Cambodia is divided into 25 provinces (, ). The capital Phnom Penh is not a province but an "autonomous municipality" (, ; lit. 'capital'), equivalent to a province governmentally and administered at the same level as the other 24 provinces.
Phnom Penh has both the highest population and the highest population density of all provinces, but is the second smallest in land area. The largest province by area is Mondulkiri and the smallest is Kep which is also the least populated province. Mondulkiri has the lowest population density.
Each province is administered by a governor, who is nominated by the Ministry of Interior, subject to approval by the Prime Minister.
Provinces are divided into districts (, srŏk). The districts in Phnom Penh are called khan (), normally written as for addresses in English followed by the districts' names (Ex: Khan Chamkar Mon; lit. 'Chamkar Mon District'). The number of districts in each province varies, from two in the smallest provinces to 14 in Battambang, Prey Veng, and Siem Reap. Provinces are subdivided into communes ( khum), which are further subdivided into villages (, phum). In Phnom Penh, sangkat () is used in the place of khum and, similar to khan, normally preferred for writing addresses in English (Ex: Sangkat Mittapheap; lit. 'Mittapheap Commune').
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List of provinces
Name Khmer UNGEGN Capital (seat) Population (2024) Area (km2) Density ISO Banteay Meanchey Serei Saophoan Municipality, Poipet Municipality 898,484 6,679 135 KH-1 Battambang Battambang Municipality 1,132,017 11,702 97 KH-2 Kampong Cham Kampong Cham Municipality 1,062,914 4,549 234 KH-3 Kampong Chhnang Kampong Chhnang Municipality 604,895 5,521 110 KH-4 Kampong Speu Chbar Mon Municipality, Oudong Me Chey Municipality 924,175 7,017 132 KH-5 Kampong Thom Steung Saen Municipality 807,254 13,814 58 KH-6 Kampot Kampot Municipality, Bokor Municipality 682,987 4,873 140 KH-7 Kandal Ta Khmau Municipality, Sampov Poun Municipality, Arey Ksat Municipality 1,352,198 3,179 425 KH-8 Kep Kep Municipality 48,772 336 145 KH-23 Koh Kong Khemarak Phoumin Municipality 140,962 10,090 14 KH-9 Kratié Kratié Municipality 441,078 11,094 40 KH-10 Mondulkiri Senmonorom Municipality 93,657 14,288 7 KH-11 Oddar Meanchey Samraong Municipality 267,703 6,158 43 KH-22 Pailin Pailin Municipality 79,445 803 99 KH-24 Phnom Penh Doun Penh Section 2,352,851 679 3,465 KH-12 Preah Sihanouk Sihanoukville Municipality, Kampong Soam Municipality, Koh Rong Municipality 234,702 1,938 121 KH-18 Preah Vihear Preah Vihear Municipality 249,973 13,788 18 KH-13 Prey Veng Prey Veng Municipality 1,277,867 4,883 273 KH-14 Pursat Pursat Municipality 516,072 12,692 41 KH-15 Ratanakiri Banlung Municipality 235,852 10,782 22 KH-16 Siem Reap Siem Reap Municipality, Run Ta AEk Municipality 1,099,825 10,299 107 KH-17 Stung Treng Stung Treng Municipality 176,488 11,092 16 KH-19 Svay Rieng Svay Rieng Municipality, Bavet Municipality 613,159 2,966 207 KH-20 Takéo Doun Kaev Municipality 1,097,243 3,563 308 KH-21 Tboung Khmum Suong Municipality 889,970 5,250 170 KH-25
History 1974: The Khmer Rouge government did away with the former Cambodian traditional administrative divisions. Instead of provinces, Democratic Kampuchea was divided into seven geographic zones (, ): the Northwest, the North, the Northeast, the East, the Southwest, the West, and the Centre. These zones were derived from divisions established by the Khmer Rouge when they fought against the Khmer Republic during the Cambodian Civil War. 2008: On 22 December 2008, King Norodom Sihamoni signed a decree that changed the municipalities of Kep, Pailin and Sihanoukville into provincial municipalities, as well as adjusting several provincial borders. 2013: On 31 December 2013, King Norodom Sihamoni signed a decree that split Kampong Cham into two provinces: Kampong Cham (west of the Mekong River) and Tboung Khmum (east of the Mekong River). 2018: In September 2018, Interior Minister Sar Kheng proposed establishing two more provinces, with areas taken from Kandal, Mondulkiri, and Ratanakiri. Prime Minister Hun Sen rejected the plan.
See also List of Cambodian provinces by Human Development Index Administrative divisions of Cambodia List of districts, municipalities and sections in Cambodia List of communes in Cambodia ISO 3166-2:KH
References
External links Statoid site