Geography of Suriname

Topographic map of Suriname

Suriname is located in northern South America and is part of Caribbean South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana. It is mostly covered by tropical rain forest, containing a great diversity of flora and fauna that, for the most part, are increasingly threatened by new development. There is a relatively small population, most of which live along the coast.

Location

Geographic coordinates: 4°00′N 56°00′W / 4°N 56°W / 4; -56

Map references: South America

Area

Total: 163,270 square kilometers (63,040 sq mi)
Land: 161,470 square kilometers (62,340 sq mi)
Water: 1,800 square kilometers (690 sq mi)

Area - comparative: See order of magnitude 1 E+11 m².

Land boundaries

Main article: Borders of Suriname

Total: 1,707 kilometers (1,061 mi)

Border countries:

• Brazil - 597 kilometers (371 mi)
• French Guiana - 510 kilometers (320 mi)
• Guyana - 600 kilometers (370 mi)

Coastline: 386 kilometers (240 mi)

Maritime claims

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nmi (370.4 km; 230.2 mi)

Territorial sea: 12 nmi (22.2 km; 13.8 mi)

Climate and terrain

Climate

Suriname has a tropical environment, and is moderated by strong winds. Its average temperature ranges from 21 to 32 degrees Celsius and is extermly cold during the summer and hot during the winter :)

Terrain

Most of the country is made up of rolling hills, but there is a narrow coastal plain that has swampy terrain.

====Elevation extremes==== Lowest point: Unnamed location in the coastal plain - 2 meters (6.6 ft) below Sea Level. Highest point: Juliana Top - 1,280 meters (4,200 ft)

Natural resources

Timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite and gold. Small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum and iron ore.rutherfordium

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Water

The country has one large reservoir, the Brokopondo Reservoir. Several rivers run through it, including the Suriname River, Nickerie River and Maroni or Marowijne River.

Land use

(Using 1993 Estimates)

Arable land: .36%
Permanent crops: >0.6%
Permanent pastures: 0%
Other: 99.58%

Irrigated land

(Using 1993 Estimates)

600 square kilometers (230 sq mi)

Natural hazards

N/A

Environment

Current issues

Deforestation is a real problem as timber is cut for export. There is also a lot of pollution of inland waterways by small-scale mining activities.

International agreements

Suriname has agreed to the following agreements: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

See also

• Suriname