GUYANA
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Geography
Geography
Guyana is a country in Northern South America and part of Caribbean South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela. With a land area of approximately 197,000 square kilometres, Guyana is about the size of Idaho. The country is situated between 1 and 9 north latitude and between 56 and 62 west longitude. With a 430-kilometre Atlantic coastline on the northeast, Guyana is bounded by Venezuela on the west, Brazil on the west and south, and Suriname on the east. The land comprises three main geographical zones: the coastal plain, the white sand belt, and the interior highlands
Terrain
The coastal plain, which occupies about 5% of the country's area, is home to more than 90% of its inhabitants. The plain ranges from five to six kilometers wide and extends from the Courantyne River in the east to the Venezuelan border in the northwest.
The coastal plain is made up largely of alluvial mud swept out to sea by the Amazon River, carried north by ocean currents, and deposited on the Guyanese shores. A rich clay of great fertility, this mud overlays the white sands and clays formed from the erosion of the interior bedrock and carried seaward by the rivers of Guyana. Because much of the coastal plain floods at high tide, efforts to dam and drain this area have gone on since the 1700s.
Guyana has no well-defined shoreline or sandy beaches. Approaching the ocean, the land gradually loses elevation until it includes many areas of marsh and swamp. Seaward from the vegetation line is a region of mud flats, shallow brown water, and sandbars. Off New Amsterdam, these mud flats extend almost twenty-five kilometers. The sandbars and shallow water are a major impediment to shipping, and incoming vessels must partially unload their cargoes offshore in order to reach the docks at Georgetown and New Amsterdam.
A line of swamps forms a barrier between the white sandy hills of the interior and the coastal plain. These swamps, formed when water was prevented from flowing onto coastal croplands by a series of dams, serve as reservoirs during periods of drought.
The white sand belt lies south of the coastal zone. This area is 150 to 250 kilometers wide and consists of low sandy hills interspersed with rocky outcroppings. The white sands support a dense hardwood forest. These sands cannot support crops, and if the trees are removed erosion is rapid and severe. Most of Guyana's reserves of bauxite, gold, and diamonds are found in this region.
The largest of Guyana's three geographical regions is the interior highlands, a series of plateaus, flat-topped mountains, and savannahs that extend from the white sand belt to the country's southern borders. The Pakaraima Mountains dominate the western part of the interior highlands. In this region are found some of the oldest sedimentary rocks in the Western Hemisphere. Mount Roraima, on the Venezuelan border, is part of the Pakaraima range and, at 2,762 meters, is Guyana's tallest peak. Farther south lies the Kaieteur Plateau, a broad, rocky area about 600 meters in elevation; the 1,000-meter high Kanuku Mountains; and the low Acarai Mountains situated on the southern border with Brazil.
Much of the interior highlands consist of grassland. The largest expanse of grassland, the Rupununi Savannah, covers about 15,000 square kilometers in southern Guyana. This savannah also extends far into Venezuela and Brazil. The part in Guyana is split into northern and southern regions by the Kanuku Mountains. The sparse grasses of the savannah in general support only grazing, although Amerindian groups cultivate a few areas along the Rupununi River and in the foothills of the Kanuku Mountains.
Hydrology
Guyana is a water-rich country. Numerous rivers flow into the Atlantic Ocean, generally in a northward direction. A number of rivers in the western part of the country, however, flow eastward into the Essequibo River, draining the Kaieteur Plateau. The Essequibo, the country's major river, runs from the Brazilian border in the south to a wide delta west of Georgetown. The rivers of eastern Guyana cut across the coastal zone, making east-west travel difficult, but they also provide limited water access to the interior. Waterfalls generally limit water transport to the lower reaches of each river. Some of the waterfalls are spectacular; for example, Kaieteur Falls on the Potaro River drops 226 metres, more than four times the height of Niagara Falls.
Drainage throughout most of Guyana is poor and river flow sluggish because the average gradient of the main rivers is only one meter every five kilometers. Swamps and areas of periodic flooding are found in all but the mountainous regions, and all new land projects require extensive drainage networks before they are suitable for agricultural use. The average square kilometer on a sugar plantation, for example, has six kilometers of irrigation canals, eighteen kilometers of large drains, and eighteen kilometers of small drains. These canals occupy nearly one-eighth of the surface area of the average sugarcane field. Some of the larger estates have more than 550 kilometers of canals; Guyana itself has a total of more than 8,000 kilometers. Even Georgetown is below sea level and must depend on dikes for protection from the Demerara River and the Atlantic Ocean.
Climate
Lying near the equator, Guyana has a tropical climate, and temperatures do not vary much throughout the year. The year has two wet seasons, from December to early February and from late April to mid-August.
Although the temperature never gets dangerously high, the combination of heat and humidity can at times seem oppressive. The entire area is under the influence of the northeast trade winds, and during the midday and afternoon sea breezes bring relief to the coast. Guyana lies south of the path of Caribbean hurricanes and none is known to have hit the country.
Temperatures in Georgetown are quite constant, with an average high of 32°C and an average low of 24°C in the hottest month (July), and an average range of 29°C to 23°C in February, the coolest month. The highest temperature ever recorded in the capital was 37.2°C and the lowest 16.6°C. Humidity averages 70 percent year-round. Locations in the interior, away from the moderating influence of the ocean, experience slightly wider variations in daily temperature, and nighttime readings as low as 12°C have been recorded. Humidity in the interior is also slightly lower, averaging around 60 percent.
Rainfall is heaviest in the northwest and lightest in the southeast and interior. Annual averages on the coast near the Venezuelan border are near 250 centimetres, farther east at New Amsterdam 200 centimetres, and 150 centimetres in southern Guyana's Rupununi Savannah. Areas on the northeast sides of mountains that catch the trade winds average as much as 350 centimeters of precipitation annually. Although rain falls throughout the year, about 50 percent of the annual total arrives in the summer rainy season that extends from May to the end of July along the coast and from April through September farther inland. Coastal areas have a second rainy season from November through January. Rain generally falls in heavy afternoon showers or thunderstorms. Overcast days are rare; most days include four to eight hours of sunshine from morning through early afternoon.
