Battambang (province)

បាត់ដំបង Battambang Province
Basic data
Country	Cambodia
Capital	Battambang
surface	11,702 km²
Residents	1,260,700 (2017)
density	108 inhabitants per km²
ISO 3166-2	KH-2
Rice harvest in Battambang Province

Coordinates: 13 ° 6 '  N , 103 ° 12'  E

Battambang ( Khmer បាត់ដំបង , transcription : Bătdâmbâng , IPA : [ ɓatɗɑmɓɑŋ ]) is a province of Cambodia with the provincial capital of the same name . The province is located in the northwest of the country and borders Thailand .

administration

Battambang Province is divided into 14 counties, 96 parishes and 741 villages:

Geocode	Khmer	District names
0201	ស្រុក បាណន់	Banana
0202	ស្រុក ថ្មគោល	Thma Koul
0203	ក្រុង បាត់ដំបង	Bat Dambang
0204	ស្រុក បវេល	Bavel
0205	ស្រុក ឯកភ្នំ	Aek Phnum
0206	ស្រុក មោងឫស្សី	Moung Ruessei
0207	ស្រុក រតន មណ្ឌល	Rotanak Mondol
0208	ស្រុក សង្កែ	Sangkae
0209	ស្រុក សំឡូត	Samlout
0210	ស្រុក សំពៅលូន	Sampov Lun
0211	ស្រុក ភ្នំព្រឹក	Phnum Proek
0212	ស្រុក កំរៀង	Kamrieng
0213	ស្រុក គាស់ក្រឡ	Koas Krala
0214	ស្រុក រុក្ខ គិរី	Rukhakiri

history

The region belonged to times of the kingdom of Angkor to the affluent areas of dominion. The territories in what is now Battambang Province were then called Amogha Boreak and Bhima Boreak. The land was fertile and produced a lot of rice, fruits and vegetables. Hindu and Buddhist temples still bear witness to the fact that they belong to the Khmer Empire. In the turmoil during the decline of the Angkor Empire between the 15th and 18th centuries, the region fell to the Siamese Kingdom of Ayutthaya .

In 1769 the Siamese king Taksin conquered Battambang and Siem Reap. The Khmer nobleman Oknya Yomreach (Baen) acted as a kind of viceroy and representative of Siamese interests during the interregnum in Cambodia 1782–1794. After King Ang Eng returned to Cambodia in 1794, Baen became the Siamese governor of Battambang and Siem Reap under the name Chaophraya Aphaiphubet . These were directly subordinated to the government in Bangkok and thus separated from the rest of Cambodia. Chaophraya Aphaiphubet was the progenitor of the Aphaiwong family , in which the governorship was effectively inherited in the following century. In Thai, the province was called Phra Tabong ( พระ ตะบอง ). Even after the Franco-Siamese treaty of 1867, the north-west of Cambodia (the provinces of Phra Tabong and Siem Reap at the time ) remained with Siam, while the rest of the country became a French protectorate.

It was not until 1907 that Siam Battambang, Siem Reap and Sisophon had to cede to France. As a result of the Franco-Thai War , Battambang was once again part of Thailand from 1941 to 1946. Battambang was then one of the most productive rice-growing areas in Indochina. Khuang Aphaiwong , son of the last Siamese governor of Phra Tabong, was Prime Minister of Thailand in the 1940s.

The return of Battambang to France was a condition for Thailand's admission to the UN. After Cambodia gained independence in 1953, the northernmost part of Battambang Province was assigned to the new Oddar Meanchey Province in 1966 . In 1986, the Banteay Meanchey Province was spun off from Battambang. In 1998 Pailin , the last stronghold of the Khmer Rouge, became independent.

economy

The region lives economically from its strong agricultural potential. In 2006, 536,830 tons of rice were produced. Corn, cassava, sweet potatoes, beans and chilli are also grown. A second economic sector is fishing. There are 12 fishing areas that produced 7,000 tons of fish in 2006. The main catch in the rainy season is the snakehead fish. The Ministry of Agriculture is committed to sustainability and tries to curb illegal fishing.

nature

In 1993 the Samlaut Multiple Use Area was established in the province - a nature reserve with the last rainforest in western Cambodia. Wild Asian elephants also live here. Since 2006, the park administration has been cooperating with the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in the United States.

Attractions

The Hindu temples Wat Ek Phnom and Wat Banan are located in the province .

Web links

Wikivoyage: Battambang Province  - Travel Guide

Commons : Battambang Province  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Battambang - The Rice Bowl of Cambodia ; Provincial capital Battambang website (in Khmer and English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Statistically projected population figures for 2017 on citipopulation.de
2. ^ David K. Wyatt: Thailand. A short history. 2nd edition, Silkworm Books, Chiang Mai 2004, p. 124.
3. ^ David K. Wyatt: Thailand. A short history. 2nd edition, Silkworm Books, Chiang Mai 2004, p. 140.
4. ^ David K. Wyatt: Thailand. A short history. 2nd edition, Silkworm Books, Chiang Mai 2004, p. 191.
5. ^ Judith A. Stowe: Siam Becomes Thailand. A story of intrigue. C. Hurst & Co., London 1991, ISBN 0-8248-1393-6 , p. 183.