Cambodia has a land area of 181,035 square kilometers in the southwestern part of the Indochina peninsula, about 20% of which is used for agriculture. It lies completely within the tropics with its southernmost points slightly more than 100 above the Equator. The country's capital city is Phnom Penh. International borders are shared with Thailand and the Lao People's Democratic Republic on the west and on the north, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam on the east and the southeast. The country is bounded on the southwest by the Gulf of Thailand.

In comparison with its neighbors, Cambodia is a geographically compact country administratively composed of 20 provinces, three of which have relatively short maritime boundaries, 2 municipalities, 172 districts, 1,547 communes. The country has a coastline of 435 km and extensive mangrove stands, some of which are relatively undisturbed.

The dominant features of the Cambodian landscape are the large, almost centrally located, Tonle Sap (Great Lake) and the Bassac River systems and the Mekong River, which traverses the country from north to south. Surrounding the Central Plains which covered three quarters of the country's area are the more densely forested and sparsely populated highlands, comprising: the Elephant Mountains and Cardamom Mountains of the southwest and western regions; the Dangrek Mountains of the north adjoining the Korat Plateau of Thailand; and the Ratanakiri Plateau and Chhlong highlands on the east merging with the Central Highlands of Viet Nam.

The Mekong River swells with waters during the monsoon season reaching a flood discharge of 40,000 m3/s at Phnom Penh. By about mid-June, the flow of the Mekong and the Basak Rivers fed by monsoon rains, increases to a point where it floods the adjacent floodplains for 4-7 months. At this point, instead of overflowing its banks, its floodwaters reverse the flow of the Tonle Sap River (about 120 km in length). This specifity of the Tonle Sap River makes it the only "river with return" in the world.

POLITICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE:

In the transitional period between the signing of the Paris Peace Agreements in October 1991 and a free and fair national elections conducted by the United nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) in May 1993, Cambodia was governed by a Supreme National Council (SNC), regrouping all four major political parties.

Administration of the country was temporarily entrusted to UNTAC, which successfully organized the elections with a large turnout of the population. Following the installation of a Provisional National Government, the elected Constituent Assembly adopted and promulgated on September 24, 1993 the nation's constitution, which proclaimed King Norodom Sihanouk as Head of State and established the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) within a framework of parliamentary democracy. Two Prime Ministers were appointed to represent the two major parties that won the elections. This same date marks the official end of UNTAC's mandate. 30th September marks the date of easing of the activities of the various UNTAC components and 15th November, the date provided for the end of withdrawal of the "Blue helmets".

The King

The King is the Head of state for life. He holds the throne but does not hold power. "The King reigns but does not Govern". He appoints the Prime Minister(s) and the Council of Ministers. Upon presentation by the Council of Ministers, the King signs decrees of appointment., transfer and dismissal of high civil and military officials, extra- ordinary and plenipotentiary ambassadors and delegates, and upon presentation by the Supreme Council of Magistracy, he signs decrees to appoint, transfer or dismiss judges.

As the Supreme Commander of the Royal Khmer Armed Forces, the King appoints -the Commander-in- Chief of the Royal Khmer Armed Forces, declares war upon approval of the National Assembly, and upon approval of the Prime Minister(s) and the President of the National Assembly, the King declares the state of emergency. The King receives letters of credentials from foreign ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Cambodia, and upon the approval of the National Assembly, he signs and ratifies international treaties and conventions.