Facts
Area:
total: 214,970 km²
land: 196,850 km²
water: 18,120 km²
Area - comparative: roughly the same size as Britain, slightly smaller than the US state of Idaho
Land boundaries:
total: 2,462 km
border countries: Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km
Coastline: 459 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200 nautical miles (370 km) or to the outer edge of the continental margin
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nautical miles (370 km)
territorial sea: 12 nautical miles (22 km)
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January)
Terrain: mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m
Natural resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
Vegetation map of Guyana
Vegetation map of Guyana
Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 6%
forests and woodland: 84%
other: 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,300 km² (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons
Environment - current issues: water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation
Guyana is a country in Northern South America and part of Caribbean South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela. With a land area of approximately 197,000 square kilometres, Guyana is about the size of Idaho. The country is situated between 1 and 9 north latitude and between 56 and 62 west longitude. With a 430-kilometre Atlantic coastline on the northeast, Guyana is bounded by Venezuela on the west, Brazil on the west and south, and Suriname on the east. The land comprises three main geographical zones: the coastal plain, the white sand belt, and the interior highlands
Terrain
The coastal plain, which occupies about 5% of the country's area, is home to more than 90% of its inhabitants. The plain ranges from five to six kilometers wide and extends from the Courantyne River in the east to the Venezuelan border in the northwest.
The coastal plain is made up largely of alluvial mud swept out to sea by the Amazon River, carried north by ocean currents, and deposited on the Guyanese shores. A rich clay of great fertility, this mud overlays the white sands and clays formed from the erosion of the interior bedrock and carried seaward by the rivers of Guyana. Because much of the coastal plain floods at high tide, efforts to dam and drain this area have gone on since the 1700s.
Guyana has no well-defined shoreline or sandy beaches. Approaching the ocean, the land gradually loses elevation until it includes many areas of marsh and swamp. Seaward from the vegetation line is a region of mud flats, shallow brown water, and sandbars. Off New Amsterdam, these mud flats extend almost twenty-five kilometers. The sandbars and shallow water are a major impediment to shipping, and incoming vessels must partially unload their cargoes offshore in order to reach the docks at Georgetown and New Amsterdam.
A line of swamps forms a barrier between the white sandy hills of the interior and the coastal plain. These swamps, formed when water was prevented from flowing onto coastal croplands by a series of dams, serve as reservoirs during periods of drought.
The white sand belt lies south of the coastal zone. This area is 150 to 250 kilometers wide and consists of low sandy hills interspersed with rocky outcroppings. The white sands support a dense hardwood forest. These sands cannot support crops, and if the trees are removed erosion is rapid and severe. Most of Guyana's reserves of bauxite, gold, and diamonds are found in this region.
The largest of Guyana's three geographical regions is the interior highlands, a series of plateaus, flat-topped mountains, and savannahs that extend from the white sand belt to the country's southern borders. The Pakaraima Mountains dominate the western part of the interior highlands. In this region are found some of the oldest sedimentary rocks in the Western Hemisphere. Mount Roraima, on the Venezuelan border, is part of the Pakaraima range and, at 2,762 meters, is Guyana's tallest peak. Farther south lies the Kaieteur Plateau, a broad, rocky area about 600 meters in elevation; the 1,000-meter high Kanuku Mountains; and the low Acarai Mountains situated on the southern border with Brazil.
Much of the interior highlands consist of grassland. The largest expanse of grassland, the Rupununi Savannah, covers about 15,000 square kilometers in southern Guyana. This savannah also extends far into Venezuela and Brazil. The part in Guyana is split into northern and southern regions by the Kanuku Mountains. The sparse grasses of the savannah in general support only grazing, although Amerindian groups cultivate a few areas along the Rupununi River and in the foothills of the Kanuku Mountains.
Hydrology
Guyana is a water-rich country. Numerous rivers flow into the Atlantic Ocean, generally in a northward direction. A number of rivers in the western part of the country, however, flow eastward into the Essequibo River, draining the Kaieteur Plateau. The Essequibo, the country's major river, runs from the Brazilian border in the south to a wide delta west of Georgetown. The rivers of eastern Guyana cut across the coastal zone, making east-west travel difficult, but they also provide limited water access to the interior. Waterfalls generally limit water transport to the lower reaches of each river. Some of the waterfalls are spectacular; for example, Kaieteur Falls on the Potaro River drops 226 metres, more than four times the height of Niagara Falls.
Drainage throughout most of Guyana is poor and river flow sluggish because the average gradient of the main rivers is only one meter every five kilometers. Swamps and areas of periodic flooding are found in all but the mountainous regions, and all new land projects require extensive drainage networks before they are suitable for agricultural use. The average square kilometer on a sugar plantation, for example, has six kilometers of irrigation canals, eighteen kilometers of large drains, and eighteen kilometers of small drains. These canals occupy nearly one-eighth of the surface area of the average sugarcane field. Some of the larger estates have more than 550 kilometers of canals; Guyana itself has a total of more than 8,000 kilometers. Even Georgetown is below sea level and must depend on dikes for protection from the Demerara River and the Atlantic Ocean.
Climate
Lying near the equator, Guyana has a tropical climate, and temperatures do not vary much throughout the year. The year has two wet seasons, from December to early February and from late April to mid-August.
Although the temperature never gets dangerously high, the combination of heat and humidity can at times seem oppressive. The entire area is under the influence of the northeast trade winds, and during the midday and afternoon sea breezes bring relief to the coast. Guyana lies south of the path of Caribbean hurricanes and none is known to have hit the country.
Temperatures in Georgetown are quite constant, with an average high of 32°C and an average low of 24°C in the hottest month (July), and an average range of 29°C to 23°C in February, the coolest month. The highest temperature ever recorded in the capital was 37.2°C and the lowest 16.6°C. Humidity averages 70 percent year-round. Locations in the interior, away from the moderating influence of the ocean, experience slightly wider variations in daily temperature, and nighttime readings as low as 12°C have been recorded. Humidity in the interior is also slightly lower, averaging around 60 percent.
Rainfall is heaviest in the northwest and lightest in the southeast and interior. Annual averages on the coast near the Venezuelan border are near 250 centimetres, farther east at New Amsterdam 200 centimetres, and 150 centimetres in southern Guyana's Rupununi Savannah. Areas on the northeast sides of mountains that catch the trade winds average as much as 350 centimeters of precipitation annually. Although rain falls throughout the year, about 50 percent of the annual total arrives in the summer rainy season that extends from May to the end of July along the coast and from April through September farther inland. Coastal areas have a second rainy season from November through January. Rain generally falls in heavy afternoon showers or thunderstorms. Overcast days are rare; most days include four to eight hours of sunshine from morning through early afternoon.
