ANTH 320 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Khorat Plateau, Tonlé Sap, Borassus
Document Summary
Lower mekong basin (three distinct geographic regions): khorat plateau. Roughly 200m above sea level, sloping down toward the east (towards the mekong) Have mun and chi rivers: both of which run into the mekong. Impacts of the settlement: very restricted alluvial valleys, low soil fertility, low rainfall, brackish (salty) water in south due to salt deposits. Rises slowly toward dangrek range on the south: cambodian plain (north/central cambodia) Depressed basin marked by low (~100m) individual hills. Very low elevation (most barely over 20m above sea level: mekong doesn"t have to push up a hill due to low elevation, leading to upward flow. Tonle sap lake: largest freshwater lake in se asia. Forests and foothills home to tribal groups/ethnic minorities. Plant and animal products were key resources: mekong delta. Area held by khmer until dai viet annexation in 18th century. Overabundance of water (led to extensive canalization) Plant and animal resources exploited for thousands of years.
