| Kampong Speu | |
| Official Name: | Kampong Speu Province |
| Native Name: | Central Khmer: កំពង់ស្ពឺ |
| Native Name Lang: | km |
| Settlement Type: | Province |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of Kampong Speu in Cambodia |
| Coordinates: | 11.5°N 124°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Established Title: | Provincial status |
| Established Date: | 1907 |
| Seat Type: | Capital |
| Seat: | Chbar Mon |
| Parts Type: | Subdivisions |
| Parts: | 1 municipality; 7 districts |
| Leader Party: | CPP |
| Leader Title: | Governor |
| Leader Name: | Vei Samnang |
| Leader Title1: | National Assembly |
| Area Total Km2: | 7017 |
| Area Rank: | 11th |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 964,374 |
| Population Rank: | 8th |
| Population Density Rank: | 11th |
| Population As Of: | 2023 |
| Population Density Km2: | 125 |
| Blank Info Sec1: | 8 |
| Blank1 Info Sec1: | 87 |
| Timezone: | ICT |
| Utc Offset: | +07:00 |
| Area Code Type: | Dialing code |
| Area Code: | +855 |
| Iso Code: | KH-5 |
Kampong Speu (Central Khmer: កំពង់ស្ពឺ, in Central Khmer pronounced as /kɑmpɔŋ spɨː/;) is a province of Cambodia. It borders the provinces of Pursat and Kampong Chhnang to the north, Kandal to the east, Takéo to the southeast, Kampot to the south and Koh Kong to the west. Its capital is the town of Chbar Mon.
Kampong Speu in Khmer means "starfruit port" or "starfruit harbor". In Khmer, kampong is a place-name element, meaning "port" or "harbor". It derives from the Austronesian language, Malay, in which it means "village". Speu in the Khmer language means "starfruit".
The province is subdivided into 7 districts and 1 municipality, further divided into 87 communes.
| ISO code | District | Khmer | Population (2019)[2] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05-01 | Basedth | Central Khmer: ស្រុកបរសេដ្ឋ | 136,971 | |
| 05-02 | Chbar Mon Municipality | Central Khmer: ក្រុងច្បារមន | 50,359 | |
| 05-03 | Kong Pisei | Central Khmer: ស្រុកគងពិសី | 145,476 | |
| 05-04 | Aoral | Central Khmer: ស្រុកឱរ៉ាល់ | 39,544 | |
| 05-05 | Oudong | Central Khmer: ស្រុកឧដុង្គ | 145,311 | |
| 05-06 | Phnom Sruoch | Central Khmer: ស្រុកភ្នំស្រួច | 104,438 | |
| 05-07 | Samraong Tong | Central Khmer: ស្រុកសំរោងទង | 182,774 | |
| 05-08 | Thpong | Central Khmer: ស្រុកថ្ពង | 63,328 |
The Wing Star Shoes factory in Kampong Speu province manufactures Asics sports shoes. It collapsed in 2013.[3] Three people were killed.[4] Workers struck at the Wing Star Shoes Factory in 2014, blocking National Route 3, and demanding a $5 raise in bonuses and enforcement of labor laws.[5] In 2016 and 2018, mass faintings of workers were reported. The cause in 2016, initially attributed to a worker having been possessed by a "spirit," was later revised to "poor health and imagination."[6] 2018, police reported that after a worker had a seizure, her "scream caused a mass panic, prompting workers to run, feel dizzy and faint."[7]
The state religion is Theravada Buddhism. More than 99.8% of the people in Kampong Speu are Buddhists, It's the most Buddhist province of the country. Chams have been practicing Islam for hundreds of years. A small percentage follow Christianity.
Phnom Aural is the tallest peak in Cambodia. It is 1,813 meters tall (other sources give elevations between 1,771 and 1,667 meters). It is in the eastern part of the Cardamom Mountains. To protect the biodiversity of the mountains, Phnom Aural Wildlife Sanctuary was established.This mountain located in Aoral District, Kampong Speu province.
Located at the foothill of the mountain Phnom Oudong, about 40 km northwest of the modern capital Phnom Penh, Oudong was royal residence and Cambodia's capital for more than 250 years until 1866. A monumental royal necropolis of sovereigns of several centuries is scattered on top the prominent bisected mountain, which runs from the southeast to the northeast.[8] [9]