Essequibo River

Pontoon crossing at Mango Landing, Essequibo River

Map of the Essequibo drainage basin

The Esequibo River is the largest river in Guyana, and the largest river between the Orinoco and Amazon. Rising in the Acarai Mountains near the Brazil-Guyana border, the Essequibo flows to the north for 1,010 km through forest and savanna into the Atlantic Ocean.

Geography

There are countless rapids and waterfalls (e. g., Kaieteur Falls on the Potaro river) along the route of the Essequibo, and its 20 km wide estuary is dotted with numerous small islands. It enters the Atlantic 21 km from Georgetown, the capital city of Guyana. The river also features Murrays Fall.

Its many tributaries include the Rupununi, Potaro, Mazaruni, Siparuni, Kiyuwini and Cuyuni rivers. For over 30 km from its mouth, the river's channel is divided by the large flat and fertile islands of Leguan (about 28 km²), Wakenaam (about 44 km²), and Hog Island (about 60 km²). Fort Island is situated off the eastern side of Hog Island. Fort Island was the seat of Government of the country during the Dutch colonial era.

The first European settlement in Guyana was built by the Dutch along the lower part of the Essequibo in 1615. The colonists remained on friendly terms with the Native American peoples of the area, establishing riverside sugar and cacao plantations.

In August 1995 there was an acid spill in the river by the Canadian mining company Cambior. An estimated 4 000 000 m³ of waste laced with cyanide was released into the river causing much destruction.

History

There is a very fine book written by Father Félix María de Vegamián (from the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin) explaining very well the river's history and the real origin of its name, as being a word coming out from Juan de Esquivel's name. Juan de Esquivel travelled into the Esequibo beginning 16th century being Alonso de Ojeda's second and later the territory was settled by capuchin missionaries even before the Dutch settlement along the river known as Esquivel's River. However, the Independence war at Venezuela beginning the 19th century ended these missionary settlements. At this time, Britain needed to have a colony, besides Trinidad, to serve the large trade sailboats on their large travel trading route around South America.

Venezuela claims that the Essequibo is the true border between it and Guyana, claiming all territory west of it . The boundary was set between Venezuela and Guyana's then colonial power, Great Britain in 1899 through an arbitration proceeding. A letter written by Venezuela's legal counsel, named partner Severo Mallet-Prevost of New York law firm Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle alleged that the Russian and British judges on the tribunal had acted improperly and granted the lion's share of the dispute territory to Britain due to a political deal between Russia and the United Kingdom. As a result, Guyana accepted the claim by Venezuela in 1966 in Ginebra, Switzerland to the disputed territory.

In a document detailing instructions for the Dutch Postholder in Cuyuni, it was mentioned that Indians (Venezuelan Amerindians) trading in Chinese slaves to sell to people who lived along the Esequibo river were to be allowed to conduct their business.

Esequibo is also the name of a former Dutch colony founded in 1616 and located in the region of the Esequibo River that later became part of British Guiana.

References

• Vegamián, Félix María de (Father, Order of Friars Minor Capuchin). El Esequivo, frontera de Venezuela. Documentos históricos y experiencias personales. Madrid: Talleres Tipográficos Raycar S. A., 1968.

External links

• (Spanish) Aerial view of the mouth of the Esequibo River.