Occupying the northeastern third of the Amazon, the Guiana Shield is one of the oldest geological formations on the Earth’s surface, and is part of the largest remaining block of tropical forest in the world. The region includes the Guianas (Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana), along with southern Venezuela, southeastern Colombia, and northeastern Brazil, thus encompassing six different governments, five official languages, plus many more indigenous and other languages.

The core of the Guiana Shield is predicted to be especially resilient to climate change, potentially providing a refuge for biodiversity and sustaining critical ecosystem services, like the world’s most voluminous water cycle.

The Guianas cover nearly a fifth of the Guiana Shield, and the landscapes still remain in good condition while the marine environment is considered one of the most productive in the world.