HISTORY OF KRATIE PROVINCE

The word ‘kratie’ (pronounced ‘kra-cheh’) originally comes from a Phnorng word meaning ‘Kampong Krabey’ (‘port of buffalos’). During the civil war: Kratie was one of the first areas which fell under the control of Khmer Rouge but also one of the first parts to be controlled by Vietnamese forces in order to nationally overthrow Khmer Rouge regime on January 07, 1975.
Kratie province is located in the northeast of Cambodia. It shares its provincial border with Stung Treng province in the north, Mondolkiri province in the east, Vietnamese border and Kampong Cham province in the south and Kampong Thom province in the west. Kratie province covers an area of approximately 11.000 square kilometers and consists of five districts, 46 communes and 250 villages. The province has a monsoonal climate with a cool season from November to February, a hot season from March to May and a rainy season from June to October. The Mekong River floods diagonally throw Kratie province with a length of 140 kilometers. It provides home not only for the famous Irrawaddy dolphins, but also for many different species of fish and birds. Moreover it contains hundreds of small islands and rapid, circling water. The water level of the Mekong Rivercan vary up to four meters between dry and rainy season.