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Banteay Meanchey

Banteay Meanchey
ខេត្តបន្ទាយមានជ័យ
Province
Street in Poipet
Street in Poipet
Map of Cambodia highlighting Banteay Meanchey
Map of Cambodia highlighting Banteay Meanchey
Coordinates: 13°45′N 103°00′E / 13.750°N 103.000°E / 13.750; 103.000Coordinates: 13°45′N 103°00′E / 13.750°N 103.000°E / 13.750; 103.000
Country  Cambodia
Provincial status 1993
Capital Serei Saophoan
Government
 • Governor Suon Bava (CPP)
Area
 • Total 6,679 km2 (2,579 sq mi)
Area rank Ranked 12th
Population (2008 census)
 • Total 678,033
 • Rank Ranked 10th
 • Density 100/km2 (260/sq mi)
 • Density rank Ranked 11th
Time zone UTC+07
Dialing code +855
ISO 3166 code KH-1
Districts 8
Communes 64
Villages 624

Banteay Meanchey (Khmer: ខេត្តបន្ទាយមានជ័យ, IPA: [ɓɑntiəj miən cɨj], "Fortress of Victory") is a province (khaet) of Cambodia located in the far northwest. It borders the provinces of Oddar Meanchey and Siem Reap to the east, Battambang to the south, and shares an international border with Thailand to the west. Its capital and largest city is Serei Saophoan.

Banteay Meanchey is the 13th largest province in Cambodia. With a population of 678,033, it ranks as the tenth most populous in the nation. The town of Poipet in the western part of the province is an international border crossing into Thailand. Banteay Meanchey is one of the nine provinces that are part of the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve.

Banteay Meanchey means "Fortress of Victory" in Khmer. Chey (Khmer: ជ័យ) is derived from the Sanskrit word jaya (जय) meaning "victory", and banteay (Khmer: បន្ទាយ) is a Khmer word meaning "fortress" or "castle".

The area was part of the extensive Khmer empire. Its most notable remains is the Banteay Chhmar temple in the north of the province, built in 12th century towards the 13th century. Other lesser known temples are the Banteay Neang and Banteay Torp temples.


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