Suriname

The Republic of Suriname, more commonly known as Suriname or Surinam, (formerly known as Netherlands Guiana and Dutch Guiana) is a country in northern South America, in between French Guiana to the east and Guyana to the west. The southern border is shared with Brazil and the northern border is the Atlantic coast. The most southern parts of the borders with Guyana and French Guiana are disputed (upper Corantijn and Marowijne rivers—the map shows the Guyana and French Guiana versions of the border).

Geography

Main article: Geography of Suriname

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Suriname is the smallest independent country in South America. It is situated on the Guiana Shield and part of Caribbean South America. 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.

Related Topics:
South America - Guiana - Shield - Caribbean South America - Rainforest - Savanna - Border - Brazil

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There are two main mountain ranges in Suriname: the Bakhuil Mountains and the Van Asch Van Wijck Mountains. Julianatop is the highest mountain in the country at 1286 m above sea level. Other mountains include Tafelberg (1026 m), Mount Kasikasima (718 m), Goliathberg (358 m) and Voltzberg (240 m).

Related Topics:
Julianatop - M - Sea level - Tafelberg - Mount Kasikasima - Goliathberg - Voltzberg

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Lying near the equator, Suriname has a tropical climate, and temperatures do not vary a lot throughout the year. The year has two wet seasons, from December to early February and from late April to mid-August.

Related Topics:
Equator - Tropical climate - Wet season

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

Related Topics:
1964 - Dam - Hydro power - Bauxite

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In the upper Coppename River watershed, the Central Suriname Nature Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site cited for its unspoiled rainforest biodiversity. There are many national parks in the country: Galibi National Reserve, Coppename Manding National Park and Wia Wia NR along the coast, Brownsberg NR, Raleighvallen/Voltzeberg NR, Tafelberg NR and Eilerts de Haan NP in the centre and the Sipaliwani NR on the Brazilian border. In all 12% of the countrys land area are national parks.

Related Topics:
Coppename River - Watershed - Central Suriname Nature Reserve - World Heritage Site - Biodiversity

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