The Countries

Suriname

In the middle of the three Guianas lies Suriname. Its borders are the Atlantic Ocena in the North, French Giuana in the East, Brazil in the South and Guyana in the West. It is the smallests independant country of South America (1975) with a population of approximately 500,000 people, consisting mainly of afro-Surinamese, Hindustani, Javanese, Amer-indians, Marroons, chinese, whites and others. The official language is Nederlands (Dutch) and the national language Sranan tongo, a mixture of English, Dutch, Spanish, French and African languages is spoken widely.

Suriname is covered for almost 80% by pristine forests, through which many fresh water rivers run. The coastal area in the north is made up of fertile agricultural land. Elevations reach up to 1,200m in the south.

The rich biodiversity is found in the many species living in the tropical rainforests and rivers, such as macaws, giant river otters, jaguars, emerald tree boa, etc. The leatherback marine turtles still find a relatively safe haven for nesting. In the 1.6M ha large Suriname Central Nature Reserve 8 different species of primates can be found and easily seen.

Guyana

Guyana is located on the northcoast of South America. Guyana is bordered to the east by Suriname, to the south and southwest by Brazil and to the west by Venezuela. The official language in Guyana is English. Its population is approximately 750,000 people. The population comprises mainly Afro-Guyanese, hindustani, Amerindians, Whites and Chinese.

Guyana is covered for nearly 80% by pristine forests. Many fresh water rivers and creeks run through the tropical rainforests. The Kaieture waterfall is the largest single drop water fall in the world towering a mighty 275m.

In this biodiversity rich country undisturbed populations of the Arapaima and manatee can still be found.

French Guiana

French Guiana is located on the north east coast of South America. It is bordered by Brazil on the east and south and by Suriname in the west. The official language is French, and French-Creole is widely spoken. The ethnically diverse population is almost 200,000 people large and lives mainly on the coast.

This country is rich in biodiversity. large population of black caiman are a major tourist attraction. French Guiana has a large protected areas system and is currently working on the establishment of the Parc du Sud, a protected area that covers nearly one-third of the southern part of the country and connects with the Tumucumac National Park in North Brazil.