Kampong Thom province

Kampong Thom in Khmer means 'great port' or 'great harbor'. Kampong in Khmer translates as 'port' or 'harbor'. The word Kampong is also shared in other Asian languages, for example in the Malay language, meaning 'village'. Thom in the Khmer language means 'big', 'grand', or 'large'. == Administration ==

The province is divided into eight districts and one municipality, further divided into 81 communes. == History ==

The previous name of the province was Kampong Pous Thom ('Port', 'City of the Great Snakes'). According to local legend, at a lakeside dock near the Sen River, a pair of large snakes inhabited a nearby cave. On every Buddhist holiday, the snakes would make appearances to the people nearby who then began to refer to the area as Kampong Pous Thom. Eventually the snakes disappeared and the name was shortened to Kampong Thom. During the Colonial Cambodia period, the French divided Cambodian territory into provinces and named most of them according to the local popular names for the respective areas. Kampong Thom was a powerful capital in Southeast Asia during the Funan period. Prasat Sambor Prei Kuk, dating from the Chenla era, is in Kampong Thom province. == Geography ==

. The Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary landscape spans Kampong Thom and neighbouring provinces, and has included a registered REDD+ project under Japan’s Joint Crediting Mechanism for which Conservation International Cambodia has been described as a coordinator. Two of the three core areas in Tonlé Sap Biosphere Reserve lie in Kampong Thom. • Boeng Chhmar (14,560 hectares), and • Stung Saen (6,355 hectares). ==Religion==

The state religion is Theravada Buddhism. More than 98.6% of the people in Kampong Thom are Buddhists. Chams have been practicing Islam for hundreds of years, besides that there are Cham Muslims from Tboung Khmum who came here recently to encroach on the forest land here. A small percentage follow Christianity. == Economy ==

Much of Kampong Thom is on the floodplain of the Tonlé Sap lake. In 2003–2004, it was a significant producer of wild fish (18,800 tons) and the fourth largest producer of fish through aquaculture in Cambodia (1,800 tons). Most of the fish-raising is done by home production, with a growing segment devoted to rice field aquaculture. Kampong Thom is also one of the largest producers of cashew nuts in Cambodia, with 6,371 hectares under production in 2003–2004. ==Notable people==

• Chhoeung Lvai, Khmer boxer • Eng Chhai Eang, politician • Kang Kek Iew, former Khmer Rouge personnel • Ke Pauk, former Khmer Rouge personnel • Kouch Sokumpheak, footballer • Nguon Nhel, politician • Pol Pot, former Khmer Rouge dictator and Prime Minister ==Attraction==

File:Tonle Sap See.jpg|Tonle Sap See File:One of many temples in Sambor Prei Kuk.jpg|Sambor Prei Kuk File:Parts of the temple from phnom santuk by 2eight dsc3693.jpg|Phnom Santuk File:Prey Pras, ឃុំ ត្បែង, Cambodia - panoramio.jpg|Prey Pras == References ==