Mondulkiri province is a magical place, full of great natural beauty and untamed landscapes. It is the most sparsely populated province in Cambodia, despite being the largest in land area. With miles of lush rolling hills, majestic waterfalls and some of the largest protected forest areas in the country. The variety of plant and wildlife species is astounding, with new evidence of extremely rare and some newly discovered species. Great conservation efforts are being made and the promotion of ecotourism can hopefully keep the area clean and green.
Minorities/Hill Tribes of Mondulkiri
80 percent of the Mondulkiri's population is made up of ten tribal minorities, with the majority of them being Phnong. The remaining 20 percent are Khmer, Chinese and Muslim Cham. The population lives off the land, planting rice, fruit trees and a variety of vegetables. Others grow strawberries, coffee, rubber and cashew nuts. Although more and more houses are built in 'Khmer style', you still can find the traditional Phnong houses. In the houses you'll find big jars, which are said to be more than a thousand years old, and traditional gongs. There are various sorts of gongs used at different occasions. Jars and gongs are among the most valuable possessions of indigenous communities both in traditional and spiritual as well as material terms. During the times of Pol Pot those objects were buried in hidden places in the jungle and in many cases they still wait in the ground.
| |
12°27′N 107°14′E / 12.45°N 107.233°ECoordinates: 12°27′N 107°14′E / 12.45°N 107.233°E | |
Capital | Senmonorom |
---|---|
Area | |
- Total | 14,288 km2 (5,516.6 sq mi) |
Population (2008)[1] | |
- Total | 60,811 |
- Density | 4.3/km2 (11/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+07 |
Dialing code | +855 |
ISO 3166 code | KH-11 |
Districts | 5 |
Communes | 21 |
Villages | 98 |