Editing Suriname (section)

== Geography ==
{{main|Geography of Suriname}}
[[File:View of Brokopondo Reservoir (33537723975).jpg|thumb|left|[[Brokopondo Reservoir]] surrounded by tropical rainforest]]
[[File:Morning fog (2719242329).jpg|thumb|The [[Coppename River|Coppename river]], one of many rivers in the interior]]
[[File:Suriname geology NL annot.svg|right|thumb|Geology of Suriname]]

Suriname is the smallest independent country in South America. Situated on the [[Guiana Shield]], it lies mostly between latitudes [[1st parallel north|1°]] and [[6th parallel north|6°N]], and longitudes [[54th meridian west|54°]] and [[58th meridian west|58°W]]. 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.

The two main mountain ranges are the [[Bakhuys Mountains]] and the [[Van Asch Van Wijck Mountains]]. [[Julianatop]] is the highest mountain in the country at {{convert|1286|m|ft}} above sea level. Other mountains include [[Tafelberg, Suriname|Tafelberg]] at {{convert|1026|m|ft}}, Mount [[Kasikasima]] at {{convert|718|m|ft}}, Goliathberg at {{convert|358|m|ft}} and [[Voltzberg]] at {{convert|240|m|ft}}.

Suriname contains six terrestrial ecoregions: [[Guayanan Highlands moist forests]], [[Guianan moist forests]], [[Paramaribo swamp forests]], [[Tepuis]], [[Guianan savanna]], and [[Guianan mangroves]].<ref name="DinersteinOlson2017">{{cite journal|last1=Dinerstein|first1=Eric|last2=Olson|first2=David|last3=Joshi|first3=Anup|last4=Vynne|first4=Carly|last5=Burgess|first5=Neil D.|last6=Wikramanayake|first6=Eric|last7=Hahn|first7=Nathan|last8=Palminteri|first8=Suzanne|last9=Hedao|first9=Prashant|last10=Noss|first10=Reed|last11=Hansen|first11=Matt|last12=Locke|first12=Harvey|last13=Ellis|first13=Erle C|last14=Jones|first14=Benjamin|last15=Barber|first15=Charles Victor|last16=Hayes|first16=Randy|last17=Kormos|first17=Cyril|last18=Martin|first18=Vance|last19=Crist|first19=Eileen|last20=Sechrest|first20=Wes|last21=Price|first21=Lori|last22=Baillie|first22=Jonathan E. M.|last23=Weeden|first23=Don|last24=Suckling|first24=Kierán|last25=Davis|first25=Crystal|last26=Sizer|first26=Nigel|last27=Moore|first27=Rebecca|last28=Thau|first28=David|last29=Birch|first29=Tanya|last30=Potapov|first30=Peter|last31=Turubanova|first31=Svetlana|last32=Tyukavina|first32=Alexandra|last33=de Souza|first33=Nadia|last34=Pintea|first34=Lilian|last35=Brito|first35=José C.|last36=Llewellyn|first36=Othman A.|last37=Miller|first37=Anthony G.|last38=Patzelt|first38=Annette|last39=Ghazanfar|first39=Shahina A.|last40=Timberlake|first40=Jonathan|last41=Klöser|first41=Heinz|last42=Shennan-Farpón|first42=Yara|last43=Kindt|first43=Roeland|last44=Lillesø|first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow|last45=van Breugel|first45=Paulo|last46=Graudal|first46=Lars|last47=Voge|first47=Maianna|last48=Al-Shammari|first48=Khalaf F.|last49=Saleem|first49=Muhammad|display-authors=1|title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm|journal=BioScience|volume=67|issue=6|year=2017|pages=534–545|issn=0006-3568|doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014|pmid=28608869|pmc=5451287|doi-access=free}}</ref> Its [[forest cover]] is 90.2%, the highest of any nation in the world. The country had a 2019 [[Forest Landscape Integrity Index]] mean score of 9.39/10, ranking it fifth globally out of 172 countries.<ref name="FLII-Supplementary">{{cite journal|last1=Grantham|first1=H. S.|last2=Duncan|first2=A.|last3=Evans|first3=T. D.|last4=Jones|first4=K. R.|last5=Beyer|first5=H. L.|last6=Schuster|first6=R.|last7=Walston|first7=J.|last8=Ray|first8=J. C.|last9=Robinson|first9=J. G.|last10=Callow|first10=M.|last11=Clements|first11=T.|last12=Costa|first12=H. M.|last13=DeGemmis|first13=A.|last14=Elsen|first14=P. R.|last15=Ervin|first15=J.|last16=Franco|first16=P.|last17=Goldman|first17=E.|last18=Goetz|first18=S.|last19=Hansen|first19=A.|last20=Hofsvang|first20=E.|last21=Jantz|first21=P.|last22=Jupiter|first22=S.|last23=Kang|first23=A.|last24=Langhammer|first24=P.|last25=Laurance|first25=W. F.|last26=Lieberman|first26=S.|last27=Linkie|first27=M.|last28=Malhi|first28=Y.|last29=Maxwell|first29=S.|last30=Mendez|first30=M.|last31=Mittermeier|first31=R.|last32=Murray|first32=N. J.|last33=Possingham|first33=H.|last34=Radachowsky|first34=J.|last35=Saatchi|first35=S.|last36=Samper|first36=C.|last37=Silverman|first37=J.|last38=Shapiro|first38=A.|last39=Strassburg|first39=B.|last40=Stevens|first40=T.|last41=Stokes|first41=E.|last42=Taylor|first42=R.|last43=Tear|first43=T.|last44=Tizard|first44=R.|last45=Venter|first45=O.|last46=Visconti|first46=P.|last47=Wang|first47=S.|last48=Watson|first48=J. E. M.|display-authors=1|title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity – Supplementary Material|journal=Nature Communications|volume=11|issue=1|year=2020|page=5978|issn=2041-1723|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3|pmid=33293507|pmc=7723057|bibcode=2020NatCo..11.5978G|doi-access=free}}</ref>

