Banteay Meanchey Province

Banteay Meanchey ខេត្តបន្ទាយមានជ័យ
Province
Banteay Meanchey countryside Banteay Meanchey countryside
Map of Cambodia highlighting Banteay Meanchey
Coordinates:
Country	Cambodia
Capital	Serei Saophoan
Government
• Governor	H.E. Kor Sum Saroeut (CPP)
Area
• Total	6,679 km2 (2,579 sq mi)
Area rank	Ranked 13th
Population (2008 census)
• Total	677,872
• Rank	Ranked 10th
• Density	100/km2 (260/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+07
Dialing code	+855
ISO 3166 code	KH-1
Districts	8
Communes	64
Villages	624

Banteay Meanchey (Khmer: ខេត្តបន្ទាយមានជ័យ, IPA: [ɓɑntiəj miən cɨj] "Fortress of Victory") is a province (khaet) of Cambodia located in the far northwest. It borders the provinces of Oddar Meanchey and Siem Reap to the east, Battambang to the south, and shares an international border with Thailand to the west. Its capital and largest city is Serei Saophoan.

Banteay Meanchey is the 13th largest province in Cambodia. With a population of 678,033, it ranks as the tenth most populous in the nation. The town of Poipet in the western part of the province is an international border crossing into Thailand. Banteay Meanchey is one of the nine provinces that are part of the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve.

Etymology

Banteay Meanchey means "Fortress of Victory" in Khmer. Chey (Khmer: ជ័យ) is derived from the Sanskrit word jaya (जय) meaning "victory", and banteay (Khmer: បន្ទាយ) is a Khmer word meaning "fortress" or "castle".

History

The area was part of the extensive Khmer empire. Its most notable remains is the Banteay Chhmar temple in the north of the province, built in 12th century towards the 13th century. Other lesser known temples are the Banteay Neang and Banteay Torp temples.

In the 1795 Siam took control over Western Cambodia, and made the area into Siamese province of Inner Cambodia with the administration capital in Phra Tabong (Battambang). This province lasted until 1907 when Siam traded Inner Cambodia for the return of Trat and Dan Sai. In the same year, King Sisowath decided to split the return Inner Cambodian Province into Battambang Province (which included Sisophon) and Siem Reap Province. When Thailand re annexed western Cambodia 1941, Sisophon was split off Battambang Province and was an administration capital of Phibunsongkram Province which lasted until 1946 when the whole region was return to the French control.

In 1988 the province Banteay Meanchey was split off from Battambang, originally consisting of the five districts Mongkol Borei, Thmar Puok, Serei Saophoan, Preah Net Preah and Phnom Srok.

During the Cambodian Civil Wars of the 1970s and 1980s Banteay Meanchey Province was on the frontlines of much of fighting and as a result it is one of the three most heavily mined provinces in Cambodia along with Pailin and Battambang.

Geography

Small lake in Serei Saophoan.

Banteay Meanchey is mostly covered by extensive lowlands, with a few uplands to the north and east. The main rivers are the Mongkol Borei and the Sisophon Rivers.

Administration

The province is subdivided into 9 districts (srok), which are further subdivided in 64 communes (khum) and 634 villages (phum).

ISO Code	District	Romanization
0102	មង្គលបុរី	Mongkol Borei
0103	ភ្នំស្រុក	Phnum Srok
0104	ព្រះនេត្រព្រះ	Preah Netr Preah
0105	អូរជ្រៅ	Ou Chrov
0106	ក្រុងសិរីសោភ័ណ	Krong Serei Saophoan
0107	ថ្មពួក	Thma Puok
0108	ស្វាយចេក	Svay Chek
0109	មាល័យ	Malai
0110	ក្រុងប៉ោយប៉ែត	Krong Paoy Paet

External links

• Banteay Meanchey at Royal Government of Cambodia website
• Banteay Meanchey at Ministry of Commerce website