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Provinces of Cambodia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Province
ខេត្ត
Khétt
CategoryFirst-level administrative subdivision of a unitary state
Location Cambodia
Number25
Populations42,665 (Kep) – 2,281,951 (Phnom Penh)[1]
Areas336 km2 (130 sq mi) (Kep) – 14,288 km2 (5,517 sq mi) (Mondulkiri)
Government
Subdivisions
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

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Seal Name Khmer UNGEGN Capital (seat) Population (2024)[1] Area (km2)[1] Density ISO
Banteay Meanchey បន្ទាយមានជ័យ Bântéay Méanchoăy Serei Saophoan Municipality 898,484 6,679 135 KH-1
Battambang បាត់ដំបង Bătdâmbâng Battambang Municipality 1,132,017 11,702 97 KH-2
Kampong Cham កំពង់ចាម Kâmpóng Cham Kampong Cham Municipality 1,062,914 4,549 234 KH-3
Kampong Chhnang កំពង់ឆ្នាំង Kâmpóng Chhnăng Kampong Chhnang Municipality 604,895 5,521 110 KH-4
Kampong Speu កំពង់ស្ពឺ Kâmpóng Spœ Chbar Mon Municipality 924,175 7,017 132 KH-5
Kampong Thom កំពង់ធំ Kâmpóng Thum Steung Saen Municipality 807,254 13,814 58 KH-6
Kampot កំពត Kâmpót Kampot Municipality 682,987 4,873 140 KH-7
Kandal កណ្តាល Kândal Ta Khmau Municipality 1,352,198 3,179 425 KH-8
Kep កែប Kêb Kep Municipality 48,772 336 145 KH-23
Koh Kong កោះកុង Kaôh Kŏng Khemarak Phoumin Municipality 140,962 10,090 14 KH-9
Kratié ក្រចេះ Krâchéh Kratié Municipality 441,078 11,094 40 KH-10
Mondulkiri មណ្ឌលគិរី Môndôlkĭri Senmonorom Municipality 93,657 14,288 7 KH-11
Oddar Meanchey ឧត្តរមានជ័យ Ŏttâr Méanchoăy Samraong Municipality 267,703 6,158 43 KH-22
Pailin ប៉ៃលិន Pailĭn Pailin Municipality 79,445 803 99 KH-24
Phnom Penh ភ្នំពេញ Phnum Pénh Doun Penh Section 2,352,851 679 3,465 KH-12
Preah Sihanouk ព្រះសីហនុ Preăh Seihânŭ Sihanoukville Municipality 234,702 1,938 121 KH-18
Preah Vihear ព្រះវិហារ Preăh Vĭhar Tbaeng Meanchey Municipality 249,973 13,788 18 KH-13
Prey Veng ព្រៃវែង Preý Vŭng Prey Veng Municipality 1,277,867 4,883 273 KH-14
Pursat ពោធិ៍សាត់ Poŭthĭsăt Pursat Municipality 516,072 12,692 41 KH-15
Ratanakiri រតនគិរី Rôtânôkĭri Banlung Municipality 235,852 10,782 22 KH-16
Siem Reap សៀមរាប Siĕm Réab Siem Reap Municipality 1,099,825 10,299 107 KH-17
Stung Treng ស្ទឹងត្រែង Stœ̆ng Trêng Stung Treng Municipality 176,488 11,092 16 KH-19
Svay Rieng ស្វាយរៀង Svay Riĕng Svay Rieng Municipality 613,159 2,966 207 KH-20
Takéo តាកែវ Doun Kaev Municipality 1,097,243 3,563 308 KH-21
Tboung Khmum ត្បូងឃ្មុំ Suong Municipality 889,970 5,250 170 KH-25

History

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  • 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]
  • 2013: On 31 December 2013, King Norodom Sihamoni signed a decree that split Kampong Cham into two provinces: Kampong Cham (west of the Mekong River) and Tboung Khmum (east of the Mekong River).[4]
  • 2018: In September 2018, Interior Minister Sar Kheng proposed establishing two more provinces, with areas taken from Kandal, Mondulkiri, and Ratanakiri.[5] Prime Minister Hun Sen rejected the plan.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Cambodia Inter-censal Population Survey 2024 Final Report". National Institute of Statistics. Ministry of Planning. 18 March 2025. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  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.
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