Kampong Cham province facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kampong Cham កំពង់ចាម
Province
Kampong Cham Province ខេត្តកំពង់ចាម
From top: Wat Nokor, Wat Dey Doh, Bos Knoar Hill, Phnom Srei
Seal
Map of Cambodia highlighting Kampong Cham
Country	Cambodia
Provincial status	1 January 1885
Division	31 December 2013
Capital	Kampong Cham
Subdivisions	1 municipality; 9 districts
Area
• Total	4,549 km2 (1,756 sq mi)
Area rank	18th
Population  (2019)
• Total	899,791
• Rank	7th
• Density	198/km2 (510/sq mi)
• Density rank	5th
Time zone	UTC+07:00 (ICT)
Dialing code	+855
ISO 3166 code	KH-3

Kampong Cham (Khmer: កំពង់ចាម, Kâmpóng Cham) is a province in Cambodia. It is located in the central lowlands, near the Mekong River. Kampong Cham shares borders with several other provinces. These include Kampong Chhnang to the west and Kampong Thom to the north. It also borders Kratié to the north, Tboung Khmum to the east, and Prey Veng and Kandal to the south.

In 2013, Kampong Cham province was officially divided into two parts. The land west of the Mekong River stayed as Kampong Cham. The land east of the river became a new province called Tboung Khmum. Before this split, Kampong Cham was much larger. It was the most populated province in Cambodia. Its capital city is also called Kampong Cham.

What's in a Name?

The name Kampong Cham means "Port of the Chams" in the Khmer language. The word Kampong means a port or a harbor. Cham refers to the Cham people, an ethnic group who live in the province. The word kampong is similar to words in other languages, like kampung in Malay and Indonesian, which means village. A special symbol for the province is two snakes wrapped around each other. You can see this symbol at the bridge in Kampong Cham city.

Geography and Rivers

Houses on the border of the Mekong river.

Kampong Cham province is mostly flat land. The most important river here is the Mekong River. This river forms the eastern border of the province. It also separates Kampong Cham from the new Tboung Khmum province.

Religion and Beliefs

Religion in Kampong Cham province (2019 census)      Buddhism (97.6%)     Islam (2.3%)     Christianity (0.1%)     Animism and Other religions (0.0%)

The main religion in Cambodia is Theravada Buddhism. Most people in Kampong Cham province, over 97%, follow Buddhism. About 2.3% of the people in Kampong Cham province follow Islam. Many of these are Cham people. A small number of people, about 0.1%, follow Christianity.

How the Province is Managed

Kampong Cham province is divided into smaller areas to help manage it. It has 9 districts and 1 municipality (a city area). These districts are then split into smaller parts called communes (khum). Communes are further divided into villages (phum).

The province used to have 16 districts. But in 2013, the government decided to split the province into two. This was done to make managing the large province easier. The 10 areas that stayed in Kampong Cham province mostly voted for the opposition party. The districts that became part of the new Tboung Khmum province mostly voted for the ruling party.

Politics and Government

Kampong Cham province has 10 seats in the National Assembly. The National Assembly is like the country's parliament. This means people from Kampong Cham help make laws for Cambodia.

Famous People from Kampong Cham

Many important people in Cambodia's history and present day come from Kampong Cham.

• Bun Rany – She is the President of the Cambodian Red Cross.
• Hang Thun Hak – A former Prime Minister of Cambodia.
• Hem Heng – A diplomat who represents Cambodia in other countries.
• Heng Samrin – The Speaker of the National Assembly.
• Hun Manet – The son of former Prime Minister Hun Sen.
• Hun Neang – The father of former Prime Minister Hun Sen.
• Hun Sen – A very long-serving former Prime Minister of Cambodia.
• In Tam – Another former Prime Minister.
• Keng Vannsak – A well-known author.
• Kong Korm – A Senator in the Cambodian government.
• Say Chhum – The President of the Senate.
• Sim Var – Also a former Prime Minister.

See also

• Wat Moha Leap
• Khmer people
• Cham people
• Champa
• Kampong Cham (city) – The capital city of Kampong Cham province.