Kratié (, ; ), alternatively spelled Kracheh, is a province of Cambodia located in the northeast. It borders Stung Treng to the north, Mondulkiri to the east, Kampong Thom and Kampong Cham to the west, and Tboung Khmum, and the country of Vietnam to the south.

The province’s capital is the town of Kratié located within the Kratié Municipality.

Name

"Kratié" is the French spelling derived from the Khmer Krâchéh ([krɑːceh]).

History

The area now known as Kratié was part of the early first millennium Kingdom of Funan until Funan itself was superseded and absorbed in the 6th century by Chenla. Sampheak Borak, the former Royal Capital during the Chenla Era, is located in Sambo District. In addition, Kratié has Vihear Sasar Muayroy Pagoda built in the 16th century. This pagoda is related to a Khmer legend Krapeur Nen Thun (Venerable Monk Thun, the Crocodile). Kratié has several temples built in the 8th century such as Khvas Pi, Pram, and Koh Kring that has perfect deities, ancient halls, Khmer ancient houses, and French-style buildings. The area near Kratié along the Mekong River was one of the most densely populated regions of the pre-Angkorian era of Cambodia.

Lon Nol was the province's governor in 1945. During the Vietnam and Cambodian Civil Wars and the subsequent Vietnamese presence against Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, intense fighting took place in Kratié. Recovering unexploded ordnance and de-mining has been a major initiative since at least the mid-2000s.

On December 30, 1978, Vietnamese forces captured Kratié to fight against Khmer Rouge.

Geography

left|thumb|200px|Sunset along the river

thumb|left|200px|Closeup [[Irrawaddy dolphin jumping in Mekong River]]

The Mekong River flows from the north to the south of the province; approximately 140&nbsp;km of the river is located in Kratié. There are hundreds of seasonally flooded islands in the river. The province also contains many forests, the Phnom Pram Poan mountain range, Phnom Prech<!--Phnom Prich wildlife sanctuary? but Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary is in Mondulkiri province... -->, and rubber plantations.

thumb|right|upright=1.1|alt=Map of Kratié showing tree-cover loss years, with forest remaining since 2000 in green and loss years shaded yellow through purple.|Tree-cover loss year in Kratié, 2001-2024, from the [[Global Forest Change dataset.]]

The province is mostly covered in dense forest. Craters from Operation Menu bombings during the Vietnam War, some of which are filled with water, are still visible in the countryside. Flooding is frequent in Kratié; the Mekong may overflow by as much as 4 m during the rainy season.

Kratié is known for its attractive riverside scenery and its green villages and paddies, and the river dolphins.

Kratié's fisheries are part of the Upper Mekong River Zone, which is important support for migratory species and subsistence fishing but does not play a major role in commercial fishing.

Forests in Kratié tend to be open and less dense than elsewhere in Cambodia; they are generally made up of deciduous trees that lose their leaves during the dry season.

Government

Sar Cham Rong is the governor of Kratié province and Hoeu Sidem is the deputy governor. In the 2007 commune council elections, the vast majority of seats went to members of the Cambodian People's Party. Women make up 17.4% of commune council members. In 2005, Kratié received 1.69 billion riel from the commune/sangkat fund, of which development funds were 1.20 billion riel and funds for administration were 0.49 billion riel.

thumb|200px|left|[[Cham people|Cham woman weaving baskets]]

Economy and transportation

Rice cropping plays an important role in the provincial economy

Most Kratié residents are subsistence farmers or fishers. 78% of residents are employed in agriculture. Some gold mining occurs in Kratié. Most soil in Kratié is poor; the province primarily grows perennial industrial crops like rubber. Kratié has the potential to be an ecotourism destination. Kratié's road system is poorly developed.

Social issues

Land concessions often cover land customarily owned or used by people in Kratié province. In 2004, community land organizers were threatened by the military after they confiscated chainsaws used for illegal logging. An indigenous people's organization is active in Kratié province.

Health, education, and development

Schistosomiasis is a problem in Kratié province. The incidence of malaria and dengue fever rose sharply in the mid-2000s; this increase has been attributed to changes in climate. Malaria is hyperendemic in Kratié's forests. Schools struggle to attract teachers to the poor and overwhelmingly rural province. Teachers are sent to the province from Phnom Penh, the nation's capital, but they are new teachers who see an opportunity to pass a teacher's exam that is less rigorous in remote areas. These new teachers rarely stay more than a year or two due to the low pay, leaving local officials having to do without and students often having to continue studies by themselves. Kratié is home to seven indigenous groups: Bunong<!--Bunong-->, Kouy<!--Kuoy-->, Mil<!--Mel-->, Khonh, Kraol, Steang<!--Stieng-->, and Thamoun<!--Thmaun-->. Approximately 70% of the province's residents live along the Mekong River; Approximately 8% of Kratié's population is indigenous; it is one of four provinces with a substantial indigenous population.

|label1 = Buddhism

|value1 = 93.1

|color1 = Gold

|label2 = Islam

|value2 = 6.6

|color2 = Green

|label3 = Christianity

|value3 = 0.2

|color3 = DodgerBlue

|label4 = Animism and Other religions

|value4 = 0.1

|color4 = Black

The state religion is Theravada Buddhism. More than 93.1% of the people in Kratié province are Buddhists. About 6.6% population of Kratié province follow Islam followed by Chams. Christianity is followed by 0.2% in the province, while Animism or other religions followed by 0.1%.

Administrative subdivisions

Kratié province is subdivided into 6 districts (srok) and 1 municipality (krong), further divided into 47 communes (khum).

{| class="wikitable"

! ISO code

! Name

! Khmer

! Population

|-

| 10-01

| Chhloung

|

| 50,407

|-

| 10-02

| Kratié

|

| 79,123

|-

| 10-06

| Chetr Borei

|

|

|-

| 10-07

| O'Kreang Senchey

|

|

|}

1 district Preaek Prasab in west Mekong River

References

  • Official provincial website (English version)
  • District, commune, and village listing
  • Kratie provincial resources
  • Kratie map
  • Official tourism website
  • Info for ecotourism along the Mekong