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33-666: The Oyapock runs through the Guianan moist forests ecoregion. It rises in the Tumuk Humak ( Portuguese : Tumucumaque ) mountain range and flows into the Atlantic Ocean , where its estuary forms a large bay bordering on Cape Orange . The mouth of the Oyapock is the northern end of Brazil's coastline , as it is where the border between Brazil and French Guiana meets the ocean, but nearby Cape Orange, which separates

66-618: A sample location ( 4°15′N 56°15′W  /  4.25°N 56.25°W  / 4.25; -56.25 ) in the Central Suriname Nature Reserve temperatures vary little throughout the year, slightly warmer in October and slightly cooler in January. Yearly average temperatures are minimum 21.5 °C (70.7 °F) and maximum 30.5 °C (86.9 °F) with a mean of 26 °C (79 °F). Annual rainfall

99-563: Is 2,700 millimetres (110 in). Monthly rainfall varies from 54.3 millimetres (2.14 in) in October to 406.3 millimetres (16.00 in) in May. The ecoregion is mainly covered by lowland or submontane rainforest, including marsh forest along the rivers. There are an estimated 8,000 vascular plant species, of which half may be endemic. The plant species in the forests change from east to west, with species dominant in one area completely missing from another. There are also patches of savanna, and

132-595: Is an ecoregion in the east of Venezuela, north of Brazil and the Guyanas (Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana). It is in the Amazon biome . The climate is hot and humid, with two rainy seasons each year. As of 1996 the tropical rainforest habitat was relatively intact, although there were mounting threats from illegal logging and gold mining. The Guianan moist forests ecoregion covers most of Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. It covers part of eastern Venezuela and parts of

165-526: Is another sustainable use unit with a portion that covers the eastern coastal wetlands. National parks in Venezuela are fully protected, and cover parts of the wetlands and surrounding ecoregions. They include the 331,000 hectares (820,000 acres) Delta del Orinoco National Park , the 72,600 hectares (179,000 acres) Turuépano National Park in the north of the ecoregion and the 265,000 hectares (650,000 acres) Mariusa National Park that protects wetlands along

198-1353: Is not found in Suriname. The forests contain patches of savanna, particularly in Suriname, which may be remnants of the savanna that covered all of Suriname in the Pleistocene epoch apart from the river valleys and the high-altitude refugia of rainforest. In the early Holocene epoch the climate changed to favor the present rainforest, and remnants of savanna now cover just 1% of Suriname. There are more than 800 species of savanna plants. More than 220 species of mammals have been identified in Guyana alone, of which more than 100 are bats. Endemic species include rufous mouse opossum ( Marmosa lepida ), six-banded armadillo ( Euphractus sexcinctus ), red-handed tamarin ( Saguinus midas ), white-faced saki ( Pithecia pithecia ), red-faced spider monkey ( Ateles paniscus ), Neotropical pygmy squirrel ( Sciurillus pusillus ), delicate pygmy rice rat ( Oligoryzomys delicatus ), Guiana bristly mouse ( Neacomys guianae ), Bahia porcupine ( Coendou insidiosus ), white-faced spiny tree-rat ( Echimys chrysurus ), Schultz's round-eared bat ( Lophostoma schulzi ), and rufous dog-faced bat ( Molossops neglectus ). Endangered mammals include

231-941: Is part of the Guianan Moist Forests Global Ecoregion, which also includes the Paramaribo swamp forests and the Orinoco Delta swamp forests . The Köppen climate classification is "Af": equatorial, fully humid. The northeastern trade winds carry humidity from the Atlantic Ocean, fluctuating annually due to the effects of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (doldrums). Annual rainfall ranges from 2,000 to 4,000 millimetres (79 to 157 in), with two rainy seasons in December–January and May–August. At