===Borders===
{{main|Borders of Suriname}}
[[File:Suriname with disputed territories.jpg|right|thumb|Map of Suriname with disputed territories in light green.]]
Suriname is situated 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 Ocean|Atlantic]] coast. The southernmost borders with French Guiana and Guyana are disputed by these countries along the [[Maroni River|Marowijne]] and [[Courantyne River|Corantijn]] rivers, respectively, while a part of the disputed [[maritime boundary]] with Guyana was arbitrated by the [[Permanent Court of Arbitration]] convened under the rules set out in [[:s:United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea/Annex VII|Annex VII]] of the [[United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea]] on 20 September 2007.<ref>[[Permanent Court of Arbitration]] – [http://www.pca-cpa.org/showpage.asp?pag_id=1147 Guyana v. Suriname] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208082359/http://www.pca-cpa.org/showpage.asp?pag_id=1147|date=8 February 2013}}</ref><ref>[http://www.pca-cpa.org/showfile.asp?fil_id=664 Award of the Tribunal] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102053445/http://pca-cpa.org/showfile.asp?fil_id=664|date=2 January 2011}}. pca-cpa.org. Retrieved 15 August 2012.</ref>

===Climate===
Lying [[2nd parallel north|two]] to [[5th parallel north|five degrees north]] of the [[equator]], Suriname has a very hot and wet [[tropical climate]], and temperatures do not vary much throughout the year. Average relative humidity is between 80% and 90%. Its average temperature ranges from {{convert|29|to|34|C}}. Due to the high humidity, actual temperatures are distorted and may therefore feel up to {{convert|6|C-change|0}} hotter than the recorded temperature.

The year has two [[wet season]]s, from April to August and from November to February. It also has two [[dry season]]s, from August to November and February to April.

[[File:Seasons in Suriname original.png|thumb|Seasons in Suriname]]

[[Climate change in Suriname]] is leading to warmer temperatures and more [[extreme weather]] events. As a relatively poor country, its contributions to global [[climate change]] have been limited. Because of the large forest cover, the country has been running a [[carbon dioxide removal|carbon negative]] economy since 2014.<ref name=":3">{{cite web|title=Suriname's climate promise, for a sustainable future|url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/01/1056422|website=UN News|date=31 January 2020|access-date=7 June 2020}}</ref>

