Kampong Thom province

Kampong Thom

កំពង់ធំ
Kampong Thom កំពង់ធំ
Province
	Kampong Thom Province; ខេត្តកំពង់ធំ
	Sambor Prei Kuk, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the symbol of the province
	Seal
	Map of Cambodia highlighting Kampong Thom
	Coordinates: 12°42′N 104°53′E / 12.700°N 104.883°E
Country	Cambodia
Provincial status	1907
Capital	Kampong Thom
Subdivisions	1 municipality; 8 districts
Government
• Governor	Ngoun Ratanak (CPP)
• National Assembly	6 / 125
Area
• Total	13,814 km2 (5,334 sq mi)
• Rank	2nd
Population (2019)
• Total	749,004
• Rank	11th
• Density	49/km2 (130/sq mi)
• Rank	17th
Time zone	UTC+07:00 (ICT)
Dialing code	+855
ISO 3166 code	KH-6
Website	www.kampongthom.gov.kh

This article contains Khmer text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Khmer script.

Kampong Thom (Khmer: កំពង់ធំ, UNGEGN: Kâmpóng Thum [kɑmpɔŋ tʰom]; lit. 'Great Port') is a province (khaet) of Cambodia. It borders the provinces of Siem Reap to the northwest, Preah Vihear to the north, Stung Treng to the northeast, Kratie to the east, Kampong Cham and Kampong Chhnang to the south, and the Tonle Sap to the west.

The provincial capital is Stung Saen, a town of approximately 30,000 people on the banks of the Stung Sen River.

Kampong Thom is Cambodia's second largest province by area. There are a number of significant Angkorian sites in the area, including Prasat Sambor Prei Kuk and Prasat Andet temples. As one of the nine provinces bordering Tonle Sap Lake, Kampong Thom is part of the Tonlé Sap Biosphere Reserve.^[2]

Etymology

Kampong Thom in Khmer means 'great port' or 'great harbor'. Kampong in Khmer translates as 'port' or 'harbor'. The word Kampong is shared in other Asian languages, the Malay and Indonesian, both meaning 'village'. Thom in the Khmer language means 'big', 'grand', or 'large'.

Administration

The province is divided into eight districts and one municipality, further divided into 81 communes.

ISO code	District	Khmer	Population (2019)
06-01	Baray	ស្រុកបារាយណ៍	104,032
06-02	Kampong Svay	ស្រុកកំពង់ស្វាយ	90,271
06-03	Steung Saen Municipality	ក្រុងស្ទឹងសែន	53,118
06-04	Prasat Balangk	ស្រុកប្រាសាទបល្ល័ង្ក	47,888
06-05	Prasat Sambour	ស្រុកប្រាសាទសំបូរ	43,390
06-06	Sandaan	ស្រុកសណ្ដាន់	62,013
06-07	Santuk	ស្រុកសន្ទុក	101,428
06-08	Stoung	ស្រុកស្ទោង	108,372
06-09	Taing Kouk	ស្រុកតាំងគោក	64,888

History

The previous name of the province was Kampong Pous Thom ('Port', 'City of the Great Snakes'). According to local legend, at a lakeside dock near the Sen River, a pair of large snakes inhabited a nearby cave. On every Buddhist holiday, the snakes would make appearances to the people nearby who then began to refer to the area as Kampong Pous Thom. Eventually the snakes disappeared and the name was shortened to Kampong Thom. During the Colonial Cambodia period, the French divided Cambodian territory into provinces and named most of them according to the local popular names for the respective areas.

Kampong Thom was a powerful capital in Southeast Asia during the Funan period.^{[citation needed]} Prasat Sambor Prei Kuk, dating from the Chenla era, is in Kampong Thom province.^[3]

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

Geography

Two of the three core areas in Tonlé Sap Biosphere Reserve lie in Kampong Thom.

Boeng Chhmar (14,560 hectares), and
Stung Saen (6,355 hectares).^[4]

Religion

Religion in Kampong Thom (2019 census)^[5]

Buddhism (98.6%)

Islam (1.0%)

Christianity (0.3%)

Animism and Other religions (0%)

The state religion is Theravada Buddhism. More than 98.6% of the people in Kampong Thom are Buddhists. Chams have been practicing Islam for hundreds of years. A small percentage follow Christianity.

