Oddar Meanchey province facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oddar Meanchey ឧត្ដរមានជ័យ
Province
Oddar Meanchey Province ខេត្តឧត្ដរមានជ័យ
Prasat Ta Muen Thom Located in Oddar Meanchey province near the Cambodian-Thai border
Seal
Map of Cambodia highlighting Oddar Meanchey
Country	Cambodia
Provincial status	12 July 1964
Re-established	27 January 1995
Capital	Samraong
Subdivisions	1 municipality; 4 districts
Area
• Total	6,158 km2 (2,378 sq mi)
Area rank	Ranked 13th
Population  (2019)
• Total	276,038
• Rank	18th
• Density	45/km2 (120/sq mi)
• Density rank	18th
Time zone	UTC+07:00 (ICT)
Dialing code	+855
ISO 3166 code	KH-22

Oddar Meanchey (Khmer: ឧត្តរមានជ័យ) is a province in the remote northwest part of Cambodia. It shares borders with Banteay Meanchey to the west, Siem Reap to the south, and Preah Vihear to the east. Its long northern border is part of Cambodia's international boundary with Thailand. The capital city of Oddar Meanchey is Samraong.

This province was officially created on April 27, 1999. It was formed from the northern part of Siem Reap province and a section of Banteay Meanchey. Oddar Meanchey actually existed as a province before, from 1962 to 1970, under the rule of Norodom Sihanouk. However, its status changed many times over the years, sometimes being a province and sometimes just a district.

Understanding the Name: Oddar Meanchey

The name Oddar Meanchey means 'victorious North'. This name comes from ancient languages like Sanskrit and Pali. The word uttarā means 'north', and jaya means 'victory'. In the Khmer language, Mean (មាន) means 'to have'. So, the name combines these meanings to describe the province.

How Oddar Meanchey is Organized

Oddar Meanchey province is divided into smaller areas for easier management. It has one main city area, called a municipality (krong), and four other areas called districts (srok). These are further split into even smaller sections: 19 communes (khum) and 5 quarters (sangkat).

Nature and Environment

Oddar Meanchey province is located in the Dângrêk Mountains. The area faces a big challenge with deforestation, which means forests are being cut down too much. There's also a lot of illegal logging, where trees are cut down without permission. This happens because of land being used for businesses and people moving into forest areas.

However, there's a positive effort to protect the forests here. The first project in Asia that helps communities save forests and reduce carbon emissions (called REDD+) is working in this province. This project has been recognized for its important work in forest conservation. Forest fires are also common in the dry season.

A Look Back at History

Anlong Veng, a historical area in Oddar Meanchey province.

The mountainous and forested land that is now Oddar Meanchey province was once part of a larger Siamese (Thai) region from 1795 to 1907. In 1907, it was returned to Cambodia. King Sisowath then divided the area into two provinces: Battambang and Siem Reap, with Oddar Meanchey being part of Siem Reap.

Later, after a conflict between France and Thailand (the Franco-Thai War) from 1941 to 1946, the province was again under Siamese control. But it was given back to Cambodia in 1946 after World War II. Oddar Meanchey officially became a province in 1966.

During the Cambodian Civil War, this remote area became an important base for the Khmer Rouge group. They fought against the government led by General Lon Nol. The Khmer Rouge later rebuilt their bases in the Dangrek mountain range, near the border with Thailand. The town of Anlong Veng became their main base from 1989 until 1997. Because of this history, Oddar Meanchey province is one of the areas in Cambodia that still has many landmines.