Facts
Area:
total: 214,970 km²
land: 196,850 km²
water: 18,120 km²
Area - comparative: roughly the same size as Britain, slightly smaller than the US state of Idaho
Land boundaries:
total: 2,462 km
border countries: Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km
Coastline: 459 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200 nautical miles (370 km) or to the outer edge of the continental margin
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nautical miles (370 km)
territorial sea: 12 nautical miles (22 km)
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January)
Terrain: mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m
Natural resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
Vegetation map of Guyana
Vegetation map of Guyana
Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 6%
forests and woodland: 84%
other: 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,300 km² (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons
Environment - current issues: water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation
Environment - international agreements: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Education
Education
Guyana's educational system was at one time was considered to be among the best in the Caribbean, but it significantly deteriorated in the 1980s because of the emigration of highly educated citizens and the lack of appropriate funding. Although the education system has recovered somewhat in the 1990s, it still does not produce the quality of educated students necessary for Guyana to modernize its workforce. The country lacks a critical mass of expertise in many of the disciplines and activities on which it depends.
The educational system does not sufficiently focus on the training of Guyanese in science and technology, technical and vocational subjects, business management, nor computer sciences. The Guyanese education system is modeled after the former British education system. Students are expected to write SSEE (secondary school entrance exam) by grade 6 for entrance into High School in grade 7. The write CXC at the end of high school. Recently they have introduced the CAPE exams which all other Caribbean countries have now introduced. The A-level system left over from the British era has all but disappeared and is now offered only in a few schools (current as at January 2007). The reason for the insufficient focus or various disciplines can be directly attributed to the common choices made by students to specialize in areas that are similar (math/chemistry/physics or geography/history/economics). With the removal of the old A-level system that encouraged this specialization, it is thought that it will be more attractive[citation needed] for students to broaden their studies.
There are wide disparities among the geographical regions of the country in the availability of quality education, and the physical facilities which are provided are in poor condition.[citation needed]
Further adding to the problems of the educational system, many of the better-educated professional teachers have emigrated to other countries over the past two decades, mainly because of low pay, lack of opportunities and crime. As a result, there is a lack of trained teachers at every level of Guyana's educational system.
Guyana's educational system was at one time was considered to be among the best in the Caribbean, but it significantly deteriorated in the 1980s because of the emigration of highly educated citizens and the lack of appropriate funding. Although the education system has recovered somewhat in the 1990s, it still does not produce the quality of educated students necessary for Guyana to modernize its workforce. The country lacks a critical mass of expertise in many of the disciplines and activities on which it depends.
The educational system does not sufficiently focus on the training of Guyanese in science and technology, technical and vocational subjects, business management, nor computer sciences. The Guyanese education system is modeled after the former British education system. Students are expected to write SSEE (secondary school entrance exam) by grade 6 for entrance into High School in grade 7. The write CXC at the end of high school. Recently they have introduced the CAPE exams which all other Caribbean countries have now introduced. The A-level system left over from the British era has all but disappeared and is now offered only in a few schools (current as at January 2007). The reason for the insufficient focus or various disciplines can be directly attributed to the common choices made by students to specialize in areas that are similar (math/chemistry/physics or geography/history/economics). With the removal of the old A-level system that encouraged this specialization, it is thought that it will be more attractive[citation needed] for students to broaden their studies.
There are wide disparities among the geographical regions of the country in the availability of quality education, and the physical facilities which are provided are in poor condition.[citation needed]
Further adding to the problems of the educational system, many of the better-educated professional teachers have emigrated to other countries over the past two decades, mainly because of low pay, lack of opportunities and crime. As a result, there is a lack of trained teachers at every level of Guyana's educational system.
There are however several very good Private schools that have sprung up over the last fifteen years. Those schools offer a varied and balanced curriculum
Dear land of Guyana, of rivers and plains;
Dear land of Guyana, of rivers and plains;
Made rich by the sunshine, and lush by the rains,
Set gem-like and fair, between mountains and sea,
Your children salute you, dear land of the free
Green land of Guyana, our heroes of yore,
Both bondsmen and free, laid their bones on your shore.
This soil so they hallowed, and from them are we,
All sons of one Mother, Guyana the free.
Great land of Guyana, diverse though our strains,
We're born of their sacrifice, heirs of their pains,
And ours is the glory their eyes did not see,
One land of six peoples, united and free.
Dear land of Guyana, to you will we give,
Our homage, our service, each day that we live;
God guard you, great Mother, and make us to be
Made rich by the sunshine, and lush by the rains,
Set gem-like and fair, between mountains and sea,
Your children salute you, dear land of the free
Green land of Guyana, our heroes of yore,
Both bondsmen and free, laid their bones on your shore.
This soil so they hallowed, and from them are we,
All sons of one Mother, Guyana the free.
Great land of Guyana, diverse though our strains,
We're born of their sacrifice, heirs of their pains,
And ours is the glory their eyes did not see,
One land of six peoples, united and free.
Dear land of Guyana, to you will we give,
Our homage, our service, each day that we live;
God guard you, great Mother, and make us to be
More worthy our heritage, land of the free.
Languages
Languages
English is the official language of Guyana. In addition, Amerindian languages (see Carib languages) are spoken by a small minority, while Guyanese Creole (an English-based creole with African and Indian syntax) is widely spoken. Grammar is not standardized. [2]
English is the official language of Guyana. In addition, Amerindian languages (see Carib languages) are spoken by a small minority, while Guyanese Creole (an English-based creole with African and Indian syntax) is widely spoken. Grammar is not standardized. [2]
In addition to English, other languages of Guyana include Creole, Akawaio, Wai-Wai, Arawak and Macushi.
Land and People
Land and People On the east Guyana is separated from Suriname by the Courantyne (Corantijn or Corentyne) River. The Akarai Mts. form the southern border with Brazil. Several rivers make up much of the western border with Brazil and Venezuela, and the Essequibo River flows through the center of the country. There is a cultivated coastal plain and a forested, hilly interior (for a more detailed description of the physical characteristics of the area, see Guiana). The climate is hot and humid, and the rainfall is heavy. Most of the population lives along the coast. About half of the people trace their ancestry to India, and the rest are of African, mixed, or indigenous descent. English, Hindi, Urdu, and various indigenous dialects are spoken. Christianity and Hinduism are the main religions, and there is a substantial Muslim minority. The Univ. of Guyana in Georgetown was founded in 1963. |
On the east Guyana is separated from Suriname by the Courantyne (Corantijn or Corentyne) River. The Akarai Mts. form the southern border with Brazil. Several rivers make up much of the western border with Brazil and Venezuela, and the Essequibo River flows through the center of the country. There is a cultivated coastal plain and a forested, hilly interior (for a more detailed description of the physical characteristics of the area, see Guiana). The climate is hot and humid, and the rainfall is heavy.
Most of the population lives along the coast. About half of the people trace their ancestry to India, and the rest are of African, mixed, or indigenous descent. English, Hindi, Urdu, and various indigenous dialects are spoken. Christianity and Hinduism are the main religions, and there is a substantial Muslim minority. The Univ. of Guyana in Georgetown was founded in 1963.
