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area of up to 23,200 square miles (60,000 sq. km), and is a maze of floodplains and lakes. Seasonal floods cover many forest regions with water for months at a time. The enormous Amazon delta covers an area of 13,500 square miles (35,000 sq. km).

The Nine-Dragon River

Mekong means “Nine Dragons,” and refers to the nine channels into which the river divides at its delta. The Mekong carries so much water following monsoons that it is higher than some of the smaller rivers feeding into it. Flood surges travel back up these tributary rivers, temporarily reversing their flow. In Cambodia this reverse flow moves up the Tonle Sap River, and swells the Great Lake upstream to five times its dry season area. After a pause, the flow returns to its normal direction, carrying with it large num- bers of lake-breeding fish.

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Wetlands