Grade Six Social Studies
Hello Boys and Girls!
How was your week at school? I hope that have increase the time that you spend on your academic studies. Remember, the only way you are going achieve your educational goals is by being diligent with your academic work.
Keep up the good work guys!
In our last lesson we started a series on Counties of Guyana, where we examined the history of these counties. We discussed that Guyana is divided into three counties namely:
1) Essequibo
2) Demerara
3) Berbice
Further, it was explained that the counties were named after the three main rivers in Guyana. Each county was once a Dutch colony with its own capital.
Topic: Counties of Guyana Sub-Topic: The County of Essequibo
Specific Learning Outcome:
In this week's lesson we are going to learn about the County of Essequibo:
We are going to: i. Discuss the history of the county of Essequibo. ii. Identify some of the important places in the county. iii. Discuss the main economic activities in the county of Essequibo. iv. Identify the historical landmarks found in the county of Essequibo.
THE COUNTY OF ESSEQUIBO
This county was the first one in which the Dutch settled during the 16th century. It is the largest county and covers approximately ¾ % or 75% of the country. The Boerasirie River separates Essequibo from Demerara, along the coastline of Guyana.
Some important places in the county of Essequibo are:
• Kaieteur Falls on the Potaro River
• The Mazaruni/Potaro area - the main gold producing area in Guyana. • Anna Regina, Guyana's sixth town and the administrative center of
Region No. 2 Pomeroon-Supenaam.
• Bartica - the gateway to the hinterland.
Falls
Fact/Tip: Kaieteur Falls is a major tourist attraction in Guyana. It is in Kaieteur National Park in the centre of Guyana's rainforest.
The Essequibo River itself is very important. It is 370 miles (592 km) long and over 19 miles (30.4 km) wide at the mouth There are three hundred and sixty-five islands in the Essequibo River.
The main economic activities in the county of Essequibo are:
• Cattle ranching in the Interior Savannahs • Gold and diamond mining
• Timber production.
• Agriculture including rice production on the Essequibo (Anna Regina) and islands e.g., Leguan
• Citrus fruit cultivation and vegetable farming in the North-West District and Pomeroon areas.
By Ulanie Prass-Akinde
NB: Sugarcane is not grown on a commercial scale in Essequibo
Some Historical landmarks in the county of Essequibo are the Dutch forts. They are:
• Fort Kyk Overal located at the confluence of the
Cuyuni, Mazaruni and Essequibo rivers.
• Fort Zeelandia situated on Fort Island - once the Dutch capital of Essequibo.
• Fort Nova Zeelandia - located on the Pomeroon River
Let’s Look At Fort Zeelandia
Fort Zeelandia is located on Fort Island, a fluvial island of the Essequibo River delta in the Essequibo Islands-West Demerara region of Guyana.
Not to be confused with Fort Zeelandia in Paramaribo, Suriname, the current brick fort was built in 1743 for the Essequibo colony, replacing an earlier wooden fort built in 1726, and is among the oldest structures in Guyana.
The fort replaced Fort Kyk-Over-Al as the capital of Essequibo in 1739.
Let’s Discuss Fort Kyk-Over-Al
Fort Kyk-Over-Al is located at the confluence of the Essequibo, Mazaruni and Cuyuni rivers. The fort was established on a 6070 square metre (1.5 acres) island bordered by the three rivers. It was the second Dutch trading outpost in Essequibo; the first was in
Pomeroon and was established in the late 1500s.
The first outpost at the location, many historians believe was built by the
Spanish but there are a few who dispute this