Battambang

Battambang ក្រុងបាត់ដំបង Battambang
City
ក្រុងបាត់ដំបង · City of Battambang
Road No. 3 near the central market
Battambang Location of Battambang, Cambodia
Coordinates: 13°06′N 103°12′E / 13.100°N 103.200°E / 13.100; 103.200
Country	Cambodia
Province	Battambang
Settled	11th Century
Official	1907
Government
• Type	City Municipality
Area
• Total	293 km2 (113 sq mi)
Elevation	39 m (128 ft)
Population (2008)
• Total	144,323
• Rank	Ranked 3rd
• Density	490/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
Time zone	Cambodia (UTC+7)
Website	City of Battambang

Battambang (Khmer: ក្រុងបាត់ដំបង; Batdâmbâng) or Krong Battambang (ក្រុងបាត់ដំបង, Battambang City) is the capital city of Battambang province in north western Cambodia.

Founded in the 11th century by the Khmer Empire, Battambang is the leading rice-producing province of the country. For nearly 100 years it was a major commercial hub and provincial capital of Siamese province of Inner Cambodia (1795-1907), though it was always populated by Khmer, with some ethnic Vietnamese, Lao, Thai and Chinese. Battambang remains the hub of Cambodia's northwest, connecting the region with Phnom Penh and Thailand.

The city is situated on the Sangkae River, a tranquil, small body of water that winds its way picturesquely through Battambang Province. As with much of Cambodia, French Colonial architecture is a notable aspect of the city, with some of the best-preserved examples in the country.

Battambang was established as an important trading city with around 2,500 residents in the 18th century. The population was centred along a single road parallel to the Sangkae River (Stung Sangkae). In 1795 Siam (modern-day Thailand) annexed much of north western Cambodia including the current provinces of Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Oddar Meanchey, Pailin, and Siem Reap into the province of Inner Cambodia. The Siamese ruled Battambang as a provincial capital through the Thai-speaking Khmer Aphaiwong family, a branch of the Khmer royal family, which governed for six generations until 1907 when the province was ceded to the French to be reunited with Cambodia as part of the French Indochina colony.