the centre of the red flag, only to be replaced by a five-towered yellow temple when Vietnamese-supported forces proclaimed the People's Republic of Kampuchea in 1979.
Rival State of Cambodia (Khmer Rouge) and Cambodia (Vietnamese) governments established further flag adaptations prior to the United Nations administration, which flew a light blue flag with a silhouette map of the country in the centre. The United Nations initiated general elections by 1993. The flag of 1948-1970 was again hoisted on June 30 of that year.
Climate: Tropical, humid climate with a rainy season between May and November. Heaviest rainfall is in September and October. Dry season is between April and December.
Currency: Riel.
Time zone: GMT +7.
Railways: There are two 1,000 mm-gauge single-track main lines with a total length of 649 km.
Roads: In 1997, the total road network was 35,769 km in length, of which 4,165 km were highways and 3,604 km were secondary roads. About 7.5 percent of the road network was paved.
Inland waterways: The major routes are along the Mekong River and up the Tonle Sap river into the Tonle Sap, covering about 2,400 km.
(Source: Europa World Year Book 2001; The Encyclopaedia Britannica 2002; The State of World Population 1999, UNFPA)
Political Profile Cambodia has been through multiple political and military upheavals in the last century. With the death of Khmer Rouge chief Pol Pot in 1998, the three remaining senior leaders surrendered within the next year. Now, Cambodia can fully concentrate on bringing peace to its people.
Human Development Cambodia is a rapidly growing country, with a projected population of 16.5 million in 2025. Infant and maternal mortality rates are high, and less than half of its population has access to basic care and safe water.
Temples of Angkor Angkor is an archaeological site in north-western Cambodia, populated by ancient temples with Indian cosmological and mythical themes. Previously a centre of administration and for the worship of a divine monarch, over the years, Angkor has seen neglect and damage to its buildings. In 1992, UNESCO named it a World Heritage Site, also initiating internationally organised preservation efforts.
