Kampong Seila District ( km, ស្រុកកំពង់សីលា) is a district ('' srok'') in southwestern
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
, which formerly belonged to Koh Kong province. In January 2009, King
Norodom Sihamoni
Norodom Sihamoni ( km, នរោត្តម សីហមុនី, ; born 14 May 1953) is King of Cambodia. He became King on 14 October 2004, a week after the abdication of his father, Norodom Sihanouk. He is the eldest son of Norodom Sihano ...
incorporated the district into
Sihanoukville province
Preah Sihanouk ( km, ព្រះសីហនុ, UNGEGN: , ALA-LC: ), also Sihanoukville, is a province (''khaet'') in southwest Cambodia on the Gulf of Thailand. The provincial capital, also called Sihanoukville, is a deep water port city ...
per royal decree, which states: "The administrative boundaries of Sihanoukville municipality and Koh Kong province shall be adjusted by sub-dividing land from Kampong Seila district in whole and partial land of Sre Ambel district in Koh Kong province to Sihanoukville municipality." Officials were assigned to create a "national workshop" process all necessary administrative tasks. The National Institute of Statistics of Cambodia refers in its most recent and preliminary studies to a successful integration of the district, including maps, although concluding statistics and numbers are expected to be available with the next full report. Sihanoukville province's new official domain already runs administration of Kampong Seila district.
Geography
The district's northern part encompasses Kirirom National Park and to the east it constitutes the southwest promontory of
Preah Monivong National Park
Preah Monivong Bokor National Park ( km, ឧទ្យានជាតិព្រះមុនីវង្ស បូកគោ, ) is a national park in southern Cambodia's Kampot Province that was established in 1993 and covers . It is designated as ...
of the
Elephant Mountains
Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae an ...
. The Elephant Mountain range of uplifted Mesozoic substrates is an important watershed for the large Tonle Sap system in central Cambodia. The intact habitat is subject to concerted maintenance of five major protected areas.
Throughout the diamond-shaped province rolling hills are predominant and the area flattens towards the south where it almost touches the sea. For nearly its entire length the
National Highway 4 (Cambodia)
National Highway 4 or National Road No.4 (10004) (in Khmer ផ្លូវជាតិលេខ ៤) is one of the national highways of Cambodia. With a length of ,Discovering Sihanoukville Municipality, p. 665, in "Cambodia in the Early 21st C ...
loops through the district from north to south.
Settlements
Kampong Seila consists of four communes (
Sangkat
Administrative divisions of Cambodia have several levels. Cambodia is divided into 24 provinces (''Khaet''; km, ខេត្ត, ) and the special administrative unit Phnom Penh. Though a different administrative unit, Phnom Penh is at provin ...
), which are divided into 14 villages ( phum). The district's capital is called Kompong Seila, which is in turn the center of Kampong Seila's capital commune. Its distance from
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh (; km, ភ្នំពេញ, ) is the capital and most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since the French protectorate of Cambodia and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its economic, indus ...
is roughly 135 km and from
Sihanoukville (city)
Sihanoukville (; km, ក្រុងព្រះសីហនុ, ), also known as Kampong Som ( km, កំពង់សោម, ), is a coastal city in Cambodia and the capital of Preah Sihanouk Province, at the tip of an elevated peninsula ...
around 85 km.
Markets, pagodas, and administrative units are centered on the vital National Road 4. Kompong Seila's overwhelmingly rural population engages in rice farming, forestry, and subsidiary crop cultivation, such as gourds and
Dâmrei Mountains
The Dâmrei Mountains (literally the "Elephant Mountains", km, ភ្នំដំរី, Chuŏr Phnum Dâmrei), refer to a mountain range situated in south-western Cambodia, traversing around north-south as a succession of the Cardamom Mounta ...