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This gallery of Cambodia includes photos from Tonlé Sap Lake and the Angkor Wat temple complex.
Tonlé Sap Lake is a seasonally inundated freshwater lake, the Tonlé Sap Lake and an attached river, the 120 km (75 mi) long Tonlé Sap River, which connects the lake to the Mekong River.
The Tonlé Sap Lake and Tonlé Sap River are a current freeze-frame representation of the slowly, but ever shifting Lower Mekong Basin.
Annual fluctuation of the Mekong's water volume, supplemented by the Asian Monsoon regime causes a unique flow reversal of the Tonlé Sap River.
Inflow starts in May/June, amplified by precipitation of the annual monsoon, and ends in October/November. In November the lake reaches its maximum size, as the water level in the Mekong begins to decrease, The lake starts draining into the Mekong.
When the Tonlé Sap floods, the surrounding areas become a prime breeding ground for fish. During this time, fishermen are scarce; fishing during this time is actually illegal, so as to prevent disruption of mating. At the end of the rainy season, when the water levels go down, fishing is allowed again. Fishermen install floating houses along one half of the river, and the other half is left open for navigation.
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