(A Khmer Rouge text describing the DK administrative and political geography, first published by the DK Ministry of Education for Elementary Class 2, 1977)
Translated by Sour Bunsou and Youk Chhang
Kampuchea consists of 19 provinces: Stung Treng, Ratanak Kiri, Mondul Kiri, Kratie, Kampong Cham, Svay Rieng, Prey Veng, Kandal, Takeo, Kampot, Koh Kong, Kampong Speu, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Thom, Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey, Siem Reap, Pursat and Battambang. These provinces are further divided into 112 districts, 160 sub-districts, and many hundreds of villages. During the period of our secret political struggle, and of our internal and revolutionary war more than five years ago, with the aim of creating more favorable conditions for communications, administration, and work implementation to fulfill revolutionary tasks in all sectors, our revolutionary organization divided the country into new zones and regions on top of these former provinces, districts, sub-districts, and villages. In addition, we had established cooperatives since the revolutionary war. Since the great victory on April 17, 1975, our revolutionary organization has found it expedient to retain the new zones and region subdivisions as being highly useful for administrative purposes.
At present, our Democratic Kampuchea has been divided into six zones and some other regions distinctively designated with their own administrations, not under any zone. Kampong Som is a city under a separate administration like the other Regions. The Regions or cities under separate administrations are directly controlled by the State Organization, not via any Zone. At the same time, we have created certain new districts, including Koh Chey (formerly called Preah Sdech District), Krasaing District in the Eastern Zone, Taing Kok and Baray districts in the Northern Zone, Choam Sangke in the Southwest Zone, Thmar Sar in the Western Zone, and Kandieng, Kdat, Thlea Ma-am, and Samlot, in the Northwest Zone.
Our six zones are the Northeast Zone, Eastern Zone, Southwest Zone, Western Zone, Northern Zone, and Northwest Zone. We do not establish a zone for each province, and thus each of certain zones consist of two or more provinces. For example, we have combined all of Svay Rieng and Prey Veng together with part of Kampong Cham province located on the left bank of the Mekong to form the Eastern zone.