Country Guide

Cambodia is a small country in Indo-China, about the same size as England. It has a short southwest coastline on the Gulf of Siam. It has land borders with Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam on the west, north, and east respectively. The general features of the climate of the country are similar to those described for Vietnam.

There is a small, hilly region in the southwest and the slopes facing the Gulf of Siam have a heavy rainfall. Elsewhere the country is low-lying and rainfall is rather lower than in much of Vietnam.

The dry season from December to April is hot and sunshine averages about eight hours a day. The main rainy season is much more cloudy; humidity is higher, and the weather is then sultry and oppressive.

Temperatures remain quite high in the lowlands throughout the year. There may be frequent heat stress as a result of the high temperatures and humidity during the rainy season, but this is not usually severe.

The table for Phnom Penh exemplifies the weather of Cambodia.