Cambodia Overview
1. General Overview
Cambodia, a nation with a great history and enthusiastic and enterprising people is rapidly rebuilding itself. Emerging from years of violence and war, that caused irreversible damage, devastation and degradation of its developmental capacities, the country has taken up the challenge of reconstruction, sustained economic development and integration with the global community. Continued misery and suffering resulting from war and poverty may not have disappeared entirely but is receding rapidly with the Royal Government of Cambodia and the people showing great eagerness and interest in implementing developmental strategies.
2. Geography
The Kingdom of Cambodia is located in the tropical region of Southeast Asia in the Lower Mekong region. It has an 800km border with Thailand in the West, 450km border with Lao PDR in the North, 1,250km with Vietnam in the East and a coastline of 440km long. The physical landscape is dominated by the lowland plains around the Mekong River and the Tonle Sap Lake. Of the country's surface area of 181,035km², approximately 49% remains covered by forest. There are about 2.5 million hectares of arable land and over 0.5 million hectares of pasture land.
3. Climate
The climate in Cambodia is tropical and subject to both southeast and northwest monsoons. The southeast monsoon, which coincides with the rainy season, extends from May to October. The northwest monsoon brings a cool but drier period from November to April. The average annual rainfall is about 1500 mm, with the heaviest rainfalls of up to 4000 mm per year occurring in the southwest coastal line. The temperatures are fairly uniform in the central basin area with an average of about 27°C. The maximum temperatures in the region vary from 35°C to 38°C which are common before the start of the rainy season, but the temperatures very rarely fall below 10°C.
4. Population and Poverty
In 1998, the Ministry of Planning completed a general population census which reported a population of 11.4 million with an annual growth rate of 2.5%; about 85% of which live in rural areas. Administratively, Cambodia is divided into 24 provinces, including 4 municipalities, 183 districts, 1621 communes and 13,406 villages. The Poverty Profile of Cambodia, based on 1999 data, shows that 36 percent of the populations are living below the poverty line; however the figure is actually four times higher in rural areas (40%) than in Phnom Penh (10%). Rural households, especially those for whom agriculture is the primary source of income, account for almost 90% of the poor.
1. General Overview
Cambodia, a nation with a great history and enthusiastic and enterprising people is rapidly rebuilding itself. Emerging from years of violence and war, that caused irreversible damage, devastation and degradation of its developmental capacities, the country has taken up the challenge of reconstruction, sustained economic development and integration with the global community. Continued misery and suffering resulting from war and poverty may not have disappeared entirely but is receding rapidly with the Royal Government of Cambodia and the people showing great eagerness and interest in implementing developmental strategies.
2. Geography
The Kingdom of Cambodia is located in the tropical region of Southeast Asia in the Lower Mekong region. It has an 800km border with Thailand in the West, 450km border with Lao PDR in the North, 1,250km with Vietnam in the East and a coastline of 440km long. The physical landscape is dominated by the lowland plains around the Mekong River and the Tonle Sap Lake. Of the country's surface area of 181,035km², approximately 49% remains covered by forest. There are about 2.5 million hectares of arable land and over 0.5 million hectares of pasture land.
3. Climate
The climate in Cambodia is tropical and subject to both southeast and northwest monsoons. The southeast monsoon, which coincides with the rainy season, extends from May to October. The northwest monsoon brings a cool but drier period from November to April. The average annual rainfall is about 1500 mm, with the heaviest rainfalls of up to 4000 mm per year occurring in the southwest coastal line. The temperatures are fairly uniform in the central basin area with an average of about 27°C. The maximum temperatures in the region vary from 35°C to 38°C which are common before the start of the rainy season, but the temperatures very rarely fall below 10°C.
4. Population and Poverty
In 1998, the Ministry of Planning completed a general population census which reported a population of 11.4 million with an annual growth rate of 2.5%; about 85% of which live in rural areas. Administratively, Cambodia is divided into 24 provinces, including 4 municipalities, 183 districts, 1621 communes and 13,406 villages. The Poverty Profile of Cambodia, based on 1999 data, shows that 36 percent of the populations are living below the poverty line; however the figure is actually four times higher in rural areas (40%) than in Phnom Penh (10%). Rural households, especially those for whom agriculture is the primary source of income, account for almost 90% of the poor.
No comments:
Post a Comment