Location: | Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela |
| Geographic coordinates: | 5 00 N, 59 00 W |
| Map references: | South America |
| Area: | total: 214,970 sq km
water: 18,120 sq km
land: 196,850 sq km |
| Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Idaho |
| Land boundaries: | total: 2,462 km
border countries: Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km |
| Coastline: | 459 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 |
| Climate: | tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January) |
| Terrain: | mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m |
| Natural resources: | bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish |
| Land use: | arable land: 2.44%
permanent crops: 0.15%
other: 97.41% (2001) |
| Irrigated land: | 1,500 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural hazards: | flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons |
| Environment - current issues: | water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation |
| Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
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
Source: CIA World Factbook
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