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Ms. Soles
Social Studies
Lesson 24
South America: Guyana & Suriname
Where in the world are they?
Guyana Suriname
Locate Guyana and Suriname:
Flag of Guyana
Flag of Suriname
Fast facts About Guyana
1) Capital: Georgetown
2) Land Area: 76,004 sq mi; 196,850 sq km
3) Ethnic groups: South Asian, Black, Indigenous Indian, White, East Asian, Mixed Black/White
4) Religion (s): Christian, Hindu, Muslim
5) Government: Republic6) Currency: Guyanese Dollar 7) Language(s): English,
(official), English Creole, Hindu, Tamil, Indigenous Indian
Fast Facts about Suriname
1) Capital: Paramaribo2) Land Area: 62,344 sq mi;
161,470 sq km3) Population: 436,4944) Ethnic groups: South Asian,
Creole, Javanese, Maroon, Indigenous Indian, East Asian, White
5) Religion (s): Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Traditional beliefs
6) Government: Constitutional Democracy
7) Currency: Suriname guilder or Florin
8) Language (s): Dutch (official), Sranan, Javanese, Sarnami Hindu, Saramaccan, Chinese, Carib
Physical Characteristics of Guyana
At 215,000 km2, Guyana is the third-smallest independent state on the mainland of South America (after Uruguay and Suriname). Its population is approximately 770,000.
Guyana can be divided into five natural regions;
1) a narrow and fertile marshy plain along the Atlantic coast (low coastal plain) where most of the population lives;
2) a white sand belt more inland (hilly sand and clay region), containing most of Guyana's mineral deposits.
3) the dense rain forests (Forested Highland Region) in the southern part of the country;
Covered with rivers and a massive rain forest, it's a rugged, unspoiled country, with over 90% of the population living along the coastal areas.
3) the desert savannah in the southern west;
4) and the smallest interior lowlands (interior savannah) consisting mostly of mountains that gradually rise to the Brazilian border.
Scenes from Guyana
Rupununi Savannah
Mount Roraima
Kaieteur Falls is the world's largest single drop waterfall by
volume.
Physical Characteristics of Suriname
Suriname is the smallest independent country in South America, situated on the Guiana Shield.
Suriname can be divided into two main geographic regions.
1) The northern, lowland coastal area has been cultivated, and most of the population lives here.
2) The southern part of Suriname consists of tropical rainforest and sparsely inhabited savanna along the border with Brazil, covering about 80% of Suriname's land surface.
There are two main mountain ranges: the Bakhuys Mountains and the Van Asch Van Wijck Mountains. Julianatop is the highest mountain in the country at 1,286 metres (4,219 ft) above sea level. Other mountains include Tafelberg, Mount Kasikasima, Goliathberg, and Voltzberg.
Guyana’s HistoryGuyana was inhabited by the Arawak and Carib tribes of Native Americans. Although Christopher Columbus sighted Guyana during his third voyage (in 1498), the Dutch were the first to establish colonies: Essequibo (1616), Berbice (1627), and Demerara (1752.
The British assumed control in the late 18th century, and the Dutch formally ceded the area in 1814. In 1831 the three separate colonies became a single British colony known as British Guiana.
Guyana achieved independence from the United Kingdom on 26 May 1966 and became a republic on 23 February 1970, remaining a member of the Commonwealth.
Suriname’s History
Beginning in the 16th century, French, Spanish, and English explorers visited the area. A century later, plantation colonies were established by the Dutch and English along the many rivers in the fertile Guyana plains.
The earliest documented colony in Guiana was along the Suriname River and called Marshall's Creek. The area was named after an Englishman. Disputes arose between the Dutch and the English. In 1667, the Dutch decided to keep the plantation colony of Suriname conquered from the English, resulting from the Treaty of Breda.
In 1683, the Society of Suriname was founded. The society was chartered to manage and defend the colony. The planters of the colony relied heavily on African slaves to cultivate the coffee, cocoa, sugar cane and cotton plantations along the rivers.
Treatment of the slaves by their owners was notoriously bad, and many slaves escaped the plantations. With the help of the native South Americans living in the adjoining rain forests, these runaway slaves established a new and unique culture that was highly successful. Known collectively in English as the Maroons.
Body of Ndyuka Maroon child brought before a shaman, Suriname 1955
Slavery was abolished by the Netherlands in Suriname in 1863, but the slaves in Suriname were not fully released until 1873, after a mandatory 10 year transition period during which time they were required to work on the plantations for minimal pay.
In 1973, the local government, led by the NPK (a largely Creole, meaning ethnically African or mixed African-European, party) started negotiations with the Dutch government leading towards full independence, which was granted on 25 November 1975.
Economy of Guyana
The main economic activities in Guyana are agriculture (production of rice and Demerara sugar), bauxite mining, gold mining, timber, shrimp fishing and minerals.
Tractor in a Rice Field on Guyana’s Coastal Plain
The sugar industry, which accounts for 28% of all export earnings, is largely run by the company Guysuco, which employs more people than any other industry.
Economy of Suriname
The economy of Suriname is dominated by the bauxite industry, which accounts for more than 15% of GDP and 70% of export earnings. Other main export products include rice, bananas and shrimp.
Suriname has recently started exploiting some of its sizeable oil and gold reserves. About a quarter of the people work in the agricultural sector, as well as the lumber industry.
The following video will demonstrate how and why some immigrants came to
Guyana & Suriname.
http://www.compulsivetraveler.tv/videos/811-Once-More-Remo
Indian Immigrants from the British India
Biodiversity of Guyana
Scarlett macaws
The Hoatzin the national bird of Guyana
Among many other mammals, Guyanese jungles are home to the jaguar.
A Golden Frog (Kaieteur), that lives only in the Guianas
More than 80% of Guyana is still covered by forests, ranging from dry evergreen and seasonal forests to montane and lowland evergreen rain forests. These forests are home to more than a thousand species of trees.
Guyana has one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world. Guyana, with 1,168 vertebrate species, 1,600 bird species, boasts one of the richest mammalian fauna assemblages of any comparably sized area in the world. The Guiana Shield region is little known and extremely rich biologically.
Biodiversity of Suriname
Giant Otter Giant Otter Range
Cotingas Central Suriname Nature reserve
We must leave the tropical countries of Guyana and Suriname. We have more adventures ahead!
Where, next?Hint: It is surrounded by land andborders the other South Americancountry surrounded by land!
Resources
http://www.wikipedia.orghttp://www.worldatlas.comhttp://
www.compulsivetravelor.com