Chronology
Chronology
1499 Discovered by Alonzo de Ojeda and Amerigo
Vespucci.
1595 Explored by English under Sir Walter Raleigh.
1598 First known Dutch expedition to coast of Guyana
by Capt. A. Cabeliau.
1620 - 1620 English settlement at Oyapock.
1616 Dutch settlement of Essequibo.
1657 Dutch settlement at Pomeroon.
1666 Dutch settlement at Berbice.
1750 Dutch settlement of Demerara (subordinate
to Essequibo).
27 Feb 1781 - Feb 1782 British occupation of Demerara, Essequibo, and
Berbice (subordinated to Barbados).
Feb 1782 - 1784 French occupation.
1784 Restored to Netherlands.
22 Apr 1796 - 27 Mar 1802 British occupation
27 Mar 1802 Restored to Batavian Republic (Netherlands).
20 Sep 1803 - 13 Aug 1814 British occupation.
13 Aug 1814 British colonies of Berbice and
Demerara-Essequibo.
20 Nov 1815 Officially ceded to Britain by the Netherlands.
21 Jul 1831 Demerara-Essequibo, and Berbice united as
British Guiana.
26 Aug 1961 Self-rule achieved.
26 May 1966 Independence from Britain (Guyana).
23 Feb 1970 Co-operative Republic of Guyana (effective
1499 Discovered by Alonzo de Ojeda and Amerigo
Vespucci.
1595 Explored by English under Sir Walter Raleigh.
1598 First known Dutch expedition to coast of Guyana
by Capt. A. Cabeliau.
1620 - 1620 English settlement at Oyapock.
1616 Dutch settlement of Essequibo.
1657 Dutch settlement at Pomeroon.
1666 Dutch settlement at Berbice.
1750 Dutch settlement of Demerara (subordinate
to Essequibo).
27 Feb 1781 - Feb 1782 British occupation of Demerara, Essequibo, and
Berbice (subordinated to Barbados).
Feb 1782 - 1784 French occupation.
1784 Restored to Netherlands.
22 Apr 1796 - 27 Mar 1802 British occupation
27 Mar 1802 Restored to Batavian Republic (Netherlands).
20 Sep 1803 - 13 Aug 1814 British occupation.
13 Aug 1814 British colonies of Berbice and
Demerara-Essequibo.
20 Nov 1815 Officially ceded to Britain by the Netherlands.
21 Jul 1831 Demerara-Essequibo, and Berbice united as
British Guiana.
26 Aug 1961 Self-rule achieved.
26 May 1966 Independence from Britain (Guyana).
23 Feb 1970 Co-operative Republic of Guyana (effective
17 Mar 1970).
Oyapock
1620 - 1620 English settlement at Oyapock (on Wiapica River in Guyana).
Governor
1620 Roger North
Berbice
1666 Dutch settlement of Berbice.
Nov 1712 Briefly occupied by French under Baron de Mouans.
27 Feb 1781 - Feb 1782 British occupation of Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice
(subordinated to Barbados).
Feb 1782 - 1784 French occupation of Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo.
1784 Restored to Netherlands.
22 Apr 1796 British occupation.
27 Mar 1802 Restored to Battalion Republic (Netherlands).
20 Sep 1803 British occupation.
13 Aug 1814 Berbice a British colony.
20 Nov 1815 Formally ceded to Britain by the Netherlands.
21 Jul 1831 United with Demerara-Essequibo as British Guiana.
Commanders
1666 - 1671 Matthijs Bergenaar
1671 - 1683 Cornelis Marinus
1683 - 1684 Gideon Bourse
1684 - 1687 Lucas Coudrie
1687 - 1712 Matthijs de Feer
1712 - 1714 Steven de Waterman
1714 - 1733 Anthony Tierens
Governors
1733 - 1740 Bernhardt Waterman
1740 - 1749 Jan Andries Lossner
1749 - 1755 Jan Frederik Colier
1755 - 1759 Hendrik Jan van Rijswijck
1760 - 1764 Wolfert Simon van Hoogenheim
1764 - 1767 Johan Heijlinger
1768 - 1773 Stephen Hendrik de la Sabloniere (b. 1714 - d. 1773)
1773 - 1774 Johan Christoffel de Winter
1774 - 1 Dec 1777 Isaac Kaecks (d. 1777)
1778 - 27 Feb 1781 Peter Hendrik Koppiers (1st time)
27 Feb 1781 - 1782 Robert Kingston
1782 Louis Antoine Dazemard de Lusignan (b. 1726 - d. 1782)
1782 Armand Guy Simon de Coëtnempren, (b. 1742 - d. 1793)
comte de Kersaint
1783 - 1784 Georges Manganon de la Perrière (d. 1789)
1784 - 1789 Peter Hendrik Koppiers (2nd time)
1789 - 27 Mar 1802 Abraham Jacob van Imbijze van (b. 1753 - d. 1806)
Batenburg (1st time)
(acting to 1794)
27 Mar 1802 - 20 Sep 1803 J.C.W. Herlin
+ G. Kobus
(acting)
Sep 1803 - Jun 1804 Robert Nicholson
Jun 1804 - 1806 Abraham Jacob van Imbijze van (s.a.)
Batenburg (2nd time)
Lieutenant governors
1806 - 1807 Robert Nicholson
1807 - 1809 James Montgomery
1809 - 1810 William Woodly
1810 Samuel Dalrymple
1810 - 1812 Robert Gordon (1st time)
1812 - 1813 John Murry
1813 Robert Gordon (2nd time)
1813 - 1814 Grant (acting)
1814 - 1820 Henry William Bentinck (b. 1765 - d. 1820)
1820 - 1821 Thistlewayte (acting)
1821 J. Cameron (acting)
1821 - 21 Jul 1831 Henry Beard
Demerara-Essequibo
1616 Dutch settlement of Essequibo.
1665 - 1666 Brief English occupation.
1752 Dutch settlement of Demerara (subordinate to Essequibo).
27 Feb 1781 - Feb 1782 British occupation of Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice
(subordinated to Barbados).
Feb 1782 - 1784 French occupation (subordinate Berbice).
