Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N, 105 00 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area:
total:
181,040 sq km
land:
176,520 sq km
water:
4,520 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Oklahoma
Land boundaries:
total:
2,572 km
border countries:
Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km
Coastline: 443 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
200 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
Climate: tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:
Gulf of Thailand 0 m
highest point:
Phnum Aoral 1,810 m
Natural resources: timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential
Land use:
arable land:
13%
permanent crops:
0%
permanent pastures:
11%
forests and woodland:
66%
other:
10% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 920 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts
Environment - current issues: 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:
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
Geography - note: a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap
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