Kampong Cham

Kampong Cham, town, south-central Cambodia. The town lies on the right bank of the Mekong River and is an important river port about 45 miles (75 km) northeast of Phnom Penh, the national capital. It has an airfield, a cotton-textile mill, a rice mill, and agricultural-machinery and vehicle-repair facilities. Before the Cambodian genocide began in 1975, the town contained a branch of the Royal University of Kampong Cham.

In 1921 the well-drained red volcanic soils of the Chup Hill area on the left bank of the Mekong River were discovered to be favorable for the cultivation of the rubber tree. The 64,000-acre (26,000-hectare) Chup Plantation was subsequently started a few miles southeast of Kampong Cham; it was privately owned until 1975 and had a crepe-rubber factory. Rice, cotton, fruit trees, potatoes, sugarcane, tobacco, jute, cassava, beans, sesame, kapok, cinchona, and corn (maize) are also grown in the surrounding area. The upland regions near Kampong Cham are rich in timbers, including Ceylon ironwood, rosewood, bean trees, teak, and rubber trees. Fishing is important along the banks of the Mekong. Pop. (2019) 38,365.