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The country of Cambodia, also known as Kampuchea is situated in South East Asia
and is home to more than fifteen million people. The Country with its capital
in Phnom Penh is bordered on the west and northwest by Thailand, Laos to its northeast
and Vietnam to its east and southeast. The gulf of Thailand lies in the southern
side of Cambodia. The country has of late emerged as a strong contender among
the list of country's that vie for the tag of world's top tourist destinations.
Climate of Cambodia
The climate of Cambodia resembles that of Southeast Asia very closely. The
climate of Cambodia is dominated by monsoons and displays distinct wet and dry
seasons. The monsoonal weather is primarily due to the development of annual
alternating high pressure and low pressure zones over the Central Asian landmass.
In summer, moisture-laden air--the southwest monsoon--is drawn to wards the
land mass from the Indian Ocean. This flow is reversed during the winter, and
the northeast monsoon sends back dry air. The southwest monsoon winds cause
the rainy season from mid-May to mid-September or to early October, and the
northeast monsoon flow of drier and cooler air that results in a drier weather
lasts from early November to March.
The climate of Cambodia, especially in the southern region has a dry season
that lasts for about two months. The northern region however has a four month
dry season.
The climate of Cambodia in the Tonle Sap Basin tends to vacillate around the
annual mean temperature of twenty five degree Celsius. Maximum temperatures
in Cambodia are known to hit 32 degrees pretty frequently and often, just before
the onset of the monsoons, temperatures go as high as 38 degree Celsius.
The climate in Cambodia is kinder to those who cannot tolerate extreme temperatures.
Minimum temperatures rarely fall below 10°C. January is the coldest month,
and April is the warmest. Typhoons--tropical cyclones--that often devastate
coastal Vietnam rarely cause damage in Cambodia.
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