Grade Six Social Studies
Hello Boys and Girls!
How are you doing? I hope you are doing fine physically, mentally, and emotionally. You must stay healthy- drink lots of water, eat your fruits and vegetables and always try to exercise. It is only when you are healthy you would be able to concentrate on your academic studies. I do hope that by now you have created your study timetable, and you are using it to help you organize and maximize your study time.
In our last lesson, we studied the County of Demerara. We discussed that this county Demerara (Dutch: Demerary, [ˌdeːmәˈraːri]) is a historical region in the Guianas, on the north coast of South America, now part of the country of Guyana. It was a colony of the Dutch West India Company between 1745 and 1792 and a colony of the Dutch state from 1792 until 1815. It was merged with Essequibo in 1812 by the British who took control. This week we will continue looking at the County of Demerara, after which we will examine the County of Berbice.
Topic: Counties of Guyana
Sub-topic: The County of Demerara (Continued)
The County of Berbice.
Specific Learning Outcomes:
In this week’s lesson we are going to learn about the County of Demerara and the County of Berbice:
We are going to:
i. Identify some important places in the County of Demerara ii. Discuss the history of the County of Berbice iii. Identify some of the important places in the County of Berbice iv. Discuss the main economic activities in the County of Berbice v. Identify the historical landmarks found in the County of Berbice
Some important places in the county of Demerara are:
The Stabroek Market area is easily the busiest such place in the city, always bustling with people and activity. It is a central hub for taxis and “minibuses”, and also for ferries that transport people and goods from all towns and villages along the Demerara River.
Stabroek Market is widely known as the biggest market location in Guyana, where many sellers go to make a living. The market has attracted a great variety of business owners, whose wares range from jewelry to clothes to produce. Stabroek Market is filled with customers every day and is known for its clock located at the top of the building.
Stabroek Market is in the middle of what Guyanese people call “Town”, where many other major businesses surround its tall and recognized building. Stabroek Market is one of Georgetown’s main attractions and is renowned throughout Guyana.
The Construction of the Stabroek Market
In 1842, the Georgetown Town Council designated the current location of the market on Water Street, officially recognizing it as a market even though it had served such a capacity for quite some time. The market was designed by an American engineer Nathaniel McKay, and constructed by the Edgemoor Iron Company of Delaware, USA over the period 1880-1881. Construction of the iron and steel structure was completed in 1881 and may be the oldest structure still in use in the city. The market covers an area of about 80,000 square feet (7,000 m2). and houses a wide variety of items for sale.
Fact/Tip: The Stabroek Market is the largest market of Georgetown, Guyana.
St. George’s Cathedral
St. George’s Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Georgetown, Guyana. The wooden church reaches a height of 43.5 metres. It is the seat of the Bishop of
Guyana. St. George’s was designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield and opened on 24 August 1892. The building was completed in 1899. The history of the Anglican Church in Guyana can be traced as far back as 1781, when the Reverend William Baggs, chaplain to Sir George Rodney, came to Guyana. However, his stay was short-lived, and it was not until 1796 that the impact of Anglicanism was felt, when the Reverend Francis MacMahon began holding services in a room on the ground floor of a building that was on the site of the present Parliament Buildings.
FACT/TIP: The St. George’s Cathedral is reputed to be the world’s tallest wooden building. It is the chief church of the Anglican Diocese and is situated in the heart of the city, of Georgetown.
Parliament Building
The Parliament Building located in the capital city of Guyana, Georgetown, is considered to be one of the finest architectural structures in Guyana. As it is located in the heart of the capital city, close to Stabroek Market and the Demerara River, the two-storied brick building features a low dome, two wings and a portico. The building was constructed in 1832 according to the plan of architect Joseph Hadfield and was formally handed over to the British colonial legislature on 5th August, 1834.
The Parliament Buildings is where the National Assembly of Parliament in Guyana and its committees meet, and there is also the Parliament Library which was established in 1998 with the help from the National Democratic Institute. The Parliament Chamber, the room in which debates of the National Assembly takes place, is located on the top floor of the eastern wing of the building. The Chamber is arranged according to the Westminster tradition, with government and opposition members facing each other across wooden tables.
Adjacent to the Parliament Chamber is a Lobby where Members of Parliament can discuss matters privately and make telephone calls. Behind the Lobby, there is a Committee Room where Parliamentary Committees meet and where refreshments are served to Members during a suspension of a National Assembly Sitting. In the center of the Committee Room is a large table made of the local green-heart wood, a gift from Willems Timber and Trading Company Limited.
The table was in the center of the Parliament Chamber when it was used by the British Colonial State Council in 1953 and then by the Senate from 1961 to 1964. It was moved to the Committee Room when Guyana’s Legislature again became unicameral (consisting of a single legislative chamber) in 1964. But perhaps one of the most striking features of the Chamber is the ceiling, coffered and painted in 1875 by the Italian artist, Cesar Castellani
The chamber also features an elaborately carved Speaker’s chair made of teak wood, an Independence (1966) gift from the Government of India; a table and three chairs for the clerks, and a Sergeant-at-Arms’ chair, an Independence gift from the British House of Commons etc. There has been a renovation in 2004, which was completed in 2005 and four new rooms were constructed. Nowadays, one of the best-known symbols of Guyana is this marvelous artpiece which will continue to serve as a seat to the Parliament, for a long time.