264-589: Is relatively intact apart from a large area that was damaged by a failed flood control program in the 1960s. It is inaccessible, so logging is difficult, and the soil is unsuitable for farming. The main threat comes from oil exploration, which would bring an influx of settlers into the delta. The Orinoco Delta swamp forests in the lower delta plain of the Orinoco River are one of Earth's largest intact areas of wetlands. They cover an area of 27,972 square kilometres (10,800 sq mi). The forests extend from

297-576: The Brazilian customs facilities, plus some minor disagreements between the Brazilian and French governments. The inauguration ceremony of the bridge finally took place on 18 March 2017. Starting from 08:00 on 20 March 2017, the bridge has been open to members of the public. The widespread Brazilian Portuguese expression "do Oiapoque ao Chuí" ("from the Oyapock to the Chuí [rivers]") is used to refer to

330-587: The Brownsberg Nature Park in Suriname. Other protected areas include the Imataca Forest Reserve , Iwokrama Forest Reserve and Raleigh Falls - Voltzberg Nature Reserve . Orinoco Delta swamp forests The Orinoco Delta swamp forests (NT0147) is an ecoregion of eastern Venezuela and northern Guyana covering the large and shifting Orinoco Delta . The vegetation is mostly permanently flooded rainforest. The ecoregion

363-508: The Llanos and to the south it adjoins the Guianan moist forests . The terrain is flat, with typical elevations of 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) above sea level, but in the south there are terra firme levees up to 9 metres (30 ft) high. The soils are alluvial deposits carried by rivers from the Andes of Colombia and Venezuela. The Orinoco fans out into large and small distributaries in

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396-579: The Pacaraima Mountains , a sandstone plateau with an average elevation of 1,000 metres (3,300 ft). It also surrounds tepuis, or tabletop mountains, the highest being Mount Roraima with an elevation of 2,810 metres (9,220 ft). The highlands and tepuis have a distinct tepui ecosystem. The Guianan moist forests ecoregion is in the Neotropical realm and the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome. The ecoregion

429-490: The Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome. The ecoregion is part of the Guianan Moist Forests Global Ecoregion, which also includes the Guianan moist forests and the Paramaribo swamp forests . The Orinoco delta is largely covered by permanently flooded tropical ombrophilous swamp forest, which support various endemic species of plants, with areas of wetlands, mangroves and terra firma rainforest . Most of

462-552: The black bearded saki ( Chiropotes satanas ) and giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis). There are many birds species, often the same as in the Guyana Highlands and northern Andes, such as Guianan cock-of-the-rock ( Rupicola rupicola ), or the Amazon lowlands, such as hoatzin ( Opisthocomus hoazin ). Raptors include harpy eagle ( Harpia harpyja ) and crested eagle ( Morphnus guianensis ). Endangered birds include

495-600: The sun parakeet ( Aratinga solstitialis ) and yellow-bellied seedeater ( Sporophila nigricollis ). Reptiles include the threatened black caiman ( Melanosuchus niger ) and yellow-spotted river turtle ( Podocnemis unifilis ). There are diverse amphibians in the families Hylidae , Dendrobatidae and Leptodactylidae . The World Wildlife Fund classes the ecoregion as "Relatively Stable/Intact". As of 1996 relatively little deforestation had occurred, and conservation efforts were being made, but apart from Suriname there were few conservation areas and rising human pressure on

528-520: The Bay of Oyapock from the Atlantic Ocean, is the northernmost point of the Brazilian coast. In Brazil, both the cape and the mouth of the Oyapock are often mistaken for the whole country's northernmost point (rather than just of its coastline), and in the past this information could even be found in geography schoolbooks. Yet the true northernmost point in Brazil is actually far inland, on Monte Caburaí , in

561-621: The Guianan moist forests ecoregion. To the southwest and in places along its southern border it adjoins large areas of Guianan savanna . Most of the southern border adjoins the Uatuma-Trombetas moist forests . The ecoregion lies to the east of the lower Orinoco basin and covers about 65% of the northeast part of the ancient Guiana Shield . It is bounded to the south by the line of the Acarai and Tumuk Humak mountains, which defines

