Backgrounder: General facts about Cambodia

The following are the general facts about Cambodia:

The Kingdom of Cambodia, with an area of 181,035 square km, is located in Southeast Asia, bordered by Thailand and Laos to the north, by Vietnam to the east and by the Gulf of Thailand to the south. Its capital is Phnom Penh.

Cambodia, situated mostly in a tropical zone, is characterized by a rainy season from June to November, with the heaviest rainfall in September. March and April are usually the hottest months.

Cambodia has more than 20 nationalities with a total population of 13.4 million, of which Khmer people constitute 80 percent. The official language is Khmer.

Theravada Buddhism, which 90 percent of Khmers follow, is the state religion.

The King of Cambodia is a constitutional monarch. The monarch is the Head of State. King Norodom Sihamoni was chosen as Cambodia's monarch by the nine-member Royal Council on Oct. 14, 2004 succeeding his father king Norodom Sihanouk, and ascended to the throne on Oct. 29, 2004.

Legislative power is vested in the 123-member National Assembly and 61-member Senate. Executive power is held by the Cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister, who is appointed by the King at the recommendation of the Chairman of the National Assembly. Incumbent Prime Minister Hun Sen has been in office since November 1998.

Cambodia, a traditionally agricultural country, is among the most underdeveloped nations in the world.

Agriculture contributes nearly 40 percent of the country's GDP while the manufacturing sector an estimated 19 percent. The population living under the poverty line stood at 39 percent in 1993 and has been reduced to 28 percent for the time being.

Cambodia is divided into 20 provinces and four municipalities. The capital Phnom Penh, a city with an area of 41 square km and a population of about one million, is considered the center of industry, administration, commerce and tourism.

The economies of Cambodia and China are complementary and enjoy great potential for cooperation in the fields of trade and economy.

Two-way trade has grown rapidly in recent years, reaching 563 million U.S. dollars in 2005. China's investment in Cambodia has also increased sharply, hitting 1 billion dollars last year.