Prey Veng province

Prey Veng ព្រៃវែង
Province
Prey Veng Province ខេត្តព្រៃវែង
Seal
Map of Cambodia highlighting Prey Veng
Coordinates: 11°29′N 105°20′E
Country	Cambodia
Provincial status	1907
Capital	Prey Veng
Government
• Governor	Suon Somalin (CPP)
• National Assembly	11 / 125
Area
• Total	4,883 km2 (1,885 sq mi)
• Rank	16th
Population  (2023)
• Total	1,162,406
• Rank	3rd
• Density	217/km2 (560/sq mi)
• Rank	4th
Time zone	UTC+07:00 (ICT)
Dialing code	+855
ISO 3166 code	KH-14
HDI (2017)	0.555 medium

Prey Veng (Khmer: ព្រៃវែង [prɨj.ʋɛːŋ]; lit. 'High Forest') is a province (khaet) of Cambodia. The capital is Prey Veng. With a population of 1.1 million people, it is the third most populous province.

This densely populated agricultural region is located on the east bank of the Mekong. The name literally means "long forest" in khmer, but the last great forests have gradually disappeared there over 30-year to provide for agricultural land.

History

In early Christian era, the province was a major center of the kingdom of Funan, between economic and political capitals of the country what were Oc Eo (now in the Vietnamese province of An Giang) and Angkor Borei (in the Cambodian province of Takéo province).

However, with the advent of Chen-la, the hub of the kingdom moved farther west, to Koh Ker and Angkor and the region lost its importance.

In the 15th century, the Khmer emperors, under threat from the Siamese (former name of people of current Thailand) decided to resettle back to the east, to Oudong, Lovek then Phnom Penh. Prey Veng did not favor them as it was too close to another danger, namely the Annam. Nevertheless, they formed an army at Ba Phnom in 1473 to defend against an invasion of Siam.

Under the French protectorate, the colonial authorities saw potential of the region in terms of agriculture and fishing and its proximity to the French colony of Cochin China. Mass deforestation took place, to create land for agriculture.

In 1975 when the Khmer Rouge took power, the province experienced its first famine, until 1977. Thousands of people in Prey Veng province were killed by the Khmer Rouge and buried in mass graves.

As the Vietnamese army advanced in January 1979, the region regained its position and became one of the first areas of Cambodia liberated from the Khmer Rouge.

Geography

The province is bordered by those of Kampong Cham to the northwest, Tbong Khmum to the northeast, Kandal to the west, and Svay Rieng to the east and by Vietnam (Đồng Tháp, Long An and Tây Ninh) to the south. It is crossed by two major rivers of the country, namely the Mekong and Tonle Bassac.

The total land area of the province is 4,883 km², which equals 2.7% of the total land area of Cambodia (181,035 km²). This consists of 445.18 km² or 9.12% of human settlements, 3,100 km² or 63.49% of agricultural land use, 194.61 km² or 3.99% of forested area, 1,082.86 km² or 22.18% of public land, infrastructure and water bodies. The remaining 60.35 km² or 1.24% are unused areas.

Population

The total population is 947,357 persons or 7.07% of the total population of 13,388,910 persons in Cambodia In the above number are also consisting of 825,818 person or 80.54% are farmers, 140,685 person or 13.72% are fishermen, 44,561 person or 4,35% are traders, 14,267 person or 1.39% are government's officers. The average density 194.0 person per km².

The majority of the population is of Khmer origin and only 1.13% are from ethnic minorities such as Kinh (Viet), the Muslim Chams or Laos.

Economy

Waiting for the Neak Leung ferry

The province boasts of silt deposited in each flood, this makes the region conducive to agriculture and fishing. It is part of what is called the "great green belt" of Cambodia.

The main crop of rice and has the largest area devoted to rice in the country, contributing about 10% in the national crop and is among those that emerge each year the largest surplus. Tobacco, mung beans, cane sugar, palm sugar, cassava, sesame and fruits such as coconuts, mangoes and cashews are grown in Prey Veng. Rubber trees have played an important economic role in the past, but the plantations were abandoned during the wars that bloodied the country decades ago.

Districts

Golden rice field in Prey Veng province

The province contains 1139 villages organized by 116 communes and 12 districts and 1 municipality. The districts are:

ISO code	District	Khmer
14-01	Ba Phnum	ស្រុកបាភ្នំ
14-02	Kamchay Mear	ស្រុកកំចាយមារ
14-03	Kampong Trabaek	ស្រុកកំពង់ត្របែក
14-04	Kanhchriech	ស្រុកកញ្ជ្រៀច
14-05	Me Sang	ស្រុកមេសាង
14-06	Peam Chor	ស្រុកពាមជរ
14-07	Peam Ro	ស្រុកពាមរក៍
14-08	Pea Reang	ស្រុកពារាំង
14-09	Preah Sdach	ស្រុកព្រះស្ដេច
14-10	Prey Veng Municipality	ក្រុងព្រៃវែង
14-11	Pur Rieng	ស្រុកពោធិ៍រៀង
14-12	Sithor Kandal	ស្រុកស៊ីធរកណ្ដាល
14-13	Svay Antor	ស្រុកស្វាយអន្ទរ

Religion

Religion in Prey Veng (2019 census)

  Buddhism (99.5%)

  Islam (0.2%)

  Christianity (0.3%)

  Animism and Other religions (0%)

The state religion is Theravada Buddhism. More than 99.5% of the people in Prevy Veng are Buddhists. Chams have been practicing Islam for hundreds of years. A small percentage follow Christianity.

Tourist Sites

Ba Phnom

Ba Phnom is located 78 kilometers east of Phnom Penh and 45 kilometres south of the provincial capital. Its name literally means "ancestor of the hill". There is actually a mound of 139 meters.

Archaeological research has shown that it was an important cultural center of the kingdom of Fu-Nan, and a sacred place in which they worshipped Shiva. The site seems to have retained its sacred character throughout the Angkor period, and traces of animist and Buddhist rituals have also been found.

Prey Veng

The provincial capital is located on the National Road 11 between Neak Leung and Kampong Cham. It is located about 2 and half hours by road from Phnom Penh and 3 hours from Ho Chi Minh City. This quaint town is off the usual tourist trail and is uncrowded. It houses several old dilapidated colonial homes. There is a large lake west of the city which is dry from March to August.

Notable people

• Kak Channthy - singer
• Lorn Panha - professional kickboxer
• Thoeun Theara - professional kickboxer

External links

• Prey Veng at Royal Government of Cambodia website

Sources

Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries