Kandal កណ្ដាល
Province
Oudong, the 17th century capital of Cambodia, is located in Kandal province
Seal
Map of Cambodia highlighting Kandal province
Country	Cambodia
Provincial status	1907
Capital	Ta Khmau
Subdivisions	10 districts; 1 municipality
Government
• Governor	Kong Sophorn (CPP)
• National Assembly	11 / 125
Area
• Total	3,179 km2 (1,227 sq mi)
• Rank	19th
Elevation	10 m (30 ft)
Population  (2019)[1]
• Total	1,201,581
• Rank	2nd
• Density	378/km2 (980/sq mi)
• Rank	2nd
Time zone	UTC+07:00 (ICT)
ISO 3166 code	KH-8
HDI (2017)	0.591[2] medium

Kandal (Khmer: កណ្ដាល, Kândal [kɑnˈɗaːl]; lit. 'Middle') is a province of Cambodia located in the southeast portion of the country. It completely surrounds the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh and borders the provinces of Kampong Speu and Takéo to the west, Kampong Chhnang and Kampong Cham to the north, Prey Veng to the east, and shares an international border with Vietnam (An Giang and Đồng Tháp) to the south. It is the second most populous province in Cambodia after the capital Phnom Penh.^[3] Its capital and largest city is Ta Khmau, which is approximately eight kilometres (5.0 mi) south of central Phnom Penh. Kandal is one of the wealthier provinces in the country.

Geography

Physical

Kandal province completely surrounds the capital Phnom Penh. The province is also a part of the greater Phnom Penh Metropolitan Area with more than a million people living in and around the province. While traveling out of Phnom Penh, the boundary between the two provinces is nearly unrecognizable.

The province consists of the typical plain wet area, covering rice fields and other agricultural plantations. The average altitude of the province is no more than 10 meters above sea level. The province also features two of the biggest rivers in the country, the Bassac and Mekong Rivers.^[4]

Climate

The province has a warm and humid tropical climate. The monsoon season normally begins in May and runs through October, while the rest of the year is the dry season. The warmest period of the year occurs between March and May, while the coolest period is from November through March.^[5]

Economy

Kandal province serves as an economic belt of the capital Phnom Penh. Farming and fishing are the two main industries of the province. Major products include palm oil, peanuts, rice, and pepper. In addition to farming and fishing, the province also supports thriving cottage industries that specialize in wood carving, silk, and handicrafts.

Many garment factories are located in Kandal province, which hires more than 500,000 workers.

Administrative divisions

The province is subdivided into 10 districts and 2 municipality. The districts are further subdivided into 146 communes (khum) and 1087 villages.

2 districts Khsach Kandal and Lvea Aem in east Mekong river

Parliament

Religion

The state religion is Theravada Buddhism. More than 98.3% of the people in Kandal are Buddhists. Chams have been practicing Islam for hundreds of years. A small percentage follow Christianity.