Kep, Cambodia
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Kep កែប |
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|---|---|
| Province | |
A beach on Koh Thonsay
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| Nickname(s): Côte de la perle d'Agathe (before khmer rouge) | |
 Map of Cambodia highlighting Kep |
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| Coordinates: 10°29′N 104°18′E / 10.483°N 104.300°ECoordinates: 10°29′N 104°18′E / 10.483°N 104.300°E | |
| Country |
 Cambodia
|
| Provincial status | 2008 |
| Capital | Kep |
| Area | |
| • Total | 336 km2 (130 sq mi) |
| Area rank | Ranked 25th |
| Population (2009) | |
| • Total | 40,280 |
| • Rank | Ranked 25th |
| • Density | 120/km2 (310/sq mi) |
| • Density rank | Ranked 10th |
| Time zone | UTC+07 |
| Dialing code | +855 |
| ISO 3166 code | KH-23 |
| Districts | 2 |
Kep (កែប) also romanized as Kaeb (Khmer: កែប, "Saddle") formally known as Kep Province (ខេត្តកែប) is the smallest province (khaet) of Cambodia covering 336 km2 (130 sq mi), with a population of 40,280. 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 from the province of Kampot, as well as adjusting several provincial borders. The provincial capital is Kep District and the province contains the Kep National Park.
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.
It is subdivided into two districts (srŏk):
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 (Khmer: កោះទន្សាយ meaning 'Rabbit Island') is located about 4.5 Kilometers southwest of Kep. Tourists are drawn to the two white sand beaches, and the sea is shallow and proper for swimming. At the sea bottom are a variety of corals, sea animals and plants which attract researchers and ecologists.
The name Koh Tonsay is derived from the word Rumsay. While trying to avoid the commander’s troops, Prince Sakor Reach grew hopeless because his own troops began to tire. He led his remaining troops across the sea to an island in front of Kep city, where the troops spread out. Accordingly, the island was called Koh Rumsay, Koh Ormsay, Koh Ornsay, and Koh Tonsay, as it is known today. Another version is that, according to many locals who spent there youth in Kep before 1975, the island was previously called Koh Antai. There is no apparent meaning for this word.
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