The Guianas - Conservation significance
Map of the three Guianas
The Guianas (Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana) are three countries on the northern coast of South America, bordering Brazil.
They all have 80-90% pristine forest cover and an incredibly rich biodiversity.
The coasts of the Guianas are home to one of the largest populations of the endangered Leatherback turtle in the world and hosts millions of migratory birds from North America which winter here. Typical Guiana birds such as the incredible Red Ibis attract bird lovers from all over the world.
The Guianas have an incredible biodiversity
The jaguar -Panthera onca- is one of the special protected species of the Guianas
The three Guianas each contain at least 80% pristine forest cover
The Scarlet Ibis-Eudocimus ruber- is one of the well-known coastal birds of the Guianas
The coasts of the Guianas are home to the critically endangered Leatherback-Dermochelys coriacea
The Guianas are also rich in natural resources, such as gold, bauxite and oil. Unsustainable extraction of especially the first threatens forests and freshwaters of the region on a large scale. The rapid expansion of small-scale gold mining in the Guianas, with increasing use of mercury is of immense concern to WWF.