Tonlé Sap Lake

Tonlé Sap Lake or the Great Lake is one of Cambodia's most notable geographic features. During most of the year the lake is fairly small and insignificant. During the monsoon season, however, the Mekong River flows into the lake and it increases in size tenfold flooding nearby fields and forests. The lake becomes the largest lake in Southeast Asia. During this period the lake because extremely abundant with fish and other aquatic life. As the waters recede it leaves rich deposits of sediment throughout the surrounding area that becomes prime agricultural land for the rest of the year. The lake has long been an important source of food for Cambodians.