Kampong Thom Province

Kampong Thom
កំពង់ធំ
—  Province  —
Rice paddies in Baray.
Map of Cambodia highlighting Kampong Thom
Coordinates:
Country  Cambodia
Capital Kampong Thom
Government
 • Governor Hun Neng (CPP)
Area
 • Total 13,814 km2 (5,333.6 sq mi)
Population (2009)[1]
 • Total 708,398
 • Density 51.3/km2 (132.8/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+07
Dialing code +855
ISO 3166 code KH-6
Districts 8

Kampong Thom (Khmer: កំពង់ធំ, literally "Grand Port") is a province in Cambodia, Its capital is Kampong Thom, a picturesque town on the banks of the Stung Sen River. Kampong Thom is one of the provinces that borders the Tonle Sap Lake and is in Tonlé Sap Biosphere Reserve.[2]

Kampong Thom is Cambodia's second largest province by area, it touches Preah Vihear to the north, Siem Reap to the northwest, Pursat to the west, Kampong Cham and Kampong Chhnang to the south and Stung Treng to the north east. Prasat Sambor Prei Kuk and Prasat Andet are two of the main Angkorian temples in the province. There are a number of other significant Angkorian sites in the area.

Contents

Administration

The ancient temple complex of Sambor Prei Kuk in northern Kampong Thom.

The province is subdivided into 8 districts.

History

Kampong Pous Thom (Port of the Great Snake) was the original name of the present province called Kampong Thom. Originally long time ago, at the dock of the Sen River next to a lake, there was a big cave with a pair of big snakes inside. The people living around this area usually saw these big snakes every Buddhist holiday. Time after that, the snakes disappeared, and the people of that area called it Kampong Pous Thom. Then, only short words, Kampong Thom came later. During the French colony in Cambodia, the French ruled and divided Cambodian territory into provinces, and named them according to the spoken words of the people.

Kampong Thom was a powerful capital in south-east Asia during the Funan period. Kampong Thom has Prasat Sambor Prei Kuk that was famous during the Chenla Era.

Geography

Two of the three core areas in Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve are located in Kampong Thom.

Economy

Kampong Thom province is, rich in tourism potentials to attract tourists with its exotic lakes, rivers, forests, mountains and more than 200 ancient temples.

Much of Kampong Thom is located on the floodplain of the Tonle Sap lake. In 2003-04 it was a significant producer of wild fish (18,800 tons) and the fourth largest producer of fish through aquaculture in Cambodia (1,800 tons). Most fish-raising is by home production, with a growing segment devoted to rice field aquaculture.[4]

Kampong Thom is also one of the largest producers of cashew nuts in Cambodia, with 6,371 hectares under production in 2003-04.[5]

References

  1. ^ "General Population Census of Cambodia 2008 - Provisional population totals" (PDF). National Institute of Statistics, Ministry of Planning. 3 September 2008. http://www.stat.go.jp/english/info/meetings/cambodia/pdf/pre_rep1.pdf. 
  2. ^ http://www.tsbr-ed.org
  3. ^ Save Cambodia's Wildlife. The Atlas of Cambodia: National Poverty & Environment Maps, SWC, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 2006, p. 72.
  4. ^ Save Cambodia's Wildlife. The Atlas of Cambodia: National Poverty & Environment Maps, SWC, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 2006, pp. 78-81.
  5. ^ Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries, The Fruit Crops: Agricultural Statistics, 2003-04, Phnom Penh, 2004.

External links

Siem Reap Province Preah Vihear Province Stung Treng Province
Siem Reap Province Kratie Province
   Kampong Thom Province    
Pursat Province Kampong Chhnang Province Kampong Cham Province
Kampong Thom Province
Capital city
Districts