Geography Cambodia is a small and unique Kingdom with a land area of 181.035 sq. km, making it about the same size as the State of Washington or as England and Wales. The Mekong River is the lifeline of Cambodia and it cuts a path for about 500 km dividing the country into the north and the south.		The fishing industry: The Cambodian fishing industry also relies on the rhythm of the Tonlé Sap. In the dry season there is large scale commercial fishing and with the annual replenishment of the waters of the Great Lake with the nutrient-rich waters of the Mekong, fish yields are some of the highest in the world.
The Tonlé Sap Lake is the largest fresh water lake in South-East. During the monsoon season between June and October the Tonlé Sap River reverses its flow and runs in the opposite direction filling the Tonlé Sap Lake. The Tonlé Sap River is the only river in the world that flows in both directions.		Climate Two monsoons set the rhythm of rural life in Cambodia. The cool, dry, north-eastern monsoon blows from about November to March and brings little rain. From May to early October, the south-western monsoon picks up moist air from over the Indian Ocean, bringing strong winds, high humidity, and heavy rains throughout the country. The weather is transitional between the seasons, but even during the wet season it rarely rains in the morning. Most of the rain comes in afternoon downpours.
The central plains account for two-thirds of the country and are mainly agricultural areas that become flooded in the monsoon season. Most of the population lives on the fertile flood plains which are very important for the country’s agricultural production, especially of rice. The plains are sparsely forested, whereas all other parts of the landscape are composed of densely forested hills.
Agriculture The monsoon with its rhythm of dry and wet seasons builds the rhythm of the Cambodian people and agriculture. The wet season (May – October) transforms the plains into fertile arable land. The pattern of expansion and contraction of the Tonlé Sap Lake is the backbone of Cambodian production of fast growing deep-water rice. The annual flooding covers the surrounding countryside with a nutrient rich layer.