Sihanoukville province

Sihanoukville Province ខេត្តព្រះសីហនុ Khaet Preah Sihanouk Preah Sihanouk Province
Province
Ochheuteal Beach
Map of Cambodia highlighting Sihanoukville Province
Coordinates: 10°37′24″N 103°31′30″E / 10.62333°N 103.52500°E / 10.62333; 103.52500Coordinates: 10°37′24″N 103°31′30″E / 10.62333°N 103.52500°E / 10.62333; 103.52500
Country	Cambodia
Provincial status	2008
Named for	Norodom Sihanouk
Capital	Sihanoukville
Government
• Governor	Yun Min (CPP)
Area
• Total	2,536.68 km2 (979.42 sq mi)
Area rank	Ranked 22nd
Elevation	316 m (1,037 ft)
Population (2008)
• Total	199,902
• Rank	Ranked 17th
• Density	79/km2 (200/sq mi)
Human Development Index
• HDI	0.750 (high)
Time zone	UTC+07
Postcode	18000
Dialing code	034
ISO 3166 code	KH-18
Districts	4
Communes	26
Villages	108

Preah Sihanouk Province (Khmer: ខេត្តព្រះសីហនុ, "King Sihanouk"), commonly referred to as Sihanoukville Province, is a province (ខេត្ត, khaet) in the south-west of Cambodia at the Gulf of Thailand. The provincial capital, also called Sihanoukville, is a deep-water port city and a steadily growing and diversifying urban center located on an elevated peninsula.

The province is named in honor of former king Norodom Sihanouk, who personally orchestrated the establishment of Sihanoukville city and the Sihanoukville municipality as this took place alongside the construction of the Sihanoukville Port, which commenced in June 1955. The only deep water port of Cambodia includes a mineral Oil terminal and a transport logistics facility.

Sihanoukville Province is divided into four districts, each with a distinct economic character, defined largely by location and access to resources. In addition to the port and the growing tourism industry, the activities of countless NGO's and international investment have contributed to an unprecedented economic growth of the province over the course of the last decade. Economic sectors that deserve mentioning are the transport & logistics industry, process manufacturing, agriculture & fishery, textile industry and the real estate market.

The islands and beaches of Sihanoukville province are an international tourist destination as visitor numbers have risen steadily since the late 20th century.

The initial Sihanoukville municipality was elevated to a regular province on 22 December 2008 after King Norodom Sihamoni signed a Royal Decree converting the municipalities of Kep, Pailin and Sihanoukville into provinces, as well as incorporating Kompong Seila district. As one of Cambodia's agriculturally and industrially most diverse province its economic future has a solid basis, although the essential sectors agriculture and tourism require a strict and permanent administrative protection of the local natural resources.