The province is named after the temple of Prasat Preah Vihear. The Dângrêk Mountains and the Cambodia/Thailand border are located in the north of Preah Vihear Province.
Preah Vihear is one of the nine provinces that are part of the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve.[2]
Several Western governments have issued travel warnings to their citizens advising not to travel to this province due to an ongoing border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand. The Government of Canada has advised "Armed forces from both countries are engaged in this ongoing dispute. There have been reports of exchanges of gunfire in the area. Tensions are extremely high and military hostilities could escalate without warning." [3]