Kep Province

Kep (Khmer: កែប pronounced [kaep]), also romanized as Kaeb (កែប, "Saddle"), formally known as Kep Province (ខេត្តកែប), is the smallest province (khaet) of Cambodia^[2] covering 336 km² (130 sq mi), with a population of 41,798.^[1] It is one of the newest Cambodian provinces, together with Pailin, Sihanoukville and Tboung Khmum, created by Royal Decree on 22 December 2008, which separated Kep Municipality & Damnak Chang'aeur District from the Kampot Province, as well as adjusting several provincial borders.^[3][4] It is both the smallest and least populous province of Cambodia. The provincial capital is Kep District and the province contains the Kep National Park.

Geography

Location

The territory of Kep is entirely surrounded by Kampot Province except for the 16 km of sea coast on the southern side fronting the Gulf of Thailand and the Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc. The western limit is 20 km from the town of Kampot. The eastern limit is some 20 km from the Vietnamese border.

Administrative division

It is subdivided into 1 district and 1 municipality:

ISO Code District Khmer

23-01 Damnak Chang'aeur ស្រុកដំណាក់ចង្អើរ

23-02 Kep Municipality ក្រុងកែប

Damnak Chang'aeur: It is the largest of the province and divided in three quarters – Angkaol to the west, Ou Krasar at the center and Pong Tuek at the east – and 11 groups (krom).[5] It was the place where Australian David Wilson, 29, Briton Mark Slater, 28, and Frenchman Jean-Michel Braquet, 27, were kidnapped by a Khmer Rouge guerrilla unit led by Commander Chouk Rin on June 1994.[6]

Kep Municipality: The municipality, located at the center of the Province, is subdivided into two quarters Sangkat Kep at the east of the Kep Peninsula and Sangkat Prey Thum at the west, and five groups.[7]

Kep Archipelago

The Kep Peninsula enters southwest to the Kep Bay in a triangle. A tiny archipelago of 13 islands (Koh) and islets are located at the east side of the peninsula:

Koh Tonsay (កោះទន្សាយ, 'Rabbit Island')

Koh Kok (កោះកុក, Egret Island)

Koh Mtes (កោះម្ទេស, Chili Island)

Koh Svay (កោះស្វាយ, 'Mango Island')

Koh Tbal (កោះត្បាល់, 'Millstone Island')

Koh Hal Trei.(កោះហាលត្រី, 'Dry Fish Island')

Koh Svay Prey (កោះស្វាយព្រៃ), 'Wild Mango Island')

Koh Sarang (កោះសារ៉ាង 'Sarang Island')

Koh Pou (កោះពោធិ or Pura Island, 'Enlightening Island')

Koh Makprang. (កោះម៉ាកប្រាង, 'Makprang Island' - A Cambodian wild small fruit like a mango.)

Koh Angkrong (កោះអង្គ្រង, 'Angkrong Island' - Angkrong is the Ziziphus cambodiana tree species.)

Koh Ach Seh (កោះអាចម៍សេះ, 'Horse Dung Island', however the name is popular evolving to just Kos Seh - Horse Island.)

Koh Snguot. (កោះស្ងួត, 'Dry Island')[8]

Distances between Kep and other main Cambodian provinces[edit]

• Phnom Penh: 164 km (102 mi) to the north (from Kep town)
• Sihanoukville: 130 km (81 mi) to the west along the coast
• Kampot City: 25 km (16 mi) to the west
• Bokor Hill Station: 67 km (42 mi) to the west
• Vietnamese border: 25 km (16 mi) to the east
• Siem Reap: 478 km (297 mi) to the north
• Battambang: 455 km (283 mi) to the northwest
• Koh Kong Province and Thailand's border: 364 km (226 mi) to the wes