Grade Six Social Studies
I trust that you are well. I do hope that you are paying closer attention to your school assignments and projects. You must complete all tasks given by your teacher if you are going to be successful at your endof-term examination.
In our last lesson, we looked at the concept of resources. We examined the major natural resources found in Guyana i.e gold, diamond, bauxite, forest, flora, and fauna.
In today’s lesson, we begin another new topic- Administrative Regions. We are going to:
1) Discuss the development of our Administrative Regions 2) Explain the reasons for the formation of Administrative Regions 3) List the names and regional centre of all Administrative Regions 4) Locate the ten Administrative Regions on a map of Guyana
Let’s Discuss the History of Our Administrative Regions.
During the Colonial Period, British Guiana was divided into three counties: Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice. Later in 1958, the country was reorganized into nine (9) Administrative Districts: East Berbice, East Demerara, Essequibo, Essequibo Islands, Mazaruni-Potaro, North West, Rupununi, West Berbice, and West Demerara. Thereafter, in the year 1971, the country was further reorganized into six (6) districts: East Berbice – Corentyne, East Demerara – West Coast Berbice, Mazaruni Potaro, North West, Rupununi and West Demerara – Essequibo Coast. The final reorganization occurred in the year 1980 when the country was divided into the now Ten (10) Administrative Regions.
The 1980 Constitution provided for the whole of Guyana to be divided into ten (10) sections called Administrative Regions.
Fact/Tip: The Constitution is the supreme law of our country. It came into effect on 6th October 1980.
The boundaries of each region were determined by: • The population
• The physical size
• The geographical features
• The economic resources
The Reason For The Formation of The Administrative Regions
The main purpose for the country to be divided into Ten (10) Administrative Regions is to ensure effective governance. Each Administrative Region is governed by a Regional Democratic Council (RDC). Each region also has an Administrative Centre and a Regional Chairman who is the head of the region. Each Administrative Region is controlled by a Regional Executive Office (REO) and falls under the authority of the Ministry of Local Government.
The high mountain ranges, the large rivers, and the lofty waterfalls are perhaps the reason why some Administrative Regions were made larger than others.
Let’s Look at The Names of Each Administrative Region and Their Regional Centre
The Barima/Waini region extends from the Atlantic Ocean at its northern extremity, which borders a narrow strip of coastal plain and extends to the tributaries of the Cuyuni and Waini River.
The region has an area of 7560 square miles (19580 square kilometers). It is primarily known for its variety of species of hardwood and hinterland forests.
Let’s Identify some Important Places in Region One
i. Shell Beach (Protected Area) ii. Mabaruma (Town) iii. Port Kaituma (settlement) iv. Mathews Ridge (settlement)
There is one town in Region One. The name of the town is Mabaruma
What are the main resources found in Region One?
1) Gold and Diamonds 2) Timber
3) Ground Provision 4) Coffee
5) Fruits
What Are The Main Economic Activities?
• Logging
• Mining (gold, diamonds)
• Agriculture (coffee, ground provisions, fruits)
Fact/Tip: Several beaches are present in this region. The famous ones are known to be nesting grounds for turtles. Shell Beach is one of them. It is the only beach in the world where four species of turtle nest during the season from April to August. The world’s largest turtle, “the giant leatherback” nests on this beach.