Oddar Meancheay Province

Oddar Meanchey (Khmer: ឧត្ដរមានជ័យ) is a province in the north of Cambodia located along the border with Thailand. The capital is Samraong town.

Etymology

Oddar Meanchey means "Northern Victory. The city's name is of Sanskrit origin and is derived from the words "uttarā" (उत्तर) and "jaya" (जय) which mean "northern victory" when they are put together.

Administrative divisions

The province is subdivided into 5 districts.

• 2201 Anlong Veng -​ អន្លង់វែង
• 2202 Banteay Ampil - បន្ទាយអំពិល
• 2203 Chong Kal -​ ចុងកាល
• 2204 Samraong -​ សំរោង
• 2205 Trapeang Prasat -​ ត្រពាំងប្រាសាទ

Ecology

The territory of this province is located in the Dângrêk Mountains. There is a serious problem of deforestation in the area.^[2] Forest fires are common in the dry forest and there is much illegal logging as a result of economic land concessions and migrant forest encroachment.

Services

Only a few households in Oddar Meancheay have access to electricity.

History

The mountainous and forested area of Oddar Meancheay Province was used as a base by the Khmer Rouge when they fought against the Khmer Republic led by general Lon Nol 1970-1975.

The Khmer Rouge rebuilt their former bases in the Dangrek mountain range area, along the border with Thailand and made Anlong Veng their main "capital" from 1989 till 1997. Nowadays Oddar Meanchey Province is one of the most landmine-ridden areas in Cambodia.