Background
Location & Geography
Cambodia covers 181,035 square kilometres, about the size of Germany, of which 60% is forest. The country is bordered by Thailand to the west and north, Laos to the north, Vietnam to the east and the Gulf of Thailand to the south, and consists of 21 provinces.
Tropical forests dominate the northern and south-western highlands, while the fertile central basin is bisected by the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers. The latter is the world’s only “river with return”, as when the Mekong crests during the monsoon season, rather than spill over its banks, the water backflows up the Tonle Sap River to the Tonle Sap Lake.
The Mekong passes through the entire country on a run of about 500 kilometres after exiting Laos just below the Khone Phapheng Waterfalls. It passes through Stung Treng province and reaches the capital Phnom Penh, which sits at the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap.
Cambodia has some 440 kilometres of coastline with extensive mangrove stands that remain relatively untouched. Several islands sit off the southwest coast.
The country holds three main mountainous regions: the Cardamom Mountains in the southwest, the Dangrek along the northern border with Thailand and the Eastern Highlands in the northeast.
Nature
About one quarter of Cambodia is made up of protected areas and national parks, of which four draws visitors for their natural attractions and activities. Virachey spans Rattanakiri and Stung Treng provinces in the northeast, Kirirom’s pine forests and Ream’s beaches can be explored in Sihanoukville, and Bokor presents an old French hill station in Kampot province.
The country’s large mammals include tigers, leopards, bears, elephants, deer and wild cows. Cambodia’s many bird species include cormorants, cranes, kingfishers and pelicans. Rare water birds can be spotted in Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary (adjutants, milky storks and spot-billed pelicans) and Ang Trapeng Thmor (sarus cranes) in Banteay Meanchey province.
The Mekong’s run through Cambodia is home to three-metre-long catfish and the rare freshwater Irrawaddy dolphin, which can be viewed north of Kratie.
Climate
Cambodia has a tropical monsoon climate with three distinct seasons. The dry, windy season falls between November and January, the dry hot season runs from February until May and the rainy season lasts from May to October. The highest rainfall is in May and June and again in September and October. January is the coldest month and the hottest is April. The average temperature is 27C.
