Kampong Thom province

Province of Cambodia

Province in Cambodia

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 / 12.700; 104.883
Country|  Cambodia
Provincial status| 1907
Capital| Stung Saen
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

(2024)[1]

• Total

|  807,254
• 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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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]

Prey Pras, Kampong Thom

## Religion

[edit]

Religion in Kampong Thom (2019 census)[5]

1. Buddhism (98.6%)
2. Islam (1%)
3. Christianity (0.3%)
4. 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, besides that there are Cham Muslims from Tboung Khmum who came here recently to encroach on the forest land here.[6] A small percentage follow Christianity.

## Economy

[edit]

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.[7]

Kampong Thom is also one of the largest producers of cashew nuts in Cambodia, with 6,371 hectares under production in 2003–2004.[8]

The province is one of the largest producer of cashews in the country. |  Rice paddies in Baray District. |  Irrigation canals and farmlands |

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|
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## Notable people

[edit]

* 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

[edit]

* Tonle Sap See

* Sambor Prei Kuk

* Phnom Santuk

* Prey Pras

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "General Population Census of the Kingdom of Cambodia 2019 – Final Results" (PDF). National Institute of Statistics. Ministry of Planning. 26 January 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 October 2022. 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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
6. ^ "Tboung Khmum Imam says land grabbing is rampant". khmertimeskh.com. Khmer Times. 15 February 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
7. ^ Save Cambodia's Wildlife. The Atlas of Cambodia: National Poverty & Environment Maps, SWC, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 2006, pp. 78–81.
8. ^ Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries, The Fruit Crops: Agricultural Statistics, 2003–04, Phnom Penh, 2004.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kampong Thom Province.

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

Places adjacent to Kampong Thom province

| Siem Reap province | PReah Vihea | Stung Treng province

|
|

|  |
Siem Reap province |

Kampong Thom province

| Kratie province
|  |
Pursat province, Tonlé Sap | Kampong Chhnang province | Kampong Cham province

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Kampong Thom province

Capital: Kampong Thom / Stueng Saen

Districts|

* Baray
* Kampong Svay
* Stueng Saen Municipality
* city
* Prasat Balang
* Prasat Sambour
* Sandan
* Santuk
* Stoung

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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
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