Siem Reap province facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Siem Reap សៀមរាប
Province
Siem Reap Province ខេត្តសៀមរាប
From top: Angkor Wat, South Gate of Angkor Thom, Phnom Kulen waterfall, moat of Angkor
Seal
Nickname(s):  Gateway to Angkor
Map of Cambodia highlighting Siem Reap
Country	Cambodia
Settled	802
Provincial status	23 December 1907
Capital	Siem Reap
Subdivisions	1 municipality; 13 districts
Area
• Total	10,299 km2 (3,976 sq mi)
Area rank	10th
Population  (2019)
• Total	1,014,234
• Rank	4th
• Density	98/km2 (250/sq mi)
• Density rank	13th
Time zone	UTC+07:00 (ICT)
ISO 3166 code	KH-17

Siem Reap (pronounced See-em Reep) is a province in the country of Cambodia. It's officially called Siemreap in the local language, Khmer. This province is located in the northwest part of Cambodia. It shares borders with several other provinces. The capital and largest city of the province is also called Siem Reap.

Siem Reap province is the tenth largest province in Cambodia. In 2019, its population reached over one million people. This makes it the fourth most populated province in the country. A big part of its southern border is along the Tonle Sap lake. This lake is a special area called the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve.

Today, Siem Reap province is famous for being home to Angkor. This includes the amazing Angkor Wat temple ruins. Angkor Wat is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other important places here are Banteay Srei, the Roluos temples, and Beng Mealea. You can also find Phnom Kulen National Park here. It has Cambodia's largest reclining Buddha statue.

What Does Siem Reap Mean?

The name Siem Reap has a special meaning. It literally means 'Siam defeated'. This name reminds people of old conflicts. These were fights between the Siamese (from Thailand) and the Khmer (from Cambodia). In Thailand, this area was called Siemmarat. This name meant 'Siam's territory'.

A Look at Siem Reap's History

Siem Reap province was once controlled by the Thai kingdom of Siam. This happened in 1795. Later, in 1907, it became part of Cambodia again. This change happened because France made a deal with Siam. Siam traded this area for other lands.

The area was then divided into two provinces: Battambang and Siem Reap. This was done by King Sisowath. For some time, this region was a disputed area. This led to the Franco-Thai War in 1941. Thailand won this war and took back control. However, Siem Reap and Angkor Wat stayed with Cambodia. After World War II, in 1946, the province fully returned to Cambodia. This was due to pressure from France and the UN.

Religions in Siem Reap

The main religion in Cambodia is Theravada Buddhism. Most people in Siem Reap province are Buddhists. About 99.3% of the population follows Buddhism. A smaller number of people, about 0.4%, are Christians. Islam is followed by about 0.2% of the people. Many of these are Chams.

How Siem Reap is Divided

The province is split into different parts. It has one main city area, called a municipality. It also has 11 districts. These districts are further divided into 100 communes. Inside these communes, there are 907 villages.

Gallery

See also

Learn more about Siem Reap in Spanish!

In Spanish: Provincia de Siem Riep para niños