1784 Restored to Netherlands (Essequibo subordinated to Demerara).
22 Apr 1796 - 27 Mar 1802 British occupation of Demerara.
27 Mar 1802 Restored to Batavian Republic (Netherlands).
20 Sep 1803 British occupy Demerara.
13 Aug 1814 Demerara-Essequibo a British colony.
20 Nov 1815 Formally ceded to Britain by the Netherlands.
21 Jul 1831 United with Berbice as British Guiana.
Governors of Essequibo
1616 - 1624 Adriaen Groenewegen
1624 - 1627 Jacob Conijn
1627 - 1638 Jan van der Goes
1638 - 1641 Cornelis Pieterszoon Hose
1641 - 1644 Adriaen van der Woestijne
1644 - 16.. Andriaen Janszoon
1657 - 19 Aug 1664 Aert "Amos" Adriaenssen (b. 1581 - d. 1664)
Groenewegen
1665 - 1666 John Scott
1666 Crynssen
1666 Adriaen Groenewegen
1667 - 1670 Baerland
1670 - 1676 Hendrik Bol
1676 - 1678 Jacob Hars
1678 - 1690 Abraham Beekman
2 Nov 1690 - 10 Dec 1707 Samuel Beekman (d. 1707)
10 Dec 1707 - 24 Jul 1719 Peter van der Heyden Resen
24 Jul 1719 - 12 Oct 1729 Laurens de Heere
12 Oct 1729 - Apr 1742 Hermanus Gelskerke (d. 1742)
Apr 1742 - 1752 Laurens Storm van 's Gravesande (d. 1775)
(acting to 1743)
Directors-general
1752 - 2 Nov 1772 Laurens Storm van 's Gravesande (s.a.)
2 Nov 1772 - 1781 George Hendrik Trotz
Commanders of Demerara
1752 - 1761 Jonathan Samuel Storm van 's (d. 1761)
Gravesende
1761 - 1765 Laurens Lodewijk van Bercheijk (d. 1765)
1765 - 1770 Jan Cornelis van den Heuvel
1772 - 1781 Paulus van Schuylenburgh
Governor of Essequibo
27 Feb 1781 - 1782 Robert Nicholson
Governor of Demerara
27 Feb 1781 - 1782 Robert Kingston
Governors
1782 - 9 Jul 1482 Louis Antoine Dazemard de Lusignan (b. 1726 - d. 1782)
1782 Armand Guy Simon de Coëtnempren, (b. 1742 - d. 1793)
comte de Kersaint
1783 - 1784 Georges Manganon de la Perrière (d. 1789)
Directors-general
6 Mar 1784 - Feb 1785 Joseph Bourda (acting) (d. 1798)
Feb 1785 - 18 Aug 1789 Jan L'Éspinasse
18 Aug 1789 - 31 Mar 1793 Albertus Backer (d. 1816)
31 Mar 1793 - May 1795 Willem August van Sirtema,
baron van Grovestins
1795 - 22 Apr 1796 Antony Beaujon (b. c.1763 - d. 1805)
Commanders of Essequibo
1784 Albert Siraut des Touches
1784 - 1787 Johannes Cornelis Bert
1787 - 1789 Albertus Backer (1st time) (s.a.)
1789 - 1791 Gustaaf Eduard Meijerhelm
1791 - 1793 Matthijs Thierens
1793 - 22 Apr 1796 Albertus Backer (2nd time) (s.a.)
Governor of Essequibo
22 Apr 1796 - 27 Mar 1802 Abraham Jacob van Imbijze van (b. 1753 - d. 1806)
Batenburg
Commander of Demerara
22 Apr 1796 - 27 Mar 1802 Antony Beaujon (s.a.)
Director-general
27 Mar 1802 - 20 Sep 1803 Antony Meertens (b. 1753 - d. 1815)
Commander of Essequibo
27 Mar 1802 - 20 Sep 1803 George Hendrik Trotz (d. 1804)
Lieutenant governors
Sep 1803 - 18 Aug 1804 Robert Nicholson
18 Aug 1804 - 19 Oct 1805 Antony Beaujon (s.a.)
19 Oct 1805 - 8 May 1806 James Montgomery (acting)
8 May 1806 - Feb 1812 Henry William Bentinck (b. 1765 - d. 1820)
Feb 1812 - 11 May 1813 Hugh Lyle Carmichael (b. 1764 - d. 1813)
11 May 1813 - 23 May 1813 E. Codd (acting)
23 May 1813 - 26 Apr 1824 John Murray
26 Apr 1824 - 21 Jul 1831 Sir Benjamin D'Urban (b. 1777 - d. 1849)
Pomeroon
Aug 1658 Pomeroon settlement; subordinated to Essequibo.
1666 - 1667 English occupation
1689 Incorporated into Essequibo.
Commanders
1658 - 1661 Cornelis Goliat
1661 - 1666 François de Fijne
1666 - 1667 ....
1667 - 1670 Sael
1670 - 1676 Hendrik Rol
1676 - 1678 Jacob Hars
1678 - 1686 Abraham Beekman
1686 - 1689 Jacob Pieterszoon de Jonge
Guyana
21 Jul 1831 Colonies of Demerara-Essequibo and Berbice
united as British Guiana.
26 Aug 1961 Self-rule.
26 May 1966 Independence from Britain (Guyana).
23 Feb 1970 Cooperative Republic of Guyana.
Governors
21 Jul 1831 - 26 Jun 1833 Sir Benjamin D'Urban (b. 1777 - d. 1849)
26 Jun 1833 - 27 Jun 1838 Sir James Carmichael Smyth (b. 1779 - d. 1838)
27 Jun 1838 - 19 May 1848 Henry Light
19 May 1848 - 12 Feb 1849 William Walker (1st time) (acting)
12 Feb 1849 - 11 May 1853 Henry Barkly (b. 1815 - d. 1898)
11 May 1853 - 23 May 1854 William Walker (2nd time) (acting)
23 May 1854 - 7 Jan 1862 Philip Edmond Wodehouse (b. 1811 - d. 1887)
7 Jan 1862 - 25 Jan 1869 Francis Hincks (b. 1807 - d. 1885)
25 Jan 1869 - 26 Dec 1873 Sir John Scott (b. 1814 - d. 1898)
27 Dec 1873 - 10 Mar 1874 E.E. Rushworth (acting)
10 Mar 1874 - 8 Mar 1877 James Robert Longden (b. 1827 - d. 1891)
(from 18 Mar 1876, Sir James Robert Longden)
8 Mar 1877 - 3 Aug 1877 William A.G. Young (1st time)
(acting)
3 Aug 1877 - 13 Dec 1881 Cornelius Hendricksen Kortright (b. 1817 - d. 1899)
13 Dec 1881 - 4 May 1882 William A.G. Young (2nd time)
(acting)
4 May 1882 - 1887 Sir Henry Turner Irving (b. 1833 - d. 1923)
26 Apr 1884 - 1884 W.F. Haynes-Smith (acting for Irving)
1887 - 1888 Charles Bruce (1st time) (acting) (b. 1836 - d. 1920)
1888 - 23 Mar 1893 Jenico William Joseph Preston,
Viscount Gormanston (b. 1837 - d. 1907)
Apr 1891 - 15 Oct 1891 Sir Charles Bruce (2nd time) (s.a.)