594-526: The Orinoco crocodile, giant otter and yellow-bellied seedeater ( Sporophila nigricollis ). The World Wildlife Fund classes the ecoregion as "Relatively Stable/Intact". A flood control program in the 1960s dammed the Caño Manamo , which reduced water levels in the upper delta. This part of the delta became tidal and much more saline than before, with a drastic impact on the flora and fauna. Otherwise

627-515: The bank of the Oyapock, such as Camopi and Clevelândia do Norte . The Oyapock River Bridge has been built across the river to connect the Brazilian town of Oiapoque and the French town of Saint-Georges-de-l'Oyapock. It is the first international land border connection of French Guiana; although completed since 2011, as of February 2017, it had remained closed to traffic due to payment delays for construction and building crews, staffing issues within

660-635: The base of the Paria Peninsula in the northeast of Venezuela south across the Orinoco Delta floodplain to the Waini River of Guyana. The ecoregion is bounded on the Gulf of Paria and the Atlantic Ocean by stretches of Amazon-Orinoco-Southern Caribbean mangroves . It contains sections of Orinoco wetlands . To the northwest it adjoins the La Costa xeric shrublands . To the west it adjoins

693-1120: The coastal lowlands have patches of herbaceous swamp. The flora is diverse. The upper tiers of the forest may reach a height of 40 metres (130 ft). The trees are mainly evergreen, but may shed leaves in the dry season. The trees hold many epiphytes and parasites, and shrubs and herbaceous plants cover the forest floor. The main plant families are Bignoniaceae , Bombacaceae , Euphorbiaceae , Moraceae , Sterculiaceae , Lauraceae , Vochysiaceae , Sapotaceae , Lecythidaceae , Fabaceae , Combretaceae , Anacardiaceae , Rubiaceae , Meliaceae , Sapindaceae , Annonaceae and Arecaceae . Common species include Calophyllum brasiliense , Carapa guianensis , Ceiba pentandra , Couroupita guianensis , Eschweilera species, Guarea trichiloides , Luehea species, Parkia pendula , Pentaclethra macroloba , Protium species, Schwartzia species and Trichilia species. Cedrela fissilis , Coumourana punctata , Coumourana punctata and Warszewiczia coccinea are common in some areas but are not found in Suriname. There are centers of plant diversity in

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726-472: The delta, which wind through a landscape of permanent wetlands and marshes, oxbow lakes and levees. The Köppen climate classification is "Af": equatorial, fully humid. Annual rainfall varies by location from 500 to 2,000 millimetres (20 to 79 in), and is highest in the south. A wet season generally lasts from April/May to December. At a sample location at coordinates 8°45′N 61°15′W  /  8.75°N 61.25°W  / 8.75; -61.25

759-502: The environment. Guyana is a major exporter of wild birds. The main threats come from illegal gold mining and logging along the unpoliced borders between the Guyanas and Venezuela and Brazil. A mounting drive to promote tourism might motivate the people to preserve the environment as a source of revenue. IUCN protected area category II (National Park) conservation units include the Kaieteur National Park in Guyana and

792-593: The north of the Brazilian states of Pará and Amapá . It has a total area of 51,281,764 hectares (126,720,000 acres). Along the Atlantic coast to the east and northeast the ecoregion adjoins strips of Guianan freshwater swamp forests , Amazon-Orinoco-Southern Caribbean mangroves and Orinoco Delta swamp forests . To the northwest it adjoins the Llanos ecoregion, the Guianan piedmont and lowland moist forests and Guianan Highlands moist forest . Scattered patches of this last ecoregion are found on higher ground within

825-441: The region is largely inaccessible, there is growing concern about logging. The cleared land is poor quality and cannot support farming. There are two indigenous reserves, which do not provide much protection, and several conservation units. The 876,500 hectares (2,166,000 acres) Delta del Orinoco Biosphere Reserve is a sustainable use unit. Part of it covers wetlands. The 3,203,250 hectares (7,915,400 acres) Imataca Forest Reserve

