Coastline: 443 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: offshore islands and sections of the boundary with Vietnam are in dispute; maritime boundary with Vietnam not defined; parts of border with Thailand in dispute; maritime boundary with Thailand not clearly defined
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 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: 16%
permanent crops: 1%
meadows and pastures: 3%
forest and woodland: 76%
other: 4%
Irrigated land: 920 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: logging activities throughout the country and strip
mining for gems in the western region along the border with Thailand
are resulting in habitat loss and declining biodiversity (in
particular, destruction of mangrove swamps threatens natural
fisheries); deforestation; soil erosion; in rural areas, a majority
of the population does not have access to potable water
natural hazards: monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding;
occasional droughts
international agreements: party to - Marine Life Conservation, Ship
Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Tropical Timber 94
Geographic note: a land of paddies and forests dominated by the
Mekong River and Tonle Sap