=== Biodiversity and conservation ===
{{main|Biodiversity in Suriname}}
[[File:Leatherback Turtle near Galibi.jpg|thumb|[[Leatherback sea turtle]] on the beach near the village of Galibi]]
[[File:Dendrobates azureus (Dendrobates tinctorius) Edit.jpg|thumb|The [[blue poison dart frog]] is endemic to Suriname.]]
[[File:Share Of Forest Area In Total Land Area, Top Countries (2021).svg|thumb|330x330px|Share of forest area in total land area, top countries (2021). Suriname has the highest percentage of forest cover in the world.]]
Due to the variety of habitats and temperatures, biodiversity in Suriname is considered high.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.inaturalist.org/places/suriname|title=Suriname|publisher=inaturalist.org}}</ref> In October 2013, 16 international scientists researching the ecosystems during a three-week expedition in Suriname's [[Upper Palumeu River]] Watershed catalogued 1,378 species and found 60—including six frogs, one snake, and 11 fish—that may be previously unknown species.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/oct/03/new-species-suriname-frog Cocoa frog and lilliputian beetle among 60 new species found in Suriname]. ''The Guardian'' (3 October 2013). Retrieved 7 October 2013.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131003055806/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/10351238/New-species-discovered-in-Surinames-mountain-rainforests.html New species discovered in Surname's mountain rainforests]. ''The Telegraph'' (2 October 2013). Retrieved 7 October 2013.</ref><ref>[http://www.nbcnews.com/science/scientists-discover-scores-species-surinames-tropical-eden-8C11339818 Scientists discover scores of species in Suriname's 'Tropical Eden']. NBC News (7 October 2013). Retrieved 7 October 2013.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120126234340/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/01/pictures/120125-suriname-new-species-armored-catfish-cowboy-frog-science/ New-Species Pictures: Cowboy Frog, Armored Catfish, More]. ''National Geographic'' (1 January 2012). Retrieved 7 October 2013.</ref> According to the environmental non-profit [[Conservation International]], which funded the expedition, Suriname's ample supply of fresh water is vital to the biodiversity and healthy ecosystems of the region.<ref>[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/03/new-species-suriname_n_4038741.html Discover 60 New Species In Suriname]. ''The Huffington Post'' (3 October 2013). Retrieved 7 October 2013.</ref>

Snakewood (''[[Brosimum guianense]]''), a tree, is native to this tropical region of the Americas. Customs in Suriname report that snakewood is often illegally exported to French Guiana, thought to be for the crafts industry.<ref>''[http://www.profor.info/sites/profor.info/files/publication/LAC_2007_Law%20Compliance_Prevention%20and%20Control%20of%20Illegal%20Activities%20in%20the%20Forest%20Sector%20of%20Suriname.pdf Law Compliance, and prevention, and control of illegal activities in the forest sector of Suriname] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020035953/http://www.profor.info/sites/profor.info/files/publication/LAC_2007_Law%20Compliance_Prevention%20and%20Control%20of%20Illegal%20Activities%20in%20the%20Forest%20Sector%20of%20Suriname.pdf |date=20 October 2016 }}'', Maureen Playfair</ref>

On 21 March 2013, Suriname's REDD+ Readiness Preparation Proposal (R-PP 2013) was approved by the member countries of the Participants Committee of the [[Forest Carbon Partnership Facility]] (FCPF).<ref>[http://jamaica-gleaner.com/extra/article.php?id=2255 Suriname gets the nod for environment programme – News – Global Jamaica]. Jamaica-gleaner.com (25 March 2013). Retrieved 12 July 2013.</ref>

As in other parts of Central and South America, indigenous communities have increased their activism to protect their lands and preserve habitat. In March 2015, the "[[Trio people|Trio]] and [[Wayana people|Wayana]] communities presented a declaration of cooperation to the [[National Assembly of Suriname]] that announces an indigenous conservation corridor spanning 72,000 square kilometers (27,799 square miles) of southern Suriname. The declaration, led by these indigenous communities and with the support of [[Conservation International]] (CI) and [[World Wildlife Fund]] [[WWF Guianas|(WWF) Guianas]], comprises almost half of the total area of Suriname.<ref name="guardians">[http://www.conservation.org/NewsRoom/pressreleases/Pages/Guardians-of-the-Forest-Indigenous-Peoples-Take-Action-to-Conserve-Nearly-Half-of-Suriname.aspx "Guardians of the Forest: Indigenous Peoples Take Action to Conserve Nearly Half of Suriname"], 5 March 2015, Press Release, Conservation International. Retrieved 6 October 2016</ref> This area includes large forests and is considered "essential for the country's [[climate resilience]], freshwater security, and green development strategy."

The [[Central Suriname Nature Reserve]] has been designated a UNESCO [[World Heritage Site]] for its unspoiled forests and [[biodiversity]]. There are many national parks in the country, including Galibi National Reserve along the coast; [[Brownsberg Nature Park]] and [[Eilerts de Haan Nature Park]] in central Suriname; and the [[Sipaliwani Nature Reserve]] on the Brazilian border. In all, 16% of the country's land area is national parks and lakes, according to the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.<ref>UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre [http://www.wdpa.org/ ''World Databbase on Protected Areas''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804170907/http://www.wdpa.org/|date=4 August 2009 }}</ref>

Suriname's extensive tree cover is vital to the country's efforts to [[Climate change in Suriname|mitigate climate change]] and maintain [[carbon negativity]].<ref>{{cite news|date=2020-01-31|title=Suriname's climate promise, for a sustainable future|work=UN News|url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/01/1056422|url-status=live|access-date=2020-11-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110002634/https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/01/1056422|archive-date=2020-11-10}}</ref>{{refn|Suriname has been carbon negative since at least 2014.|group=lower-alpha}}