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Location:
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Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos
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Geographic coordinates:
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13 00 N, 105 00 E
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Map references:
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Southeast Asia
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Area:
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total: 181,040 sq km
land: 176,520 sq km
water: 4,520 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Oklahoma
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,572 km
border countries: Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km
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Coastline:
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443 km
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
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Climate:
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tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation
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Terrain:
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mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m
highest point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 m
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Natural resources:
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timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential
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Land use:
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arable land: 20.96%
permanent crops: 0.61%
other: 78.43% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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2,700 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts
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Environment - current issues:
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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
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping
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Geography - note:
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a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap
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