858-405: The rim of the Amazon basin and the northern border of Brazil. A small part of the ecoregion in the east is in the lower Amazon basin. The Essequibo , Courantyne , Maroni and Oyapock rivers run through the region to the Atlantic Ocean. The terrain is mostly plains or low hills, with some steep slopes in river valleys and the bases of tepuis . In the west-central area the ecoregion surrounds

891-625: The south and in the Saül region of central French Guiana. The Saul region is a dry belt of semi-open forest and patches of savanna that are more characteristic of the Guayana Lowland province. This region has more than 150 endemic vascular plants, with plants adapted to moderate temperatures in the higher areas and along watercourses. There are many palm species including Astrocaryum mumbaca , Astrocaryum munbaca , Maximiliana maripa , Iriartea excrrhiza and Bactris sphaerocarpa , which

924-595: The state of Roraima , hundreds of kilometers from the Oyapock and almost a full degree more to the north. Vicente Yáñez Pinzón was said to be the first European person to see the Oiapoque River in the first years of the 16th century. It has been rendered Japoc, Yapoc, Iapoco, Wiapoco, and even called the Vicente Pinzón River. Early European colonists referred to the river as the Wiapoco , and it

957-402: The swamp forests are mostly intact. The highest risk now comes from oil exploration, which would bring more people into the region and cause forest clearance for food and building materials. The way of life of the indigenous Warao people would be disturbed by the newcomers. In some areas the açaí ( Euterpe oleracea ) and moriche ( Mauritia flexuosa ) palm trees are over-exploited. Although

990-625: The temperature is relatively stable throughout the year, slightly cooler in January and July and slightly warmer in May and October. Yearly average minimum temperature is 22 °C (72 °F) and maximum is 31 °C (88 °F) with a mean temperature of 27 °C (81 °F). Yearly total rainfall is about 1,450 millimetres (57 in). Average monthly rainfall varies from 40.5 millimetres (1.59 in) in February to 203.7 millimetres (8.02 in) in July. The Orinoco Delta swamp forests are in

1023-934: The vegetation consists of hydrophilous trees and palms, with many epiphytes and scattered herbaceous plants . Hardwood trees include Carapa guianensis , Ceiba pentandra , Dimorphandra excelsa , Hirtella triandra , Inga punctata , Manilkara bidentata , Chlorocardium rodiei , Pentaclethra macroloba , Pterocarpus officinalis , Symphonia globulifera and Terminalia obovata . Palms, often growing in stands of one species, include Astrocaryum aculeatum , açaí palm ( Euterpe oleracea ), Manicaria saccifera and Mauritia flexuosa . The swamp forests are home to species that include Orinoco crocodile ( Crocodylus intermedius ), Amazon river dolphin ( Inia geoffrensis ), jaguar ( Panthera onca ), bush dog ( Speothos venaticus ), giant otter ( Pteronura brasiliensis ), Orinoco goose ( Neochen jubata ) and harpy eagle ( Harpia harpyja ). Endangered species include

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1056-405: The whole nation, by mentioning the waterways that mark respectively the northern and southern extremities of the Brazilian coastline (as noted above, they are often mistaken for the entire country's northern and southern extreme points). Thus, the saying is used in the same way as Americans use the expression "from coast to coast." Guianan moist forests The Guianan moist forests (NT0125)

1089-572: Was the site of early settlements by the Englishman Robert Harcourt in 1608 and the Dutchman Jan van Ryen in 1627. The name Oiapoque has been officially used from 1900, when a territorial dispute between Brazil and France was resolved through Swiss diplomatic arbitration. In addition to the small towns of Oiapoque (Amapá) and Saint-Georges de l'Oyapock (French Guiana), there are some small villages scattered along

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