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Cambodia
/ Geography
Photo: Mekong at Phnom Penh
Covering
an area of 181,035 square kilometres Cambodia is about half
the size of Germany. In the West the country is bordered by
Thailand, in the North by Laos and in the East by Vietnam.
By far the
most important river of Cambodia is the Mekong, which passes
through the country for about 500 kilometres in a northsoutherly
direction. The Mekong is passable for ships from its delta in
Vietnam until Phnom Penh.
Southeast
Asia's largest lake, Tonle Sap, is in Cambodia and is connected
to the Mekong by a short river, also called Tonle Sap. For most
of the time this river flows from lake Tonle Sap into the Mekong.
However, during the Southeast Asian rainy season from June to
October when the Mekong drains large areas of Southeast Asia,
the Tonle Sap river flows from the Mekong back into lake Tonle
Sap thus causing enormous floods in the area surrounding the lake.
During this time, lake Tonle Sap can swell to more than twice
its regular size.
Central Cambodia
is a fertile plain. Mountain ranges in the shape of a semicircle
form a natural boundary with Thailand. In the West are the Cardamon
Mountains (designated after the spice of the same name), in
the Southwest the Elephant Mountains and in the North the
Dankret Mountain Range. The highest mountain in Cambodia
is Phnom Aural in the Cardamon range, at a height of 1,813
metres.
To date these
mountain ranges are comparatively densely covered with forest
and are only sparsely populated. All three are still operating
areas of the Khmer Rouge guerrillas.
The southern
coastal strip has never been of importance for the Cambodian
economy. It is separated from the central plain by difficult terrain.
The Mekong has always been the economical conduit of Cambodia.
This page: http://www.cockatoo.com/cambodia/e-01land/ec-lan10.htm
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