Cambodia

For the Kim Wilde song, see Cambodia (song).
Kingdom of Cambodia
ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជាPreăh Réachéa Anachâk Kâmpŭchea


Flag
Coat of arms
Motto: "Nation, Religion, King"
Anthem: NokoreachRoyal Kingdom

Location of Cambodia (green)
in ASEAN (dark grey) — [Legend]
Capital(and largest city)
Phnom Penh11°33′N 104°55′E / 11.55°N 104.917°E / 11.55; 104.917
Official languages
Khmer
Demonym
Khmer or Cambodian
Government
Constitutional monarchy,Parliamentary representative democracy
-
King
Norodom Sihamoni
-
Prime Minister
Hun Sen
Legislature
Parliament
-
Upper House
Senate
-
Lower House
National Assembly
Formation
-
Khmer empire
802
-
French colonization
1863
-
Independence from France
November 9, 1953
-
Monarchy abolished
March 18, 1970
-
Monarchy restored
September 24, 1993
Area
-
Total
181,035 km2 (88th)69,898 sq mi
-
Water (%)
2.5
Population
-
2009 estimate
14,805,000[1] (67th)
-
2008 census
13,388,910
-
Density
81.8/km2 (125th)211.8/sq mi
GDP (PPP)
2008 estimate
-
Total
$28.461 billion[2]
-
Per capita
$2,082[2]
GDP (nominal)
2008 estimate
-
Total
$11.250 billion[2]
-
Per capita
$823[2]
HDI (2007)
▲ 0.593[3] (medium) (137th)
Currency
Riel (៛)1 (KHR)
Time zone
(UTC+7)
-
Summer (DST)
(UTC+7)
Drives on the
right
Internet TLD
.kh
Calling code
855
1
Local currency, although US dollars are widely used.
This article contains Indic text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks or boxes, misplaced vowels or missing conjuncts instead of Indic text.
The Kingdom of Cambodia (pronounced /kæmˈboʊdiə/), formerly known as Kampuchea (/kæmpuːˈtʃiːə/, ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា Preăh Réachéa Nachâk Kâmpŭchea, derived from Sanskrit Kambujadesa), is a country in South East Asia with a population of over 14 million people.[4] The kingdom's capital and largest city is Phnom Penh. Cambodia is the successor state of the once powerful Hindu and Buddhist Khmer Empire, which ruled most of the Indochinese Peninsula between the 11th and 14th centuries.
A citizen of Cambodia is usually identified as "Cambodian" or "Khmer," though the latter strictly refers to ethnic Khmers. Most Cambodians are Theravada Buddhists of Khmer extraction, but the country also has a substantial number of predominantly Muslim Cham, as well as ethnic Chinese, Vietnamese and small animist hill tribes.
The country borders Thailand to its west and northwest, Laos to its northeast and Vietnam to its east and southeast. In the south it faces the Gulf of Thailand. The geography of Cambodia is dominated by the Mekong River (colloquial Khmer: Tonle Thom or "the great river") and the Tonlé Sap ("the fresh water lake"), an important source of fish.
Agriculture has long been the most important sector of the Cambodian economy, with around 59% of the population relying on agriculture for their livelihood (with rice being the principal crop).[5] Garments, tourism, and construction are also important. In 2007, foreign visitors to Angkor Wat numbered more than 4 million.[6] In 2005, oil and natural gas deposits were found beneath Cambodia's territorial waters, and once commercial extraction begins in 2011, the oil revenues could profoundly affect Cambodia's economy.[7] Observers fear much of the revenue could end up in the hands of the political elites if not monitored correctly.[8]