Battambang (city)

ក្រុង បាត់ដំបង Battambang
Coordinates	13 ° 6 ′  N , 103 ° 12 ′  E Coordinates: 13 ° 6 ′  N , 103 ° 12 ′  E
Basic data
Country	Cambodia
province	Battambang
Residents	180,318 (2008)

Battambang ( Khmer ក្រុង បាត់ដំបង ) is a city in western Cambodia , the administrative capital of the province of the same name and is located about 290 kilometers northwest of Phnom Penh . In 2008, 180,318 people lived in the city. Battambang is located on National Road 5 , which runs from Poipet and Sisophon in the north via Pursat to Phnom Penh in the south of the country. The almost parallel railway line also runs through Battambang.

history

In the 19th century the province of Battambang (together with the province of Siem Reap ) belonged temporarily to neighboring Thailand (then: Siam ). It was only returned to Cambodia in 1907 under pressure from the colonial power France. In 1966, a peasant uprising in the province was brutally suppressed by the security forces of Prince Norodom Sihanouk . During the civil war of 1970-1975 under the regime of General Lon Nol , the population of Battambang increased significantly. In contrast to Phnom Penh, where hundreds of thousands of farmers fled from the bombing of the USA, the Battambang refugees were made up of wealthier Khmer people from Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. With the evacuation of all Cambodian cities by the Khmer Rouge in 1975, the residents of Battambang were also forced to leave their city.

Central market

In the UNTAC- controlled elections in 1993, Prince Norodom Ranariddh's royalist FUNCINPEC party won by far the most votes in Battambang.

In 1997 a peace march led by the Buddhist monk Maha Ghosananda led from Battambang to the city of Pailin .

economy

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In economic terms, Battambang Province is considered to be the “rice basket” of Cambodia. Because of the fertile soil, the farmers sometimes achieve two rice harvests a year. The income in Battambang Province is therefore higher than in other regions of Cambodia. Surplus rice is marketed within Cambodia and exported abroad. In addition to rice cultivation, fruit (oranges) and vegetable cultivation play an important role for the farmers.

Illegal logging has caused visible ecological damage in the province. In contrast to Siem Reap / Angkor , tourism does not yet play a major role in the city of Battambang, but the quiet provincial town atmosphere with French colonial architecture and a tropical picture-book landscape are increasingly attracting visitors.

Attractions

• Bahá'í House of Worship
• The Phnom Sampeau Buddhist Monastery
• Wat Ek Phnom
• Wat Banan
• The Da Tambong figure (grandfather with a staff) at the entrance to the village
• Colonial architecture
• museum
• Tropical picture book landscape

sons and daughters of the town

• Kuang Abhayawongse , Prime Minister of Thailand

Web links

Commons : Battambang  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Wikivoyage: Battambang  - Travel Guide

• Battambang - The Rice Bowl of Cambodia (official website of the provincial capital Battambang at www.battambang-town.gov.kh)
• BATTAMBANG HERITAGE CONSERVATION ONLINE
• 37 photos from Battambang and the surrounding area

Individual evidence

1. ↑ General Population Census of Cambodia 2008 - Provisional population totals, National Institute of Statistics, Ministry of Planning, released 3rd September, 2008 (English; PDF; 1.9 MB)