Geography of Cambodia

Geography of Cambodia

Continent	Asia
Region	Southeast Asia
Coordinates	13°00′N 105°00′E / 13.000°N 105.000°E / 13.000; 105.000
Area	Ranked 88th
• Total	181,035 km2 (69,898 sq mi)
• Land	97.50%
• Water	2.50%
Coastline	443 km (275 mi)
Borders	2,530 km (1,572 mi) Laos 555 km (345 mi) Thailand 817 km (508 mi) Vietnam 1,158 km (720 mi)
Highest point	Phnom Aural 1,813 m (5,948 ft)
Lowest point	Gulf of Thailand 0 m (0 ft)
Longest river	Mekong river 500 km (311 mi)
Largest lake	Tonlé Sap 16,000 km2 (6,178 sq mi)

Cambodia is a country in mainland Southeast Asia. It borders Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, the Gulf of Thailand and covers a total area of approximately 181,035 km² (69,898 sq mi). The country is situated in its entirety inside the tropical Indomalayan realm^[1] and the Indochina Time zone (ICT).^[2][3]

Cambodia's main geographical features are the low lying Central Plain that includes the Tonlé Sap basin, the lower Mekong River flood-plains and the Bassac River plain surrounded by mountain ranges to the north, east, in the south-west and south. The central lowlands extend into Vietnam to the south-east. The south and south-west of the country constitute a 443 km (275 mi) long coast at the Gulf of Thailand, characterized by sizable mangrove marshes, peninsulas, sandy beaches and headlands and bays. Cambodia's territorial waters account for over 50 islands. The highest peak is Phnom Aural, sitting 1,810 metres (5,938 ft) above sea level.^[4][5][6]

The landmass is bisected by the Mekong River, which at 486 km (302 mi) is the longest river in Cambodia. After extensive rapids, turbulent sections and cataracts in Laos, the river enters the country at Stung Treng province, is predominantly calm and navigable during the entire year as it widens considerably in the lowlands. The Mekong's waters disperse into the surrounding wetlands of central Cambodia and strongly affect the seasonal nature of the Tonlé Sap lake.^[7][8]

Two third of the country's population live in the lowlands, where the rich sediment deposited during the Mekong's annual flooding makes the agricultural lands highly fertile. As deforestation and over-exploitation affected Cambodia only in recent decades, forests, low mountain ranges and local eco-regions still retain much of their natural potential and although still home to the largest areas of contiguous and intact forests in mainland Southeast Asia, multiple serious environmental issues persist and accumulate, which are closely related to rapid population growth, uncontrolled globalization and inconsequential administration.^{[9][10][11][12][13]}

The majority of the country lies within the Tropical savanna climate zone, as the coastal areas in the South and West receive noticeably more and steady rain before and during the wet season. These areas constitute the easternmost fringes of the south-west monsoon, determined to be inside the Tropical monsoon climate. Countrywide there are two seasons of relatively equal length, defined by varying precipitation as temperatures and humidity are generally high and steady throughout the entire year.^[14]