Guyana vs. Suriname
Geography
| Guyana | Suriname | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela | Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana |
| Geographic coordinates | 5 00 N, 59 00 W | 4 00 N, 56 00 W |
| Map references | South America | South America |
| Area | total: 214,969 sq km land: 196,849 sq km water: 18,120 sq km | total: 163,820 sq km land: 156,000 sq km water: 7,820 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Idaho; almost twice the size of Tennessee | slightly larger than Georgia |
| Land boundaries | total: 2,933 km border countries (3): Brazil 1308 km, Suriname 836 km, Venezuela 789 km | total: 1,907 km border countries (3): Brazil 515 km, French Guiana 556 km, Guyana 836 km |
| Coastline | 459 km | 386 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate | tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to August, November to January) | tropical; moderated by trade winds |
| Terrain | mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south | mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Laberintos del Norte on Mount Roraima 2,775 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 207 m | highest point: Juliana Top 1,230 m lowest point: unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 m mean elevation: 246 m |
| Natural resources | bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish | timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore |
| Land use | agricultural land: 8.4% (2018 est.) arable land: 2.1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 6.2% (2018 est.) forest: 77.4% (2018 est.) other: 14.2% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 0.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 0.4% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 0.1% (2018 est.) forest: 94.6% (2018 est.) other: 4.9% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 1,430 sq km (2012) | 570 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | flash flood threat during rainy seasons | flooding |
| Environment - current issues | water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation | deforestation as timber is cut for export; pollution of inland waterways by small-scale mining activities |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note | the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively; contains some of the largest unspoiled rainforests on the continent | smallest independent country on South American continent; mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna that, for the most part, is increasingly threatened by new development; relatively small population, mostly along the coast |
| Total renewable water resources | 271 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 99 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | population is heavily concentrated in the northeast in and around Georgetown, with noteable concentrations along the Berbice River to the east; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated | population concentrated along the nothern coastal strip; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated |
Source: CIA Factbook
