Administrative divisions
of Cambodia
First-level
Second-level
Third-level
Fourth-level
  • Village
Fifth-level
  • Block

Cambodia is divided into 25 provinces (Khmer: ខេត្ត, khétt [kʰaet]). The capital Phnom Penh is not a province but an "autonomous municipality" (Khmer: រាជធានី, réachthéani [riəceaʔtʰiəniː]; lit. 'capital'), equivalent to a province governmentally and administered at the same level as the other 24 provinces.

Phnom Penh has both the highest population and the highest population density of all provinces, but is the second smallest in land area. The largest province by area is Mondulkiri and the smallest is Kep which is also the least populated province. Mondulkiri has the lowest population density.

Each province is administered by a governor, who is nominated by the Ministry of Interior, subject to approval by the Prime Minister.

Provinces are divided into districts (ស្រុក, srŏk). The districts in Phnom Penh are called khan (ខណ្ឌ) normally written as for addresses in English followed by the districts' names (Ex: Khan Chamkar Mon; lit. 'Chamkar Mon District'). The number of districts in each province varies, from two in the smallest provinces to 14 in Battambang, Prey Veng, and Siem Reap. Further subdivision levels are communes (ឃុំ khum), and further subdivided into villages (ភូមិ, phum). In Phnom Penh, sangkat (សង្កាត់) is used in the place of khum and, similar to khan, normally preferred for writing addresses in English (Ex: Sangkat Mittapheap; lit. 'Mittapheap Commune').

List of provinces

Name Khmer UNGEGN Capital (seat) Population (2019)[1] Area (km2)[1] Density ISO
Banteay Meanchey បន្ទាយមានជ័យ Bântéay Méanchoăy Serei Saophoan Municipality 861,883 6,679 129 KH-1
Battambang បាត់ដំបង Bătdâmbâng Battambang Municipality 997,169 11,702 84 KH-2
Kampong Cham កំពង់ចាម Kâmpóng Cham Kampong Cham Municipality 899,791 4,549 197 KH-3
Kampong Chhnang កំពង់ឆ្នាំង Kâmpóng Chhnăng Kampong Chhnang Municipality 527,027 5,521 95 KH-4
Kampong Speu កំពង់ស្ពឺ Kâmpóng Spœ Chbar Mon Municipality 877,523 7,017 124 KH-5
Kampong Thom កំពង់ធំ Kâmpóng Thum Steung Saen Municipality 681,549 13,814 49 KH-6
Kampot កំពត Kampot Municipality 593,829 4,873 122 KH-7
Kandal កណ្តាល Kândal Ta Khmau Municipality 1,201,581 3,179 376 KH-8
Kep កែប Kêb Kep Municipality 42,665 336 124 KH-23
Koh Kong កោះកុង Kaôh Kŏng Khemarak Phoumin Municipality 125,902 10,090 12 KH-9
Kratié ក្រចេះ Krâchéh Kratié Municipality 374,755 11,094 34 KH-10
Mondulkiri មណ្ឌលគិរី Môndôlkĭri Senmonorom Municipality 92,213 14,288 6 KH-11
Oddar Meanchey ឧត្តរមានជ័យ Ŏttâr Méanchoăy Samraong Municipality 276,038 6,158 42 KH-22
Pailin ប៉ៃលិន Pailĭn Pailin Municipality 75,112 803 89 KH-24
Phnom Penh ភ្នំពេញ Phnum Pénh Doun Penh Section 2,281,951 679 3,136 KH-12
Preah Sihanouk ព្រះសីហនុ Preăh Seihânŭ Sihanoukville Municipality 310,072 1,938 156 KH-18
Preah Vihear ព្រះវិហារ Preăh Vĭhar Tbaeng Meanchey Municipality 254,827 13,788 18 KH-13
Prey Veng ព្រៃវែង Preý Vŭng Prey Veng Municipality 1,057,720 4,883 217 KH-14
Pursat ពោធិ៍សាត់ Poŭthĭsăt Pursat Municipality 419,752 12,692 32 KH-15
Ratanakiri រតនគិរី Rôtânôkĭri Banlung Municipality 217,453 10,782 19 KH-16
Siem Reap សៀមរាប Siĕm Réab Siem Reap Municipality 1,014,234 10,299 98 KH-17
Stung Treng ស្ទឹងត្រែង Stœ̆ng Trêng Stung Treng Municipality 165,713 11,092 14 KH-19
Svay Rieng ស្វាយរៀង Svay Riĕng Svay Rieng Municipality 525,497 2,966 177 KH-20
Takéo តាកែវ Doun Kaev Municipality 900,914 3,563 252 KH-21
Tboung Khmum ត្បូងឃ្មុំ Suong Municipality 776,841 5,250 148 KH-25

History

  • 1974: The Khmer Rouge government did away with the former Cambodian traditional administrative divisions. Instead of provinces, Democratic Kampuchea was divided into seven geographic zones (Khmer: តំបន់, tâmbán): the Northwest, the North, the Northeast, the East, the Southwest, the West, and the Centre. These zones were derived from divisions established by the Khmer Rouge when they fought against the Khmer Republic during the Cambodian Civil War.[2]
  • 2008: On 22 December 2008, King Norodom Sihamoni signed a decree that changed the municipalities of Kep, Pailin and Sihanoukville into provincial municipalities, as well as adjusting several provincial borders.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "General Population Census of the Kingdom of Cambodia 2019 – Final Results" (PDF). National Institute of Statistics. Ministry of Planning. 26 January 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  2. ^ Tyner, James A (2008). The Killing of Cambodia: Geography, Genocide and the Unmaking of Space. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7546-7096-4. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  3. ^ Vong, Sokheng (31 December 2008). "Decree creates three new provinces". Phnom Penh Post.
  4. ^ Mom, Kunthear; Ponniah, Kevin (10 January 2014). "Kampong Cham's great divide". Phnom Penh Post.
  5. ^ Vicheika, Kann (31 August 2018). "Cambodia to Create Two New Provinces in Bid for 'Efficiency'". Voice of America. Retrieved 5 July 2019.

External links