UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

FORM 40-F

£REGISTRATION STATEMENT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

OR

QANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION
13(a) OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

|For the fiscal year ended
    December 31, 2008 | Commission File Number:
    000-32748
|----------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------

Corriente Resources Inc.

|British Columbia                       | 1000                             | Not Applicable                          
|-------------------------------------- | -------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------
|(Province or other
    Jurisdiction of | (Primary Standard
    Industrial | (I.R.S. Employer
    Identification No.)
|Incorporation or
    Organization)     | Classification Code Number)      |                                         

520  800 West Pender Street 
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 
V6C 2V6 
(604) 687-0449

CT Corporation System 
111 Eighth Avenue 
New York, New York 
10011 
(212) 894-8940 (Name, address (including zip code) and telephone number 
(including area code) of agent for service in the United States)

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section
12(b) of the Act:

|Title of Each Class         | Name of Exchange on which
    Registered
|--------------------------- | ----------------------------------------
|Common Shares, No Par Value | NYSE AMEX                               

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section
12(g) of the Act: None

Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant
to Section 15(d) of the Act: None

For annual reports, indicate by check mark the information
filed with this Form:

|[ X] Annual information
    form | [X] Audited annual
    financial statements
|-------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------

Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each
of the issuer's classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period
covered by the annual report:

The Registrant had 75,302,393 Common Shares outstanding as at
December 31, 2008.

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1)
has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Exchange Act during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the
Registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such
filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes Q               
No £

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A. Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Disclosure controls and procedures are defined by the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") as those controls and other
procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed
by the Registrant in reports filed or submitted by it under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), is recorded, processed,
summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC's rules and
forms.

The Registrant's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial
Officer have evaluated the Registrant's disclosure controls and procedures as of
the end of the period covered by this Annual Report and have determined that
such disclosure controls and procedures were effective. See "Management's
Discussion and Analysis  Disclosure Controls and Procedures," included in
Exhibit 1.2 to this Annual Report.

B. Management's Annual Report on Internal Control Over
Financial Reporting

See "Management's Discussion and Analysis  Internal Controls
over Financial Reporting," included in Exhibit 1.2 to this Annual Report, and
"Managements Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting," included in
Exhibit 1.3 to this Annual Report.

C. Attestation Report of the Registered Public Accounting
Firm

The attestation report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is
included in PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP's report to the shareholders of the
Registrant dated March 30, 2009, which accompanies the Registrants audited
consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008,
filed as Exhibit 1.3 to this Annual Report.

D. Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Since the most recent evaluation of the Registrants internal
control over financial reporting, there have been no changes in the Registrants
internal control over financial reporting that have materially affected, or are
reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrants internal control over
financial reporting.

E. Notice of Pension Fund Blackout Period

The Registrant was not required by Rule 104 of Regulation BTR
to send any notice to any of its directors or executive officers during the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2008.

F. Audit Committee Financial Expert

The board of directors of the Registrant has determined that
the Chair of the Audit Committee, Dale C. Peniuk, qualifies as an "audit
committee financial expert" within the meaning of General Instruction B(8)(b) of
Form 40-F and is "independent" within the meaning of applicable SEC regulations
and the listing standards of the NYSE AMEX.

The SEC has indicated that the designation of a person as an
audit committee financial expert does not make such person an "expert" for any
purpose, impose any duties, obligations or liability on such person that are
greater than those imposed on members of the audit committee and the board of
directors who do not carry this designation or affect the duties, obligations or
liability of any other member of the audit committee or board of directors.

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G. Code of Ethics

The Registrant has adopted a code of ethics, entitled "Policies and
Procedures Manual  Code of Conduct," that applies to all directors, officers
and employees.

The Registrant's code of ethics can be viewed on the Registrants website at
www.corriente.com/corporate/corporate_corp_governance.php.

H. Principal Accountant Fees and Services (in Canadian dollars)

Audit Fees

The aggregate fees billed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the
Registrants independent registered chartered accountants, for the fiscal years
ended December 31, 2008 and 2007 for professional services rendered by
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for the audit of the Registrants annual consolidated
financial statements and internal control over financial reporting and services
that are normally provided by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in connection with
statutory and regulatory filings or engagements for such years were $226,895 and
$302,385, respectively.

Audit-Related Fees

The aggregate fees billed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for
the fiscal years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007 for assurance and related
services rendered by it that are reasonably related to the performance of the
audit or review of the Registrant's financial statements and are not reported
above as audit fees were $39,000 and $39,608, respectively. Professional
services provided in 2008 and 2007 consisted of quarterly review of unaudited
interim consolidated financial statements.

Tax Fees

The aggregate fees billed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for
the fiscal years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007 for professional services
rendered by it for tax compliance, tax advice, tax planning and other services
were $25,601 and $105,832, respectively.

All Other Fees

The aggregate fees billed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for
the fiscal years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007 for services provided by
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, other than the services reported in the preceding
three paragraphs, were $Nil and $85,827, respectively. Such services included:
the auditing of certain tax information; review of certain internal financial
models of the Registrant; and fees associated with the Plan of Arrangement
transaction between the company and Q2 Gold Resources Inc. completed in June
2007.

Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and
Procedures

All audit and non-audit services performed by the Registrants external
auditor must be preapproved by the audit committee of the Registrant.

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I. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The Registrant is not a party to any off-balance sheet
arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future
effect on its financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or
expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital
resources that is material to investors.

J. Tabular Disclosure of Contractual Obligations

As of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008, the Registrant had normal
trade payables only, and does not have any future contractually committed calls
on its cash.

K. Identification of the Audit Committee

The Registrant has a separately designated standing Audit
Committee. The members of the Audit Committee are Dale C. Peniuk (Chair),
Richard P. Clark, G. Ross McDonald and David G. Unruh. Each member of the Audit
Committee is "independent" within the meaning of applicable SEC regulations and
the listing standards of NYSE AMEX, and each is financially literate and
financially sophisticated.

L. Critical Accounting Policies

See "Management's Discussion and Analysis  Accounting Estimates, Policies
and Standards," included in Exhibit 1.2 to this Annual Report.

M. NYSE AMEX Exemption

In connection with the Registrant's initial application to
list its common shares on the American Stock Exchange (now the NYSE AMEX) in
2006, the Registrant requested, and was granted, a waiver, pursuant to the first
paragraph of Section 110 of the NYSE AMEX Company Guide, from the quorum
requirement set forth in Section 123 of the NYSE AMEX Company Guide. The
exemption was granted on the basis that the Registrant's existing quorum
requirement complies with Canadian law and is consistent with Canadian business
practices. Under the Registrant's bylaws, the quorum requirement for the
transaction of business at a meeting of shareholders is a minimum of two persons
who are, or who represent by proxy, shareholders who, in the aggregate, hold at
least 5% of the issued shares entitled to be voted at the meeting. The
Registrants quorum requirements are not prohibited by the requirements of the
Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and the Registrant intends
to continue to comply with the requirements of the Business Corporations Act
(British Columbia). The rules of the Toronto Stock Exchange, upon which the
common shares are also listed, do not contain a specific quorum requirement.

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UNDERTAKING AND CONSENT TO SERVICE OF PROCESS

A. Undertaking

The Registrant undertakes to make available, in person or by
telephone, representatives to respond to inquiries made by the SEC staff, and to
furnish promptly, when requested to do so by the SEC staff, information relating
to the securities in relation to which the obligation to file an annual report
on Form 40-F arises or transactions in said securities.

B. Consent to Service of Process

The Registrant has previously filed with the SEC a Form F-X
in connection with its common shares. Any change to the name and address of the
agent for service of process shall be communicated promptly to the SEC by an
amendment to the Form F-X.

EXHIBITS

The following exhibits are filed as part of this Annual Report:

|Number | Document                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
|------ | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|1.1    | Annual Information Form
    for the year ended December 31, 2008                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|1.2    | Managements Discussion
    and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2008                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|1.3    | Audited Consolidated
    Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2008 and 2007, prepared
    in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles and
    reconciled to United States
    generally accepted
    accounting principles in accordance with Item 17 of Form 20-F, together with
    the report of the auditors thereon
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|23.1   | Consent of
    PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|23.2   | Consent of John Drobe, P.
    Geo.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|23.3   | Consent ofJohn
    Hoffert, P. Eng.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|23.4   | Consent of Robert Fong,
    P. Eng.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|23.5   | Consent of Jeremy P.
    Haile, P. Eng.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|23.6   | Consent of Jay Collins,
    P. Eng.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|31.1   | Certification of Chief
    Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) pursuant to Section 302 of
    the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|31.2   | Certification of Chief
    Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) pursuant to Section 302 of
    the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|32.1   | Certification of Chief
    Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) and Chief Financial Officer
    (Principal Financial Officer) pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
    Act of 2002                                                                                                                                                           

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SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the
Exchange Act, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for
filing on Form 40-F and has duly caused this annual report to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized.

|                      | CORRIENTE RESOURCES INC.      
|--------------------- | ------------------------------
|                      |                               
|                      |                               
|                      |                               
|Dated: March 30, 2009 | By: /S/ DARRYL F. JONES       
|                      | By: Darryl F. Jones           
|                      | Title: Chief Financial Officer

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EXHIBIT INDEX

|Number | Document                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
|------ | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|1.1    | Annual Information Form
    for the year ended December 31, 2008                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|1.2    | Managements Discussion
    and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2008                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|1.3    | Audited Consolidated
    Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2008 and 2007, prepared
    in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles and
    reconciled to United States
    generally accepted
    accounting principles in accordance with Item 17 of Form 20-F, together with
    the report of the auditors thereon
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|23.1   | Consent of
    PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|23.2   | Consent of John Drobe, P.
    Geo.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|23.3   | Consent ofJohn
    Hoffert, P. Eng.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|23.4   | Consent of Robert Fong,
    P. Eng.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|23.5   | Consent of Jeremy P.
    Haile, P. Eng.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|23.6   | Consent of Jay Collins,
    P. Eng.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|31.1   | Certification of Chief
    Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) pursuant to Section 302 of
    the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|31.2   | Certification of Chief
    Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) pursuant to Section 302 of
    the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|32.1   | Certification of Chief
    Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) and Chief Financial Officer
    (Principal Financial Officer) pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
    Act of 2002                                                                                                                                                           

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