Geography

Suriname is the smallest independent country in South America. It is 163,820 sq km, making it the 91st largest country (after Uraguay) and the equivalent size of England, Northern Ireland and Wales combined.

Situated on the Guiana Shield, the country can be divided into two main geographic regions. The northern, lowland coastal area (roughly above the line Albina-Paranam-Wageningen) has been cultivated, and most of the population lives here. The southern part consists of tropical rainforest and sparsely inhabited savanna along the border with Brazil, covering about 80% of Suriname's land surface.

There are two main mountain ranges in Suriname: the Bakhuis Mountains and the Van Asch Van Wijck Mountains. Julianatop is the highest mountain in the country at 1,286 metres (4,219 ft) above sea level. Other mountains include:

• Tafelberg (1,026 m; 3,366 ft)
• Mount Kasikasima (718 m; 2,356 ft)
• Goliathberg (358 m; 1,174 ft)
• Voltzberg (240 m; 787 ft)

Located in the northeast portion of the country is the W.J. van Blommestein Meer, one of the largest reservoir lakes in the world. It was created in 1964 by the Afobakka dam (the Brokopondo Project), built to provide hydropower for the bauxite industry (which consumes about 75% of the output) and for domestic consumption.

Facts and Figures

• Location: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana
• Geographic Coordinates: 4 00 N, 56 00 W
• Area:
  • Total: 163,270 sq km
  • Land: 161,470 sq km
  • Water: 1,800 sq km
• Land Boundaries: 1,703 km
• Border Countries:
  • Brazil 593 km
  • French Guiana 510 km
  • Guyana 600 km
• Coastline: 386 km
• Maritime Claims:
  • Territorial sea: 12 nm
  • Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
• Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds
• Terrain: mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
• Elevation Extremes:
  • Lowest point: unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 m
  • Highest point: Juliana Top 1,230 m
• Natural Resources:
  • Timber
  • Hydropower
  • Fish
  • Kaolin
  • Shrimp
  • Bauxite
  • Gold
  • Small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore
• Land Use:
  • Arable land: 0.36%
  • Permanent crops: 0.06%
  • Other: 99.58%
• Irrigated Land: 510 sq km
• Environmental Issues:
  • Deforestation as timber is cut for export
  • Pollution of inland waterways by small-scale mining activities