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Geography
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.
More
on Cambodia:
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Geography