Maroni (river)
Maroni River Marowijne | |
---|---|
Location | |
Countries | France and Suriname |
Cities |
|
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
• location | Suriname |
• coordinates | 2°N 54°W / 2°N 54°W |
Mouth | Atlantic Ocean |
• coordinates | 5°44′45″N 53°58′06″W / 5.745793169255944°N 53.96842690321619°W |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
Length | 611.7 km (380.1 mi) |
Basin size | 65,830 km2 (25,420 sq mi) |
Discharge | |
• location | mouth |
• average | 1,700 m3/s (60,000 cu ft/s) 2,586 m3/s (91,300 cu ft/s) |
The Maroni or Marowijne (French: Maroni [maʁɔni]; Dutch: Marowijne [ˌmaːroːˈʋɛi̯nə]; Sranan Tongo: Marwina-Liba) is a river in South America that forms the border between French Guiana and Suriname.
Course
The Maroni runs through the Guianan moist forests ecoregion.[1] It originates in the
There are two nature preserves located in the estuary region on the Surinamese side of the river, near the village of Galibi. They provide protection for the birds and the leatherback sea turtles that hatch there.
Territorial dispute
In 1860, the question was posed from the French side, which of the two tributary rivers was the headwater, and thus the border. A joint French-Dutch commission was appointed to review the issue. The Dutch side of the commission consisted of
There were no problems with this decision until 1885. However, the discovery of gold in the area between the Lawa and the Tapanahony created a new border conflict. On 29 November 1888, France and the Netherlands reached an agreement that the conflict should be subject to arbitration. Czar Alexander III of Russia, acting as the arbitrator, decided that the Lawa was the headwater of the Maroni, and thus should be considered the border.
However, this decision created another issue as to which river is the source of the Lawa. The Netherlands considered the
The Litani originates in the Tumuk Humak Mountains at approximately 2+1⁄2° N 55° W; along its path it is fed by Koele Koelebreek, the Lokereek, the Mapaonikreek and the Oelemari River.
The Malani also has its source in the Tumuk Humak Mountains, at approximately 2° N, 54° W; it also absorbs the Koelebreek, among others.
Numbers
The Maroni basin is 68,700 km2; above the island
The estimated potential hydro power for Suriname is between 1150 and 1250 megawatts.[citation needed]
Exploration
The Maroni is the most extensively studied of all the rivers in Suriname. In the 16th century, there were already ships exploring the estuary, by
Of importance in the 20th century were the Gonini and Tapanahony expeditions, and the Tumuk Humak and Southern Border Expeditions. From these arose the research of the Geologisch Mijnbouwkundige Dienst (GMD) and the Centraal Bureau voor Luchtkartering (CBL).
-
Sunrise over the Maroni River
-
Maroni River, view from French Guiana to Suriname
References
- ^ Schipper, Jan; Teunissen, Pieter; Lim, Burton, Northern South America: Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, northern Brazil, and eastern Venezuela (NT0125), retrieved 3 April 2017
- .
- ISBN 0-904180-87-5.
- C.F.A. Bruijning und J. Voorhoeve (Ed.): Encyclopedie van Suriname. Amsterdam & Brussels 1977, B.V. Uitgeversmaatschappij Argus ISBN 90-10-01842-3.