Kampot ( km, កំពត ) is a
province in southwestern
Cambodia. It borders the provinces of
Koh Kong and
Kampong Speu to the north,
Takéo to the east,
Kep and the country of
Vietnam (
Kiên Giang) to the south, and
Sihanoukville to the west. To its south it has a coastline of around 45 km on the
Gulf of Thailand
The Gulf of Thailand, also known as the Gulf of Siam, is a shallow inlet in the southwestern South China Sea, bounded between the southwestern shores of the Indochinese Peninsula and the northern half of the Malay Peninsula. It is around in l ...
. It is rich in low arable lands and has abundant natural resources. Its capital is the city of
Kampot.
Kampot Province had a population of 627,884 in 2010 and consist of eight districts divided into 92 communes with a total of 477 villages. Touk Meas City is located in the province.
History
In the 19th century, during the
French Indochina period, Kampot became a regional administrative center with the status of a state border district as a result of the
delimitation of the Kingdom of Cambodia. The ''Circonscription Résidentielle de Kampot'' contained the
arrondissements of Kampot, Kompong-Som, Trang and Kong-Pisey.
In 1889,
French colonial census reports a multi-ethnic community: Kampot town consisted of "Cambodian Kampot" on the Prek-Kampot River and "Chinese Kampot" on the right riverbank of the west branch of the Prek-Thom River. Nearby was also a
Vietnamese village, called Tien-Thanh and another Vietnamese village on Traeuy Koh Island. A
Malay also existed on Traeuy Koh Island. Additional villages of mixed ethnicity are listed.
Khmer Rouge era
Destruction and mass murder happened throughout the whole area of Kampot province, as the
Cambodian genocide
The Cambodian genocide ( km, របបប្រល័យពូជសាសន៍នៅកម្ពុជា) was the systematic persecution and killing of Cambodians by the Khmer Rouge under the leadership of Communist Party of Kampuchea genera ...
and bloody massacres engulfed Kampot province under the terror of Khmer Rouge rule. A total 90,450 persons were massacred throughout the province.
Ta Mok himself massacred 30,000 people in the
Angkor Chey District of Kampot.
Economy
Agriculture
*
Kampot pepper is a specialized product, protected by
GI law, totaling 13 ha and a harvesting area of 10.50 ha located in Domnak Kantoul, Kang Tboung Commune, Kompong Trach District.
*
Durian
The durian (, ) is the edible fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus ''Durio''. There are 30 recognised ''Durio'' species, at least nine of which produce edible fruit. ''Durio zibethinus'', native to Borneo and Sumatra, is the onl ...
, another specialized product totaling 537 ha and yielding 10,657 tons located in Makbrang Commune, Tek Chhou district.
*
Rubber, plantation area: 20 ha
*
Kampot sea salt is extracted from the
seawater through
salt evaporation ponds in the coastal areas of Kampot and Kep provinces.
Forestry and mining
* Forestry area: 227,154 ha
* 48 Mineral production and mining areas
Tourism
* Historical/cultural areas: 4 places
* Wildlife sanctuaries and protected areas:
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 a ...
at 140,000 hectares
Districts
The province is subdivided into 7 districts and 1 municipality.
Gallery
Map Kampot Province.png, Map of Kampot province
Scenic View from Bokor Hill Station - Near Kampot - Cambodia - 04 (48528869996).jpg, View of the coast near Kampot from Bokor mountain (Phnom Bokor).
Station de Bokor. Falaise. Janvier 2014 @ Oobmak.jpg, The 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 Mou ...
receives heavy monsoon rainfalls, but keeps the eastern parts of the province in relative rain shadow
A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side.
Evaporated moisture from water bodies (such as oceans and large lakes) is carrie ...
.
Phong cảnh trên đỉnh núi Bokor.jpg, The highland plateaus in Phnom Bokor National Park
Farm in Kampot province.jpg, Farmlands
Sreyneang2.jpg, Kampot pepper farm
Fishing Boats on the Kampot River - 2012.JPG, Fishing boats on Kampot River
Phnom Chhnork (8258875098).jpg, Phnom Chhnork
Phnom Chhnork is a Hindu cave temple in Kampot Province, southern Cambodia, located about north-east of Kampot. The temple was built in the 7th century from Funan brick, dedicated to Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious ...
, cave temple near Kampot city
SwimmingCaveKompongTrach.JPG, Caves in Kampong Trach
Kampong Trach District ( km, ស្រុកកំពង់ត្រាច) is one of 8 districts in Kampot Province and it is located at the eastern part bordering Vietnam to the east, Banteay Meas District to the north, Kep Province to the w ...
Rabbit Island.JPG, Islands and sandy beaches
References
External links
The 2010 Kampot Provincial Investment Profile by USAID and the Provincial Administration
{{Authority control
Provinces of Cambodia
Gulf of Thailand
States and territories established in 1923