The fourth largest province of Cambodia in area, Pursat ranks only 14th in population. The region is accessible by National Highway 5, by boat, rail and by numerous smaller roads. The capital, Pursat town, lies 174 kilometres north west of capital Phnom Penh by road and 106 kilometres south east of Battambang.[3]
Pursat is home to Wat Bakan, considered to be among the oldest active pagodas in Cambodia and revered as one of the most holy sites of Cambodian Buddhism.[4] The province also hosts the annual River Run Race, an event that includes 5 km and 10 km races that generally follow the path of the Pursat River for men and women, including those requiring wheelchairs. Since its inaugural race in 2007, the event has grown to the second largest of its kind in Cambodia[5]
Etymology
Pursat is derived from the transliteration of its name in Khmer scriptPoŭthĭsăt (ពោធិ៍សាត់) means "floating banyan" in Khmer. It's composed of Poŭthĭ- (ពោធិ៍, pronounced[poː]), a Khmer word derived from the Sanskrit and Pali word of the tree named bodhi (बोधि), which is where the Buddha became enlightened, and -săt (សាត់, pronounced[sat]) which comes from the Khmer word rôsăt (រសាត់, pronounced[rɔːsat]) meaning "to float".
Geography
The physical geography of Pursat encompasses many bioregions ranging from densely forested mountains to fertile plains to the Tonle Sap basin. Forests cover approximately 58% of Pursat.[6] The mountains of the Cardamom range rise high in the west and southwest of the province along the border with Thailand and the coast. The land slopes toward the northeast, opening into the plains that continue into Battambang and from which much of Cambodia's rice crop is harvested. The Pursat River follows this orientation and drains into the Tonle Sap which forms Pursat's eastern boundary. Pursat is one of the nine provinces that are part of the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve.[7]
The state religion is Theravada Buddhism. More than 96.9% of the people in Pursat are Buddhists. Chams have been practicing Islam for hundreds of years. A small percentage follow Christianity.
Economy
Thmada
Chinese investors have disbursed close to 10 billion baht to develop a new city in Thmada, a border village in Veal Veang District in the province. The new town is to be built in five phases, and about 80% of the first phase, 1,000 condominiums, has been built as of 2019, together with a luxury hotel, restaurants, casinos, and other businesses. The project is to be completed by 2022 or 2025.[9]
Agarwood
Due to the geography and climate of Pursat, Aquilaria thrives in its forest. Aquilaria species, specifically Aquilaria crassna, infected with the parasitic mold Phaeoacremonium parasitica are the source of agarwood. There was an abundance in wild agarwood in the past. Due to its distinct fragrance, the trees were sought after and felled for gift offerings to the royal family and officials.
Agarwood harvested from Pursat was the most valuable and highly in demand. In the early-1970s, "oud Cambodi" was the most sought after oud oil on the market because of the belief that it contains a psychoactive substance that affects the mind and emotions.[10]
The depletion of wild trees from rampant cutting of agarwood has resulted in the trees being listed and protected as an endangered species. Projects are being implemented to infect cultivated Aquilaria trees artificially, to produce agarwood in a sustainable manner.[11]
In 2015, Lieutenant General Ouk Kosa of Cambodia's Ministry of National Defense signed an MOU with a Singaporean company,[12] giving the company access to six million mature Aquilaria trees, which they will inoculate to produce agarwood.[13]
Administrative divisions
The province is divided into six districts and one municipality, further divided into 51 communes.