(acting for Gormanston)
23 Mar 1893 - 5 Jul 1893 Sir Charles Bruce (3rd time) (s.a.)
(acting)
5 Jul 1893 - Sep 1895 Sir Charles Cameron Lees (b. 1831 - d. 1898)
15 Dec 1894 - 29 Jan 1895 Cavendish Boyle (1st time) (b. 1849 - d. 1916)
(acting for Lees)
Sep 1895 - Mar 1896 Cavendish Boyle (acting)(2nd time) (s.a.)
Mar 1896 - 27 Mar 1898 Sir Augustus William Lawson Hemming (b. 1842 - d. 1907)
1 Oct 1896 - 18 Nov 1896 Cavendish Boyle (3rd time) (s.a.)
(acting for Hemming)
27 May 1897 - 28 Jul 1897 Cavendish Boyle (4th time) (s.a.)
(acting for Hemming)
27 Mar 1898 - 25 Dec 1901 Sir Walter Joseph Sendall (b. 1832 - d. 1904)
25 Dec 1901 - 26 Sep 1904 Sir James Alexander Swettenham (b. 1846 - d. 1933)
26 Sep 1904 - 5 Jul 1912 Sir Frederick Mitchell Hodgson (b. 1851 - d. 1925)
5 Jul 1912 - 15 Apr 1917 Sir Walter Egerton (b. 1858 - d. 1947)
15 Apr 1917 - 4 Apr 1923 Sir Wilfred Collet (b. 1856 - d. 1929)
4 Apr 1923 - 31 Aug 1925 Sir Graeme Thomson (b. 1875 - d. 1933)
31 Aug 1925 - 7 Nov 1928 Sir Cecil Hunter-Rodwell (b. 1874 - d. 1953)
7 Nov 1928 - 9 Jun 1930 Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg (b. 1869 - d. 1930)
9 Jun 1930 - 26 Mar 1935 Sir Edward Brandis Denham (b. 1876 - d. 1938)
26 Mar 1935 - 1936 Sir Geoffrey Alexander Stafford (b. 1881 - d. 1948)
Northcote
1936 - 19 Nov 1937 .... (acting)
19 Nov 1937 - 7 Nov 1941 Sir Wilfrid Edward Francis Jackson (b. 1883 - d. 1971)
7 Nov 1941 - 1946 Sir Gordon James Lethem (b. 1886 - d. 1962)
1946 - 12 Apr 1947 William Leslie Heape (acting) (b. 1896 - d. 1972)
12 Apr 1947 - 14 Apr 1953 Sir Charles Campbell Woolley (b. 1893 - d. 1981)
14 Apr 1953 - 25 Oct 1955 Sir Alfred William Lungley Savage (b. 1903 - d. 1980)
25 Oct 1955 - 22 Dec 1958 Sir Patrick Muir Renison (b. 1911 - d. 1965)
22 Dec 1958 - 7 Mar 1964 Sir Ralph Francis Alnwick Grey (b. 1910 - d. 1999)
7 Mar 1964 - 26 May 1966 Sir Richard Edmonds Luyt (b. 1915 - d. 1994)
Queen¹
26 May 1966 - 23 Feb 1970 the Queen of the United Kingdom
Governors-general (representing the British monarch as head of state)
26 May 1966 - 16 Dec 1966 Sir Richard Edmonds Luyt (s.a.)
16 Dec 1966 - 10 Nov 1969 Sir David James Gardiner Rose (b. 1923 - d. 1969)
10 Nov 1969 - 22 Feb 1970 Edward Victor Luckhoo (acting) (b. 1912 - d. 1998)
(from 1 Jan 1970, Sir Edward Victor Luckhoo)
Presidents
23 Feb 1970 - 17 Mar 1970 Sir Edward Victor Luckhoo (acting) (s.a.) Non-party
17 Mar 1970 - 6 Oct 1980 Raymond Arthur Chung (b. 1918 - d. 2008) Non-party
6 Oct 1980 - 6 Aug 1985 Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (b. 1923 - d. 1985) PNC/R
6 Aug 1985 - 9 Oct 1992 Hugh Desmond Hoyte (b. 1929 - d. 2002) PNC/R
9 Oct 1992 - 6 Mar 1997 Cheddi Berret Jagan (b. 1918 - d. 1997) PPP/C
6 Mar 1997 - 19 Dec 1997 Samuel "Sam" Archibald (b. 1943) PPP/C
Anthony Hinds
19 Dec 1997 - 11 Aug 1999 Janet Rosenberg Jagan (f) (b. 1920 - d. 2009) PPP/C
11 Aug 1999 - Bharrat Jagdeo (b. 1964) PPP/C
Chief minister
30 May 1953 - 9 Oct 1953 Cheddi Berret Jagan (s.a.) PPP/C
9 Oct 1953 - 5 Sep 1961 Vacant
Premiers
5 Sep 1961 - 12 Dec 1964 Cheddi Berret Jagan (s.a.) PPP/C
12 Dec 1964 - 26 May 1966 Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (s.a.) PNC/R
Prime ministers
26 May 1966 - 6 Oct 1980 Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (s.a.) PNC/R
6 Oct 1980 - 16 Aug 1984 Ptolemy Alexander Reid (b. 1918 - d. 2003) PNC/R
16 Aug 1984 - 6 Aug 1985 Hugh Desmond Hoyte (s.a.) PNC/R
6 Aug 1985 - 9 Oct 1992 Hamilton Green (b. 1934) PNC/R
9 Oct 1992 - 17 Mar 1997 Samuel "Sam" Archibald (s.a.) PPP/C
Anthony Hinds (1st time)
17 Mar 1997 - 22 Dec 1997 Janet Rosenberg Jagan (f) (s.a.) PPP/C
22 Dec 1997 - 9 Aug 1999 Samuel "Sam" Archibald (s.a.) PPP/C
Anthony Hinds (2nd time)
9 Aug 1999 - 11 Aug 1999 Bharrat Jagdeo (s.a.) PPP/C
11 Aug 1999 - Samuel "Sam" Archibald (s.a.) PPP/C
Anthony Hinds (3rd time)
¹Full style 1966 - 23 Feb 1970: "By the Grace of God, Queen of Guyana and of Her other Realms
and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth."
Territorial Disputes: Aall of the area west of the Essequibo River is claimed by Venezuela preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before UNCLOS that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters; Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks arbitration under provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters.
