Provinces of Cambodia

Cambodia is divided into 25 provinces (Khmer: ខេត្ត, khaet, singular and plural). The capital Phnom Penh is not province but a special administrative area and is included as the 25th province since it is administered at the same level as the other 24 provinces. The name of the provinces are the same as that of their respective capital cities, except for Banteay Meanchey, Kandal, Mondulkiri, Oddar Meanchey, Rattanakiri, Koh Kong, Kampong Thom, Takeo, Kampong Speu, and Tboung Khmum.

Phnom Penh has both the highest population and the highest population density. The largest province by area is Mondulkiri and the smallest Phnom Penh. Kep has the lowest population, while Mondulkiri has the lowest population density (facts according to the year 2008 census).

Each province is administered by a governor, who is appointed by the Ministry of Interior.

Cambodia is subdivided into 163 districts (srok, ស្រុក). The 12 districts of Phnom Penh are called khan (ខណ្ឌ), but even in official documents they are sometimes misidentified as srok. The number of districts in each provinces varies, from two in the smallest provinces to 14 in Battambang, Prey Veng, and Siem Reap. Further subdivision levels are khum (subdistricts), sangkat (quarters) and finally, phum (villages). In Phnom Penh there are no khum.

List of provinces

No Name Native Name Capital
(Seat)		 Population (2008 census) Area (km²) Density ISO
1 Phnom Penh Municipality ភ្នំពេញ Phnom Penh
(Chamkarmon District)		 1,501,725 678.46 2,200 KH-12
2 Banteay Meanchey Province បន្ទាយមានជ័យ Serei Saophoan 677,872 6,679 102 KH-1
3 Battambang Province បាត់ដំបង Battambang 1,058,174 11,702 89 KH-2
4 Kampong Cham Province កំពង់ចាម Kampong Cham 928,694 4,549 204 KH-3
5 Kampong Chhnang Province កំពង់ឆ្នាំង Kampong Chhang 472,341 5,521 86 KH-4
6 Kampong Speu Province កំពង់ស្ពឺ Kampong Speu 716,944 7,017 102 KH-5
7 Kampong Thom Province កំពង់ធំ Kampong Thom 631,409 13,814 51 KH-6
8 Kampot Province កំពត Kampot 585,850 4,873 120 KH-7
9 Kandal Province កណ្តាល Ta Khmao 1,265,280 3,568 355 KH-8
10 Koh Kong Province កោះកុង Koh Kong 117,481 11,160 12 KH-9
11 Kep Province កែប Kep 35,753 336 120 KH-23
12 Kratié Province ក្រចេះ Kratié 319,217 11,094 29 KH-10
13 Mondulkiri Province មណ្ឌលគីរី Senmonorom 61,107 14,288 4 KH-11
14 Oddar Meanchey Province ឧត្តរមានជ័យ Samraong 185,819 6,158 30 KH-22
15 Pailin Province បៃលិន Pailin 70,486 803 88 KH-24
16 Preah Sihanouk Province ព្រះសីហនុ Sihanoukville 221,396 868 230 KH-18
17 Preah Vihear Province ព្រះវិហារ Phnom Tbeng Meanchey 171,139 13,788 12 KH-13
18 Pursat Province ពោធិ៍សាត់ Pursat 397,161 12,692 31 KH-15
19 Prey Veng Province ព្រៃវែង Prey Veng 947,372 4,883 194 KH-14
20 Ratanakiri Province រតនគីរី Banlung 150,466 10,782 14 KH-16
21 Siem Reap Province សៀមរាប Siem Reap 896,443 10,299 87 KH-17
22 Stung Treng Province ស្ទឹងត្រែង Stung Treng 111,671 11,092 10 KH-19
23 Svay Rieng Province ស្វាយរៀង Svay Rieng 482,788 2,966 163 KH-20
24 Takéo Province តាកែវ Daun Keo 844,906 3,563 237 KH-21
25 Tbong Khmum Province ត្បូងឃ្មុំ Soung 754,000 4,928 153 KH-25

History

Khmer Rouge

In 1975 the Khmer Rouge government did away with all former Cambodian traditional administrative divisions. Instead of provinces, "Democratic Kampuchea" was divided into seven geographic zones: The Northwest, the North, the Northeast, the East, the Southwest, the West and the Center.

These zones were derived from divisions established by the Khmer Rouge when they fought against the Khmer Republic led by general Lon Nol.[1]

2008

On 22 December 2008, King Norodom Sihamoni signed a Royal Decree that changed the municipalities of Kep, Pailin and Sihanoukville into provincial municipalities, as well as adjusting several provincial borders.[2]

2013

On 31 December 2013, King Norodom Sihamoni signed a Royal Decree that split Kampong Cham into two provinces: Kampong Cham (west of the Mekong river) and Tbong Khmum (east of the Mekong river).[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ James A. Tyner, The Killing of Cambodia
  2. ↑ "Decree Creates Three New Provinces".
  3. ↑ "Kampong Cham's great divide".

External links