Kratié Province

History

The area near Kratié along the Mekong River was one of the most densely populated regions of pre-Angkorian Cambodia.[2]
Lon Nol was the province's governor in 1945.[3]
During foreign incursions into Cambodia and the civil wars, Kratié saw especially heavy fighting.[4] During Operation Menu, Kratié was heavily bombed by the United States.[4][5] Recovering unexploded ordnance and de-mining has been a major recent initiative.[4]
On December 30, 1978, Vietnamese forces captured Kratié.[6] Civil war continued in Kratie after the defeat of Pol Pot.[5]

Geography

The Mekong River flows from the north to the south of the province; approximately 140 km of the river is located in Kratié.[7] The river is home to Irrawaddy dolphins, fishes, and birds.[7] The flow of the Mekong River at Kratié town varies greatly.[8][9] There are hundreds of seasonally flooded islands in the river.[7][10] As of 2007, the Cambodian government planned to build a dam on the Mekong River near Kratié town.[11] The province also contains many forests, the Phnom Pram Poan mountain range, Phnom Prech, and rubber plantations.[7] Eastern Kratié is an important bird area.[12]
The province is mostly covered in dense forest.[13] Craters from Operation Menu bombings during the Vietnam War, some of which are filled with water, are still visible in the countryside.[13] Some land in Kratié is used for agriculture, though a smaller percentage than elsewhere in Cambodia.[13]
The province has a monsoonal climate, with a cool season from November to March, a hot season from March to May, and a rainy season from May to October.[14] Flooding is frequent in Kratié; the Mekong may overflow by as much as 4 m during the rainy season.[15]
Kratié is known for its attractive riverside scenery and its green villages and paddies.[16]
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.[17]
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

Government

Kham Phoeun is the governor of Kratié Province.[18] Venn Sokhoy is the deputy governor.[10] In the 2007 commune council elections, the vast majority of seats went to members of the Cambodian People's Party.[19] Women make up 17.4% of commune council members.[20] 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.[21]

Economy and transportation

Most Kratié residents are subsistence farmers or fishers.[22] 78% of residents are employed in agriculture.[23] Thirty percent of Kratié households live on less than US$1 per day; the province's poverty rate of 32% is somewhat lower than the national average of 39%.[24][22] Some gold mining occurs in Kratié.[25][26] Most soil in Kratié is poor; the province primarily grows perennial industrial crops like rubber.[27] Illegal logging supervised by provincial officials is a problem.[28] Kratié has the potential to be an ecotourism destination.[29] Kratié's road system is poorly developed.[22] As of 1998, the average household possessed 0.48 hectares of agricultural land, and 37% were landless.[23]

Social issues

Land concessions often cover land customarily owned or used by people in Kratié Province.[30][31] In 2004, community land organizers were threatened by the military after they confiscated chainsaws used for illegal logging.[32] An indigenous people's organization is active in Kratié Province.[33]

Health, education, and development

Schistosomiasis is a problem in Kratié province.[34] The incidence of malaria and dengue fever rose sharply in the mid-2000s; this increase has been attributed to changes in climate.[35]
Malaria is hyperendemic in Kratié's forests.[22] The provincial infant mortality rate of 97/1,000 and child mortality rate of 80/1,000 are significantly higher than the national average (68/1,000 and 53/1,000, respectively).[22]

Demography

There is a substantial Vietnamese minority in Kratié Province.[36] Kratié is home to seven indigenous groups: Phnorng, Kouy, Mil, Khonh, Kraol, Steang, and Thamoun.[7][37] Approximately 70% of the province's residents live along the Mekong River;[7] the area beyond the river is sparsely populated.[38] Approximately 8% of Kratié's population is indigenous; it is one of four provinces with a substantial indigenous population.[37] 70% of the population is rural.[23]