Business and Personal Law

Chapter 18: Business and Regulations

Global Law

Cambodia

The Kingdom of Cambodia is located in Southeast Asia. Cambodia is bordered by Thailand to its west and northwest, Laos to its northeast, and Vietnam to its east and southeast. It faces the Gulf of Thailand to the south. Cambodia has a population of almost 15 million people, and more than half are under 21 years of age. The country struggles with an uneducated and unproductive population, particularly in the countryside, which also lacks a basic infrastructure. Cambodia's main industries are garments and tourism. In 2005 oil and natural gas deposits were found in Cambodia. Commercial drilling should begin in 2009 or 2010 and the revenue from the oil could have a dramatic impact on the economy of Cambodia.

Cambodia declared its independence from France on November 9, 1953. Its government is considered a multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy. The executive branch of the government consists of a king, a prime minister, and a deputy prime minister. The monarch is chosen by a Royal Throne Council. The legislative body is made up of the 123 elected members of the National Assembly and the 61 members of the Senate.

Civil law based on French law, royal decrees, and acts of the legislature all help to define the legal system. Cambodia’s laws are also influenced by custom and remnants of communist legal theory.