Prey Veng province facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Prey Veng ព្រៃវែង
Province
Prey Veng Province ខេត្តព្រៃវែង
Seal
Map of Cambodia highlighting Prey Veng
Country	Cambodia
Provincial status	1907
Capital	Prey Veng
Area
• Total	4,883 km2 (1,885 sq mi)
Area rank	16th
Population  (2019)
• Total	1,057,720
• Rank	3rd
• Density	217/km2 (560/sq mi)
• Density 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; "Long Forest") is a province in Cambodia. Its capital city is also called Prey Veng. With over 1 million people, it is the third most populated province in the country.

This area is mostly farmland and is located on the east side of the Mekong River. The name "Prey Veng" means "long forest" in the Khmer language. However, most of the large forests have disappeared over the last 30 years. This land was cleared to create more space for farming.

History of Prey Veng Province

Ancient Times: Funan Kingdom

Long ago, in the early Christian era, Prey Veng was a very important place. It was a major center for the ancient kingdom of Funan. This kingdom had important cities like Oc Eo (now in Vietnam) and Angkor Borei (in Cambodia). Prey Veng was right in the middle of these important places.

Later Kingdoms: Chen-la and Angkor

Later, when the Chen-la kingdom became powerful, the main cities moved further west. These new centers included Koh Ker and Angkor. Because of this shift, the Prey Veng region became less important for a while.

Return of the Kings: 15th Century

In the 1400s, the Khmer emperors faced threats from the Siamese (people from what is now Thailand). They decided to move their capital cities back towards the east. They settled in places like Oudong, Lovek, and then Phnom Penh. Prey Veng was not chosen as a capital because it was too close to another danger, the Annam people. Still, a Khmer army was formed at Ba Phnom in 1473 to fight against a Siamese invasion.

French Protectorate and Farming

During the time when France controlled Cambodia, the French saw that Prey Veng was good for farming and fishing. It was also close to their colony in Cochin China (part of Vietnam). Because of this, many forests were cut down. This created more land for agriculture.

Khmer Rouge Era and Liberation

In 1975, the Khmer Rouge group took control of Cambodia. During this time, Prey Veng province faced a severe shortage of food until 1977. Many people in Prey Veng were killed and buried in mass graves by the Khmer Rouge. In January 1979, the Vietnamese army moved into Cambodia. Prey Veng was one of the first areas to be freed from the Khmer Rouge.

Geography of Prey Veng

Prey Veng province shares its borders with several other provinces. To the northwest is Kampong Cham province, and to the northeast is Tbong Khmum province. Kandal province is to the west, and Svay Rieng province is to the east. To the south, Prey Veng borders Vietnam, specifically the provinces of Đồng Tháp, Long An, and Tây Ninh.

Two major rivers, the Mekong and Tonle Bassac, flow through Prey Veng. The province covers a total area of 4,883 square kilometers. About 63% of this land is used for farming. Around 9% is for towns and villages, and nearly 4% is forested. The rest is public land, water, or unused areas.

Population of Prey Veng

The total population of Prey Veng province is about 947,357 people. This makes up about 7% of Cambodia's total population. Most of the people living here are farmers, making up over 80% of the population. There are also many fishermen, traders, and government workers. On average, there are about 194 people living in each square kilometer.

Most of the people in Prey Veng are of Khmer origin. Only a small part of the population, about 1%, belongs to ethnic minority groups. These groups include the Kinh (Vietnamese), Muslim Chams, and Laotians.

Economy and Farming

Waiting for the Neak Leung ferry

Prey Veng province is very good for farming and fishing. This is because the rivers deposit rich soil during floods. This area is known as Cambodia's "great green belt" due to its fertile land.

The main crop grown here is rice. Prey Veng has the largest area dedicated to rice farming in Cambodia. It produces about 10% of the country's rice crop. This means it often has a large surplus of rice each year. Other crops grown in Prey Veng include tobacco, mung beans, cane sugar, palm sugar, cassava, and sesame. Fruits like coconuts, mangoes, and cashews are also grown. In the past, rubber trees were important for the economy. However, these plantations were abandoned during the wars in Cambodia.

Districts of Prey Veng

Golden rice field in Prey Veng province

Prey Veng province is divided into 12 districts and 1 municipality (a city area). These are further organized into 116 communes and 1139 villages.

Here are the districts in Prey Veng province:

Tourist Sites to Visit

Ba Phnom Hill

Ba Phnom is a hill located about 78 kilometers east of Phnom Penh. It is also 45 kilometers south of Prey Veng city. Its name means "ancestor of the hill." The hill is 139 meters tall.

Archaeological studies show that Ba Phnom was an important cultural center for the ancient Fu-Nan kingdom. It was a sacred place where people worshipped the god Shiva. The site remained sacred even during the Angkor period. Traces of ancient spiritual practices and Buddhist rituals have also been found there.

Prey Veng City

Prey Veng city is the capital of the province. It is located on National Road 11. This road connects Neak Leung and Kampong Cham. It takes about 2.5 hours to drive from Phnom Penh to Prey Veng city. It is also about 3 hours from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. This quiet town is not usually crowded with tourists. You can see several old colonial homes there. West of the city, there is a large lake that dries up between March and August.

Sources

Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

		Kampong Cham province, Tbong Khmum province	Tây Ninh province,  Vietnam
	Kandal province		Svay Rieng province
		Prey Veng province
		Đồng Tháp province,  Vietnam	Long An province,  Vietnam

See also

In Spanish: Provincia de Prey Veng para niños