Banteay Meanchey (, ; ) is a province of Cambodia located in the far northwest. It borders the provinces of Oddar Meanchey to the north, 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 861,883, it ranks as the ninth most populous in the nation. The city 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 Tonlé Sap Biosphere Reserve.
Etymology
Banteay Meanchey means "Victorious Fortress" in Khmer. The word chey () is derived from the Sanskrit word jaya () meaning "victory" with mean () means <nowiki>to have, so the combination of both literally means to have victory</nowiki> and banteay () is a Khmer word meaning "fortress" or "castle".
History
thumb|left|Ruins of [[Banteay Chhmar Temple]]
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.
In the 1795 Siam took control over Western Cambodia, and made the area into Siamese province of Inner Cambodia with the administration capital in Phra Tabong (Battambang). This province lasted until 1907 when Siam traded Inner Cambodia for the return of Trat and Dan Sai. In the same year, King Sisowath decided to split the return Inner Cambodian province into Battambang province (which included Sisophon) and Siem Reap province. When Thailand re annexed western Cambodia 1941, Sisophon was split off Battambang province and was an administration capital of Phibunsongkram province which lasted until 1946 when the whole region was return to the French control.
In 1988 the province Banteay Meanchey was split off from Battambang, originally consisting of the five districts Mongkol Borei, Thmar Puok, Serei Saophoan, Preah Net Preah and Phnom Srok.
During the Cambodian Civil Wars of the 1970s and 1980s Banteay Meanchey province was on the frontlines of much of fighting and as a result it is one of the three most heavily mined provinces in Cambodia along with Pailin and Battambang.
Geography
thumb|Small lake in [[Serei Saophoan.]]
Banteay Meanchey is mostly covered by extensive lowlands, with a few uplands to the north and east. The main rivers are the Mongkol Borei and the Sisophon Rivers. The province is bordered with Battambang to the south, Siem Reap to the East, Odar Meanchey to the North and Thailand to the West and North.