Courantyne River

{{Short description|River in Suriname and Guyana}} {{Use British English|date=May 2026}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox river | name = Courantyne | name_native = | name_native_lang = | name_other = Corentyne, Corantijn | name_etymology = | nickname =  | image = BritGY p363 - CORENTYNE BASIN, THE WONOTOBO MIDDLE FALL (1871).jpg | image_size = | image_caption = Wonotobo Middle Fall in the Corentyne Basin from ''Canoe and Camp Life in British Guiana'' by Charles Barrington Brown | image_alt =  | map = | map_size = | map_caption = | map_alt = | pushpin_map = Suriname | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption= Location of mouth | pushpin_map_alt =  | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = Suriname, Guyana | subdivision_type2 = | subdivision_name2 = | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 =  | length ={{convert|724|km|mi|abbr=on}} | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location=mouth | discharge1_min = | discharge1_avg ={{convert|2,300|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}} | discharge1_max =  | source1 = | source1_location = | source1_coordinates=  | source1_elevation = | mouth = Atlantic Ocean | mouth_location = | mouth_coordinates = {{coord|5|57|N|57|06|W|type:river|display=it}} | mouth_elevation = | progression = | river_system = | basin_size ={{convert|69,000|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} | basin_landmarks = | basin_population = | tributaries_left = | tributaries_right = | waterbodies = | waterfalls = | bridges = | ports = | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra = }} The '''Courantyne River''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|ɜːr|ə|n|t|aɪ|n}} {{respell|KUR|ən|tyne}}),<ref>{{Cite web|title=Definition of 'Courantyne'|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/courantyne|language=en}}</ref> also known as '''Corentyne''' and '''Corantijn''' ({{IPA|nl|ˌkoːrɑnˈtɛin|lang|Nl-Corantijn.ogg}}), is a river in northern South America in Suriname and Guyana. It is the longest river in Suriname and creates the border between the country and the East Berbice-Corentyne region of Guyana.

Its tributaries include Coeroeni River, Kabalebo River, Kutari River, Lucie River, New River, Sipaliwini River, and Zombie Creek.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Zombie Creek, Guyana - Geographical Names, map, geographic coordinates|url=https://geographic.org/geographic_names/name.php?uni=-1367670&fid=2242&c=guyana|access-date=2021-01-21|website=geographic.org}}</ref>

==Course== The river runs through the Guianan moist forests ecoregion.<ref>{{citation |title=Northern South America: Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, northern Brazil, and eastern Venezuela (NT0125) |last1=Schipper |last2=Teunissen |last3=Lim |first1=Jan |first2=Pieter |first3=Burton |url=http://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/nt0125|accessdate=2017-04-03}}</ref> It originates in the Acarai Mountains and flows northward via the Boven ('Upper') Courantyne which is the source river for approximately {{convert|724|km|mi|abbr=on}} between Guyana and Suriname, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Corriverton (Guyana) and Nieuw Nickerie (Suriname). A ferry service operates between these two towns. Small ocean-going vessels are able to navigate the river for about {{cvt|120|km}} to Apoera. A bridge is to be built by China Road and Bridge Corporation.<ref>{{cite web |author= |date=January 10, 2025 |title=Guyana poised to swiftly secure funds for Corentyne River Bridge, says VP Jagdeo | url=https://newsroom.gy/2025/01/10/guyana-poised-to-swiftly-secure-funds-for-corentyne-river-bridge-says-vp-jagdeo/|website= News Room|location= Georgetown|publisher= |access-date=May 8, 2025}}</ref>

==Waterfalls== The Wonotobo Falls, Frederik Willem IV (Anora) Falls, and the King Edward VI Falls<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldwaterfalldatabase.com/waterfall/King-Edward-VIII-Falls-171 |title=King Edward VIII Falls|website=World Water Fall Database|access-date=16 December 2021}}</ref> are on the Courantyne River. Other falls include the Barrington Brown Falls, the Drios Falls and the Maopityan Falls.

==Territorial dispute== Between the upper reaches of the Courantyne, the Upper Courantyne, the Coeroeni and the Koetari rivers lay the controversial Tigri Area claimed by both Suriname and Guyana. The Guyanese–Surinamese border is the Guyanese river bank (the west bank of the river), Suriname regarded the left bank of the Courantyne as a border, but Guyana disputes this and viewed the centre of the river as a frontier, based on the Thalweg Doctrine.

This conflict, which has been fuelled since the colonial era, was solved in 2007 by a verdict by the Hague Arbitration Court, which settles the border between Guyana and Suriname on the left bank of the river, and the river water body belonging to Suriname. The tribunal that defined the maritime boundary between Suriname and Guyana in 2007 confirmed Surinamese sovereignty over the full width of the Entire Courantyne River.<ref>Permanent Court of Arbitration - [http://www.pca-cpa.org/showpage.asp?pag_id=1147 Guyana/Suriname] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208082359/http://www.pca-cpa.org/showpage.asp?pag_id=1147 |date=2013-02-08 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.pca-cpa.org/showfile.asp?fil_id=664 Award of the Tribunal] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102053445/http://pca-cpa.org/showfile.asp?fil_id=664 |date=2011-01-02 }}</ref> Suriname has control over all ship traffic from the mouth of the Courantyne.

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Rivers of the Tigri Area Category:Rivers of Suriname Category:Rivers of Guyana Category:Guyana–Suriname border Category:International rivers of South America Category:Nickerie District Category:Border rivers