The environment in which the Khmer empire developed are crucial for understanding the empire’s rise and fall. At its peak, the empire controlled one-third of mainland southeast Asia. The empire is located in a hot tropical environment in which temperature are almost constantly above seventy degrees Fahrenheit. The capital Angkor which is located at the basin of lower Mekong River in Cambodia, has a monsoon climate in which most rain comes in the summer months from June to November. The winter months, from December to May are somewhat dry which limits the growing seasons for crops. The rainfall varies predictably between seasons and unpredictably from year to year. Also each year, during the rains, the Tonle Dap reverses its flow and increases
