Tonle Sap

Tonle Sap Lake is located in Cambodia and has an area of approximately 2590 km², which can reach up to about 25000 km² during the rainy season. It represents the largest stretch of freshwater in Southeast Asia and is located in the center of the country. It forms part of a large water ecosystem and is protected as a biosphere, declared by UNESCO in 1997. The lake is fed by numerous slopes that flow out of all latitudes, the most important being the Sap and Mekong rivers. It is a vital place for the regional economy because of its wealth in fishing and fertility of its lands, essentially for the cultivation of rice. It is estimated that around one million two hundred thousand people live in the lake and around them, mostly communities of Vietnamese ancestral origin and Cham. They make a living, essentially, to fish, but also to plant rice.