Geography & Culture - The Definitive Guide to Moving to Southeast Asia: Cambodia - page 3

Geography & Culture
Cambodia is a square-shaped country of 14 million people, bordered by Vietnam in the
southeast and east, Thailand in the west and northwest, and Laos in the northeast. The
coastal regions in the south and west border the Gulf of Thailand, and the mighty Mekong
River (the 12 th longest river in the world) traverses the country from north to south.
There isn't much elevation in the country, as the highest mountain measures only 1,771
metres and is located in the eastern part of the Cardamom Mountains (running across the
southwest of the country). These mountains are lush and covered with virgin rainforest,
spanning a range of more than one million hectares - said to represent Southeast Asia's
greatest natural resource. Within this mountain range are hundreds of birds, plants, and an-
imalspecies,includingelephants,pleatedgibbons,andSiamesecrocodiles,aswellasexcel-
lent opportunities for hiking, trekking, and boating.
Farther north, the Siem Reap region is dominated by the enormous Tonle Sap, which is
known as Cambodia's Great Lake - responsible for more than 70 percent of the country's
proteinsinceitisamajorsourceoffish.Located15kmsouthofthetown,thisbodyofwater