Economy

Much of Kampong Thom is on the floodplain of the Tonlé Sap lake. In 2003–2004, 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 of the fish-raising is done by home production, with a growing segment devoted to rice field aquaculture.^[6]

Kampong Thom is also one of the largest producers of cashew nuts in Cambodia, with 6,371 hectares under production in 2003–2004.^[7]

Notable people

Chhoeung Lvai, Khmer boxer
Eng Chhai Eang, politician
Kang Kek Iew, former Khmer Rouge personnel
Ke Pauk, former Khmer Rouge personnel
Kouch Sokumpheak, footballer
Nguon Nhel, politician
Pol Pot, former Khmer Rouge dictator and Prime Minister

Attraction

Tonle Sap See
Sambor Prei Kuk
Phnom Santuk
Prey Pras

References

^ "General Population Census of the Kingdom of Cambodia 2019 – Final Results" (PDF). National Institute of Statistics. Ministry of Planning. 26 January 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
^ "Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve Environmental Information Database - Home". Archived from the original on 5 September 2008. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
^ Kubo, Sumiko; Shimamoto, Sae; Nagumo, Naoko; Yamagata, Mariko; Him, Sophorn; So, Sokuntheary; Chang, Vitharong; Lun, Votey; Shimoda, Ichita; Nakagawa, Takeshi (March 2012). "Geomorphology, Archaeo-stratigraphy, and 14C Ages of Sambor Prei Kuk Pre-Angkorean Site, Central Cambodia" (PDF). BULLETIN of the Graduate School of Education of Waseda University. 22. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
^ Save Cambodia's Wildlife. The Atlas of Cambodia: National Poverty & Environment Maps, SWC, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 2006, p. 72.
^ "Final General Population Census 2019-English.pdf" (PDF). National Institute of Statistics Ministry of planning. October 2020.
^ Save Cambodia's Wildlife. The Atlas of Cambodia: National Poverty & Environment Maps, SWC, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 2006, pp. 78–81.
^ Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries, The Fruit Crops: Agricultural Statistics, 2003–04, Phnom Penh, 2004.

External links

Beyond Angkor: Historical Sites in Kampong Thom Province - Unique Graphical Interactive Maps and info about all the ancient historical sites
Official Website

[1] "General Population Census of the Kingdom of Cambodia 2019 – Final Results" (PDF). National Institute of Statistics. Ministry of Planning. 26 January 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.

[2] "Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve Environmental Information Database - Home". Archived from the original on 5 September 2008. Retrieved 12 February 2020.

[3] Kubo, Sumiko; Shimamoto, Sae; Nagumo, Naoko; Yamagata, Mariko; Him, Sophorn; So, Sokuntheary; Chang, Vitharong; Lun, Votey; Shimoda, Ichita; Nakagawa, Takeshi (March 2012). "Geomorphology, Archaeo-stratigraphy, and 14C Ages of Sambor Prei Kuk Pre-Angkorean Site, Central Cambodia" (PDF). BULLETIN of the Graduate School of Education of Waseda University. 22. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.

[4] Save Cambodia's Wildlife. The Atlas of Cambodia: National Poverty & Environment Maps, SWC, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 2006, p. 72.

[5] "Final General Population Census 2019-English.pdf" (PDF). National Institute of Statistics Ministry of planning. October 2020.

[6] Save Cambodia's Wildlife. The Atlas of Cambodia: National Poverty & Environment Maps, SWC, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 2006, pp. 78–81.

[7] Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries, The Fruit Crops: Agricultural Statistics, 2003–04, Phnom Penh, 2004.

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v t e Kampong Thom province
Capital: Kampong Thom / Stueng Saen
Districts	Baray Kampong Svay Stueng Saen Municipality city Prasat Balang Prasat Sambour Sandan Santuk Stoung

v t e Provinces of Cambodia
Autonomous municipality	Phnom Penh
Provinces	Banteay Meanchey Battambang Kampong Cham Kampong Chhnang Kampong Speu Kampong Thom Kampot Kandal Kep Koh Kong Kratié Mondulkiri Oddar Meanchey Pailin Pursat Preah Sihanouk Preah Vihear Prey Veng Ratanakiri Siem Reap Stung Treng Svay Rieng Takeo Tboung Khmum