Geography of Suriname 27433 223258707 2008-07-03T08:17:39Z Ground Zero 232133 fix capitalization [[Image:Suriname-map.png|right|Map of Suriname]] [[Image:Suriname Topography.png|thumb|right|300px|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]]:''' {{coor dm|4|00|N|56|00|W|type:country}} '''Map references:''' South America ===Area=== ''Total:'' {{km2 to mi2|163270|precision=-1}} <br>''Land:'' {{km2 to mi2|161470|precision=-1}} <br>''Water:'' {{km2 to mi2|1800|precision=-1}} '''Area - comparative:''' See order of magnitude [[1 E+11 m²]]. ===Land boundaries=== ''Total:'' {{km to mi|1707}} ''Border countries:'' *[[Brazil]] - {{km to mi|597}} *[[French Guiana]] - {{km to mi|510}} *[[Guyana]] - {{km to mi|600}} ''Coastline:'' {{km to mi|386}} ===Maritime claims=== ''Exclusive economic zone:'' 200 nm (370 km) ''Territorial sea:'' 12 nm (22 km) ==Climate and terrain== ===Climate=== Suriname has a tropical environment, and is moderated by strong winds. ===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 - {{m to ft|2}} below Sea Level. ''Highest point:'' [[Juliana Top]] - {{m to ft|1280|precision=-1}} ===Natural resources=== Timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite and gold. Small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum and iron ore. ===Water=== The country has one large [[reservoir]], the [[Brokopondo Reservoir]]. Several rivers run through it, including the [[Suriname River]], [[Nickerie River]] and [[Maroni River|Maroni]] or Marowijne River. ===Land use=== (Using 1993 Estimates) ''Arable land:'' .36% <br>''Permanent crops:'' >06% <br>''Permanent pastures:'' 0% <br>''Other:'' 99.58% ====Irrigated land==== (Using 1993 Estimates) {{km2 to mi2|600|precision=-2}} ====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]], [[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|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]] {{Geography of South America}} [[Category:Geography of Suriname| ]] [[fr:Géographie du Suriname]] [[pt:Geografia do Suriname]]