Party abbreviations: PNC/R = People's National Congress/Reform (socialist, populist, African-Guynanese); PPP/C = People's Progressive Party/Civic (socialist, Indian-Guyanese)
1620 - 1620 English settlement at Oyapock (on Wiapica River in Guyana).
Governor
1620 Roger North
Berbice
1666 Dutch settlement of Berbice.
Nov 1712 Briefly occupied by French under Baron de Mouans.
27 Feb 1781 - Feb 1782 British occupation of Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice
(subordinated to Barbados).
Feb 1782 - 1784 French occupation of Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo.
1784 Restored to Netherlands.
22 Apr 1796 British occupation.
27 Mar 1802 Restored to Battalion Republic (Netherlands).
20 Sep 1803 British occupation.
13 Aug 1814 Berbice a British colony.
20 Nov 1815 Formally ceded to Britain by the Netherlands.
21 Jul 1831 United with Demerara-Essequibo as British Guiana.
Commanders
1666 - 1671 Matthijs Bergenaar
1671 - 1683 Cornelis Marinus
1683 - 1684 Gideon Bourse
1684 - 1687 Lucas Coudrie
1687 - 1712 Matthijs de Feer
1712 - 1714 Steven de Waterman
1714 - 1733 Anthony Tierens
Governors
1733 - 1740 Bernhardt Waterman
1740 - 1749 Jan Andries Lossner
1749 - 1755 Jan Frederik Colier
1755 - 1759 Hendrik Jan van Rijswijck
1760 - 1764 Wolfert Simon van Hoogenheim
1764 - 1767 Johan Heijlinger
1768 - 1773 Stephen Hendrik de la Sabloniere (b. 1714 - d. 1773)
1773 - 1774 Johan Christoffel de Winter
1774 - 1 Dec 1777 Isaac Kaecks (d. 1777)
1778 - 27 Feb 1781 Peter Hendrik Koppiers (1st time)
27 Feb 1781 - 1782 Robert Kingston
1782 Louis Antoine Dazemard de Lusignan (b. 1726 - d. 1782)
1782 Armand Guy Simon de Coëtnempren, (b. 1742 - d. 1793)
comte de Kersaint
1783 - 1784 Georges Manganon de la Perrière (d. 1789)
1784 - 1789 Peter Hendrik Koppiers (2nd time)
1789 - 27 Mar 1802 Abraham Jacob van Imbijze van (b. 1753 - d. 1806)
Batenburg (1st time)
(acting to 1794)
27 Mar 1802 - 20 Sep 1803 J.C.W. Herlin
+ G. Kobus
(acting)
Sep 1803 - Jun 1804 Robert Nicholson
Jun 1804 - 1806 Abraham Jacob van Imbijze van (s.a.)
Batenburg (2nd time)
Lieutenant governors
1806 - 1807 Robert Nicholson
1807 - 1809 James Montgomery
1809 - 1810 William Woodly
1810 Samuel Dalrymple
1810 - 1812 Robert Gordon (1st time)
1812 - 1813 John Murry
1813 Robert Gordon (2nd time)
1813 - 1814 Grant (acting)
1814 - 1820 Henry William Bentinck (b. 1765 - d. 1820)
1820 - 1821 Thistlewayte (acting)
1821 J. Cameron (acting)
1821 - 21 Jul 1831 Henry Beard
Demerara-Essequibo
1616 Dutch settlement of Essequibo.
1665 - 1666 Brief English occupation.
1752 Dutch settlement of Demerara (subordinate to Essequibo).
27 Feb 1781 - Feb 1782 British occupation of Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice
(subordinated to Barbados).
Feb 1782 - 1784 French occupation (subordinate Berbice).
1784 Restored to Netherlands (Essequibo subordinated to Demerara).
22 Apr 1796 - 27 Mar 1802 British occupation of Demerara.
27 Mar 1802 Restored to Batavian Republic (Netherlands).
20 Sep 1803 British occupy Demerara.
13 Aug 1814 Demerara-Essequibo a British colony.
20 Nov 1815 Formally ceded to Britain by the Netherlands.
21 Jul 1831 United with Berbice as British Guiana.
Governors of Essequibo
1616 - 1624 Adriaen Groenewegen
1624 - 1627 Jacob Conijn
1627 - 1638 Jan van der Goes
1638 - 1641 Cornelis Pieterszoon Hose
1641 - 1644 Adriaen van der Woestijne
1644 - 16.. Andriaen Janszoon
1657 - 19 Aug 1664 Aert "Amos" Adriaenssen (b. 1581 - d. 1664)
Groenewegen
1665 - 1666 John Scott
1666 Crynssen
1666 Adriaen Groenewegen
1667 - 1670 Baerland
1670 - 1676 Hendrik Bol
1676 - 1678 Jacob Hars
1678 - 1690 Abraham Beekman
2 Nov 1690 - 10 Dec 1707 Samuel Beekman (d. 1707)
10 Dec 1707 - 24 Jul 1719 Peter van der Heyden Resen
24 Jul 1719 - 12 Oct 1729 Laurens de Heere
12 Oct 1729 - Apr 1742 Hermanus Gelskerke (d. 1742)
Apr 1742 - 1752 Laurens Storm van 's Gravesande (d. 1775)
(acting to 1743)
Directors-general
1752 - 2 Nov 1772 Laurens Storm van 's Gravesande (s.a.)
2 Nov 1772 - 1781 George Hendrik Trotz
Commanders of Demerara
1752 - 1761 Jonathan Samuel Storm van 's (d. 1761)
Gravesende
1761 - 1765 Laurens Lodewijk van Bercheijk (d. 1765)
1765 - 1770 Jan Cornelis van den Heuvel
1772 - 1781 Paulus van Schuylenburgh
Governor of Essequibo
27 Feb 1781 - 1782 Robert Nicholson
Governor of Demerara
27 Feb 1781 - 1782 Robert Kingston
Governors
1782 - 9 Jul 1482 Louis Antoine Dazemard de Lusignan (b. 1726 - d. 1782)
1782 Armand Guy Simon de Coëtnempren, (b. 1742 - d. 1793)
comte de Kersaint
1783 - 1784 Georges Manganon de la Perrière (d. 1789)
Directors-general
6 Mar 1784 - Feb 1785 Joseph Bourda (acting) (d. 1798)
Feb 1785 - 18 Aug 1789 Jan L'Éspinasse
18 Aug 1789 - 31 Mar 1793 Albertus Backer (d. 1816)
31 Mar 1793 - May 1795 Willem August van Sirtema,
baron van Grovestins
1795 - 22 Apr 1796 Antony Beaujon (b. c.1763 - d. 1805)
Commanders of Essequibo
1784 Albert Siraut des Touches
1784 - 1787 Johannes Cornelis Bert
1787 - 1789 Albertus Backer (1st time) (s.a.)
