Geographical Themes of Cambodia

Geographical Themes of Cambodia

  • Submitted By: iona
  • Date Submitted: 12/07/2008 3:50 PM
  • Category: Miscellaneous
  • Words: 2326
  • Page: 10
  • Views: 352

This essay will analyze six different geographical themes of Cambodia. The themes will be as follows: water and land issues, political struggles, situation of cultural minorities, population settlement/urbanization, and industry. On a lighter note, we will study some of the unique cuisine that the country has to offer. Before we discuss the specific themes, let’s examine some background about the country. Cambodia is situated in the heart of Southeast Asia. It is 181,035 square kilometers (69,898 sq miles) in size. According to Cambodia’s 2004 National Institute of Statistics, there are an estimated 13,363,421 million people living within the frontiers of the kingdom of Cambodia. The country is predominantly rural. Ethnically the nation is mostly Khmer, and the official language of the country is Khmer. Cambodia is known for having a remarkable ecosystem that is defined by the Mekong River: the longest river in Southeast Asia and the 12th largest in the world. It has a tropical climate: warm all year round, with a six month dry season with frequent drought, and a monsoon of astonishingly intense rains (Trully 2). It is a nation that has seen tremendous political and social turmoil: from the Vietnamese and French occupation, to the establishment of the Democratic Kampuchea and the Pol Pot regime. Cambodia is a truly unique country with an exciting geographical landscape. There is no doubt that studying the geography of Cambodia can be very interesting. Cambodia’s ecosystem is one of the many unique features of the country.
The Mekong River and the topography of the region are the reason why Cambodia’s ecosystem is so special. The center of Cambodia is made up of lowland planes. Mountain chains rise to the east, west, and north of these planes, giving Cambodia a bowl shaped appearance. Cambodia’s shape is important because, “the Mekong rises thousands of kilometers away on the Tibetan plateau and every year, after the spring thaw in the mountains, the snow fed...

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