Aerial view of Mekong River joining Tonle Sap Lake near Siem Reap

Aerial view of Mekong River joining Tonle Sap Lake near Siem Reap

This view photographed from an airplane shows where the Mekong River joins Tonlé Sap Lake near Siem Reap in Cambodia. The waterways of the Mekong are the region's primary conduit for local trade and transportation.

The Mekong River flows approximately 2,800 miles from the high plateaus of Tibet to the fertile delta regions now within southern Vietnam and Cambodia. The rich river delta soils allow up to three crops of rice per year and form the major food-producing regions of both countries.