Grade Six Social Studies
Hello Boys and Girls.
Last week we started looking at Administrative Regions in Guyana. We discussed that in 1980 the Constitution provided for the whole of Guyana to be divided into ten (10) sections called Administrative Regions. The primary purpose for the country to be divided into Ten (10) Administrative Regions is to ensure effective governance. We also mentioned each administrative Region as a name. The name of each Administrative Region tells of its boundaries. The division of the regions aids in the governance of the country.
Topic: Administrative Regions Sub-Topic: Pomeroon Supenaam
Today we are going to look at Region Two, Pomeroon Supenaam. We will: ❖ Describe the Region
❖ Examine the political map of the Region
❖ Identify main resources
❖ Discuss the main economic activities
❖ Identify the town in this Region
❖ Important Places found in the Region
Let’s Examine: REGION TWO: POMEROON – SUPENAAM
The Pomeroon/Supenaam region extends from the North-West by the Pomeroon River and on the South-West by the Supenaam River along the coast. The Region has an area of 2140 square miles (5560 square kilometers).
Region Two is named after the Pomeroon and the Supenaam rivers. These rivers also serve as boundaries for the Region. This Region is comprised of three natural regions. They are: ❖ A Low Coastal Plain ❖ A Forested Highland and
❖ A part of the Hilly Sand and Clay Region
Did you know? One of Guyana's towns is found in this Region. What is its name? If you said Anna Regina, then you are correct. This town has a fascinating history. Before the area was made into a town, eighteen small villages were merged into a village district. This was in the year 1872. In 1990, these eighteen villages, which comprised agricultural and residential areas covering an area of about nine square miles, were incorporated into a town.
Fact/Tip: The Region has two national monuments. Damon's Cross is a national monument found in the Churchyard at La Belle Alliance, and a monument was erected in the village of Anna Regina in July 1988.
Damon’s Monument is located at Damon Square in Anna Regina,
Essequibo Coast. The monument was built to recognize the 28-year-old mulatto domestic servant,
Damon, who lived on
Plantation Richmond, which Mr. Charles Bean owned. The structure was designed by Guyanese sculptor Mr. Ivor Thom and was unveiled by
Prime Minister Hamilton Green on July 31, 1988, to mark the 150th anniversary oh emancipation. It was funded by the government of Guyana and was referred to as a monument of inspiration to all Guyanese people by Dr. Ptolemy Reid. The statue sits on a giant chair made of bronze and lies on a concrete plinth. The structure’s overall wait is 3000 kilograms (3 tons), with a total height of 2.7 metres (9 feet).
Important Places found in Region Two: Pomeroon Supenaam
• • •
Anna Regina (Town)
Hampton Court (Regional cricket ground)
Tapakuma, Reliance, and Capoey Lakes (the Tapakuma project links the three lakes into one, forming a large water conservancy that supplies water for irrigation of rice fields)
Let’s look at the primary resources in this Region.
Remember, a resource is anything useful to man.
The soil in this Region is highly fertile agricultural lands in the Region produce crops such as rice, coffee, ground provisions, citrus fruits, vegetables, and coconuts.
Ground Provision Rice Citrus (Oranges)
Fact/Tip: Lumber accounts for another source of income in the Region. This is harvested from areas along the banks of rivers where the trees grow more abundantly. Logs are cut and tied into rafts before floating down the river to the sawmills. There they are cut into suitable building material, much of which is exported.
What is the main economic activity in Region Two?
The type of resources present in the Region often determines the main economic activity of a region or community. Therefore the main economic activity is agriculture.
1)
2)
Logging
Farming
Note: Some people engage in cattle rearing.
Logging is a source of income in the Region because of the abundance of forest along the banks of some rivers. The logs are tied into rafts and are floated down the rivers to the sawmills.
Traditional Economic Activities in Region Two
Some of the traditional economic activities are farming and hunting. In earlier times, the blowpipe and bows and arrows were used. In many homes around Guyana, items such as these are now used as decorations. At the present time, people prefer to use shotguns for hunting animals that are used as food. Smoking, then drying in the sun, is one of how food preservation is done in those traditional Amerindian villages.
Fact/Tip: Guyana's largest producer and exporter of rice, Kayman Sankar has a rice complex at Hampton Court.
Lakes in Region Two
Two lakes, The Tapakuma and the Capoey are connected to several creeks. Therefore, they afford irrigation for the many small and large rice-producing areas. The large water conservancy is called the Tapakuma Project.
Lake Mainstay
The Major Road in Region Two
The main road runs through the villages. It runs along the coast from Supenaam to Charity. Villagers live mainly on either side of the road. Some of the villages Cotton Field, Danielstown, Henrietta, Richmond, Reliance, Sparta, Mainstay, and Walton Hall
Let's talk about the population of Region Two.
The population is made up of the Amerindians who live in settlements and the other ethnic groups who live in the villages that have been established along the coastland.
Fact/Tip: An Amerindian settlement has a council and a leader. Do you remember the name of the leader of an Amerindian village? The leader is called a Touchau or a Captain.
Settlements in Region Two- Pomeroon Supenaam
A settlement is a place where people live.
Settlements in the Region are mainly located near rivers, trails, and airstrips. Amerindians live especially by farming, hunting, and fishing. They use shotguns, bows, arrows, and sometimes blowpipes for hunting. The production of craft items