Let’s Look At The Umana Yana (pronounced oo-man-a yan-na)
This is a conical thatched structure (Benab) about 16.78 metres (55 feet) high. It was erected by the Wai-Wai Ameridians, one of the nine tribes of Amerindians in Guyana. The Umana Yana, which is an Amerindian word meaning “meeting place”, was erected for the Non-Aligned Foreign Ministers
Conference in August 1972 as a V.I.P. Lounge and recreation center.
The structure is 55 feet (17 m) high and is made from thatched allibanna and manicole palm leaves, and wallaba posts lashed together with mukru, turu and nibbi vines. No nails were used. It was erected by a team of about sixty Wai-Wai Amerindians, one of the nine indigenous tribes of Guyana. Fashioned like the Wai-Wai benabs or shelters which are found deep in Guyana’s interior, it occupies an area of 460 square metres, making it the largest structure of its kind in Guyana.
In the compound of the Umana Yana is a memorial consisting of five timber columns standing behind a granite boulder and surrounded by a jasper pavement. This memorial is called the Liberation Movement and is dedicated to the struggle for freedom everywhere. The consecration was done on the visit of the Council of Namibia to Guyana in August 1974.
FACT/TIP: On April 7, 2001, the Umana Yana was gazetted as one of Guyana’s National Monuments.
The County of Berbice
► Three of Guyana’s towns ► New Amsterdam
► Rose Hall
► Corriverton
NAMELY: The Demerara Harbour Bridge
The Demerara Harbour Bridge stretches from Bagotstown/ Peter’s Hall on the East Bank, across the Demerara River to Meer Zorgan Schoon Ord on the West Bank. The bridge, which was completed in June 1978, was designed by Thos. Store (Engineers) Limited of the United Kingdom. It is 1815 metres (6074 ft) long, made of steel and has retractor spans which open to allow the passage of ships which travel along the Demerara River. The Demerara Harbour Bridge is a floating toll bridge.
THE county of Berbice is serene. Sometimes referred to as the ‘Ancient County’ due to its Dutch colonial heritage,
Berbice is ripe with tourism attractions. Several small communities within three towns – New Amsterdam,
Rose Hall and Corriverton – conjure up images of Dutch heritage and rich agriculture and historic industrial estates that speak to our diverse history as a nation.
FACT/TIP: The Dutch settled in this county in 1672. It is the most easterly of the counties and extends from the Abary River to the Corentyne River.
Some important places in the county of Berbice are:
Black Bush Polder - one of Guyana’s main rice producing areas
New Amsterdam New Amsterdam (Dutch: Nieuw Amsterdam) is the regional capital of East BerbiceCorentyne, Guyana and one of the country’s largest towns. It is 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the capital, Georgetown and located on the eastern bank of the Berbice River, 6 km (4 mi) upriver from its mouth at the Atlantic Ocean, and immediately south of the Canje River. New Amsterdam’s population is 17,329 inhabitants as of 2012.
Did you know? New Amsterdam
is Guyana’s oldest town. In about 1733, the name Nieuw Amsterdam was given to a little village that sprang up around Fort Nassau, several miles up the Berbice River.
What is New Amsterdam Guyana known for?
New Amsterdam is the commercial and manufacturing centre for the agricultural and pastoral coastal lowlands, where sugarcane, rice, and cattle are raised.
Four of Guyana’s sugar estates are in The County of Berbice ► Albion/Port Mourant
► Rose Hall (Canje)
► Blairmont
► Skeldon
The bauxite communities located in The County of Berbice ► Kwakwani
► Ituni
► Everton
The Amerindian reservations: ► Orealla Orealla Mission)
(or is an Indigenous community in the
East Berbice-Corentyne Region of
Guyana, on the Corentyne River, approximately 33 miles (53 km) south of Crabwood Creek and 11 miles (18 km) north of Epira, located at 5°17′50″N 57°20′50″W, altitude
11 metres. 15 miles (24 km) southeast on the other side of the Corentyne River lies the Surinamese village of Apoera. Orealla is an indigenous village.
The village can only be reached by boat or plane. The population is mainly active in subsistence agriculture and logging.
Small ocean-going vessels can navigate the Corentyne River for about 70 km, to the first rapids at Orealla.
► Epira Kalkuni
► Fort Nassau
► Fort St. Andries - at the confluence of the Canje and Berbice Rivers
Important Resources in the county of Berbice are:
Agricultural
► The production of rice, sugar, ground provisions, green vegetables ► Rearing of cattle for milk (at Mara), cattle for beef, poultry and other livestock
► Mineral e.g. The mining of bauxite at Kwakwani
The main economic activities in the county of Berbice are: agriculture and bauxite mining.
Today we looked at the beautiful counties of Demerara and Berbice. This concludes on series on Counties of Guyana.
Let us remember that our country, Guyana, is divided into three counties: Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice. These counties were named after the main rivers in Guyana. Each county was once a Dutch colony with its own capital.
Until next time, stay safe, boys and girls!