Cambodia vs. Thailand
Geography
| Cambodia | Thailand | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos | Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma |
| Geographic coordinates | 13 00 N, 105 00 E | 15 00 N, 100 00 E |
| Map references | Southeast Asia | Southeast Asia |
| Area | total: 181,035 sq km land: 176,515 sq km water: 4,520 sq km | total: 513,120 sq km land: 510,890 sq km water: 2,230 sq km |
| Area - comparative | one and a half times the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Oklahoma | about three times the size of Florida; slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming |
| Land boundaries | total: 2,530 km border countries (3): Laos 555 km, Thailand 817 km, Vietnam 1158 km | total: 5,673 km border countries (4): Burma 2416 km, Cambodia 817 km, Laos 1845 km, Malaysia 595 km |
| Coastline | 443 km | 3,219 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
| Climate | tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation | tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid |
| Terrain | mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north | central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 m lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m mean elevation: 126 m | highest point: Doi Inthanon 2,565 m lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m mean elevation: 287 m |
| Natural resources | oil and gas, timber, gemstones, iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential, arable land | tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land |
| Land use | agricultural land: 32.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 22.7% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.9% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 8.5% (2018 est.) forest: 56.5% (2018 est.) other: 11.4% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 41.2% (2018 est.) arable land: 30.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 8.8% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 1.6% (2018 est.) forest: 37.2% (2018 est.) other: 21.6% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 3,540 sq km (2012) | 64,150 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts | land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table; 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, most of the population does not have access to potable water; declining fish stocks because of illegal fishing and overfishing; coastal ecosystems choked by sediment washed loose from deforested areas inland | air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; water scarcity; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting; hazardous waste disposal |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note | a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap (Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake) | controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore; ideas for the construction of a canal across the Kra Isthmus that would create a bypass to the Strait of Malacca and shorten shipping times around Asia continue to be discussed |
| Total renewable water resources | 476.1 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 438.61 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | population concentrated in the southeast, particularly in and around the capital of Phnom Penh; further distribution is linked closely to the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers | highest population density is found in and around Bangkok; significant population clusters found througout large parts of the country, particularly north and northeast of Bangkok and in the extreme southern region of the country |
Source: CIA Factbook