1789 - 1791 Gustaaf Eduard Meijerhelm
1791 - 1793 Matthijs Thierens
1793 - 22 Apr 1796 Albertus Backer (2nd time) (s.a.)
Governor of Essequibo
22 Apr 1796 - 27 Mar 1802 Abraham Jacob van Imbijze van (b. 1753 - d. 1806)
Batenburg
Commander of Demerara
22 Apr 1796 - 27 Mar 1802 Antony Beaujon (s.a.)
Director-general
27 Mar 1802 - 20 Sep 1803 Antony Meertens (b. 1753 - d. 1815)
Commander of Essequibo
27 Mar 1802 - 20 Sep 1803 George Hendrik Trotz (d. 1804)
Lieutenant governors
Sep 1803 - 18 Aug 1804 Robert Nicholson
18 Aug 1804 - 19 Oct 1805 Antony Beaujon (s.a.)
19 Oct 1805 - 8 May 1806 James Montgomery (acting)
8 May 1806 - Feb 1812 Henry William Bentinck (b. 1765 - d. 1820)
Feb 1812 - 11 May 1813 Hugh Lyle Carmichael (b. 1764 - d. 1813)
11 May 1813 - 23 May 1813 E. Codd (acting)
23 May 1813 - 26 Apr 1824 John Murray
26 Apr 1824 - 21 Jul 1831 Sir Benjamin D'Urban (b. 1777 - d. 1849)
Pomeroon
Aug 1658 Pomeroon settlement; subordinated to Essequibo.
1666 - 1667 English occupation
1689 Incorporated into Essequibo.
Commanders
1658 - 1661 Cornelis Goliat
1661 - 1666 François de Fijne
1666 - 1667 ....
1667 - 1670 Sael
1670 - 1676 Hendrik Rol
1676 - 1678 Jacob Hars
1678 - 1686 Abraham Beekman
1686 - 1689 Jacob Pieterszoon de Jonge
Guyana
21 Jul 1831 Colonies of Demerara-Essequibo and Berbice
united as British Guiana.
26 Aug 1961 Self-rule.
26 May 1966 Independence from Britain (Guyana).
23 Feb 1970 Cooperative Republic of Guyana.
Governors
21 Jul 1831 - 26 Jun 1833 Sir Benjamin D'Urban (b. 1777 - d. 1849)
26 Jun 1833 - 27 Jun 1838 Sir James Carmichael Smyth (b. 1779 - d. 1838)
27 Jun 1838 - 19 May 1848 Henry Light
19 May 1848 - 12 Feb 1849 William Walker (1st time) (acting)
12 Feb 1849 - 11 May 1853 Henry Barkly (b. 1815 - d. 1898)
11 May 1853 - 23 May 1854 William Walker (2nd time) (acting)
23 May 1854 - 7 Jan 1862 Philip Edmond Wodehouse (b. 1811 - d. 1887)
7 Jan 1862 - 25 Jan 1869 Francis Hincks (b. 1807 - d. 1885)
25 Jan 1869 - 26 Dec 1873 Sir John Scott (b. 1814 - d. 1898)
27 Dec 1873 - 10 Mar 1874 E.E. Rushworth (acting)
10 Mar 1874 - 8 Mar 1877 James Robert Longden (b. 1827 - d. 1891)
(from 18 Mar 1876, Sir James Robert Longden)
8 Mar 1877 - 3 Aug 1877 William A.G. Young (1st time)
(acting)
3 Aug 1877 - 13 Dec 1881 Cornelius Hendricksen Kortright (b. 1817 - d. 1899)
13 Dec 1881 - 4 May 1882 William A.G. Young (2nd time)
(acting)
4 May 1882 - 1887 Sir Henry Turner Irving (b. 1833 - d. 1923)
26 Apr 1884 - 1884 W.F. Haynes-Smith (acting for Irving)
1887 - 1888 Charles Bruce (1st time) (acting) (b. 1836 - d. 1920)
1888 - 23 Mar 1893 Jenico William Joseph Preston,
Viscount Gormanston (b. 1837 - d. 1907)
Apr 1891 - 15 Oct 1891 Sir Charles Bruce (2nd time) (s.a.)
(acting for Gormanston)
23 Mar 1893 - 5 Jul 1893 Sir Charles Bruce (3rd time) (s.a.)
(acting)
5 Jul 1893 - Sep 1895 Sir Charles Cameron Lees (b. 1831 - d. 1898)
15 Dec 1894 - 29 Jan 1895 Cavendish Boyle (1st time) (b. 1849 - d. 1916)
(acting for Lees)
Sep 1895 - Mar 1896 Cavendish Boyle (acting)(2nd time) (s.a.)
Mar 1896 - 27 Mar 1898 Sir Augustus William Lawson Hemming (b. 1842 - d. 1907)
1 Oct 1896 - 18 Nov 1896 Cavendish Boyle (3rd time) (s.a.)
(acting for Hemming)
27 May 1897 - 28 Jul 1897 Cavendish Boyle (4th time) (s.a.)
(acting for Hemming)
27 Mar 1898 - 25 Dec 1901 Sir Walter Joseph Sendall (b. 1832 - d. 1904)
25 Dec 1901 - 26 Sep 1904 Sir James Alexander Swettenham (b. 1846 - d. 1933)
26 Sep 1904 - 5 Jul 1912 Sir Frederick Mitchell Hodgson (b. 1851 - d. 1925)
5 Jul 1912 - 15 Apr 1917 Sir Walter Egerton (b. 1858 - d. 1947)
15 Apr 1917 - 4 Apr 1923 Sir Wilfred Collet (b. 1856 - d. 1929)
4 Apr 1923 - 31 Aug 1925 Sir Graeme Thomson (b. 1875 - d. 1933)
31 Aug 1925 - 7 Nov 1928 Sir Cecil Hunter-Rodwell (b. 1874 - d. 1953)
7 Nov 1928 - 9 Jun 1930 Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg (b. 1869 - d. 1930)
9 Jun 1930 - 26 Mar 1935 Sir Edward Brandis Denham (b. 1876 - d. 1938)
26 Mar 1935 - 1936 Sir Geoffrey Alexander Stafford (b. 1881 - d. 1948)
Northcote
1936 - 19 Nov 1937 .... (acting)
19 Nov 1937 - 7 Nov 1941 Sir Wilfrid Edward Francis Jackson (b. 1883 - d. 1971)
7 Nov 1941 - 1946 Sir Gordon James Lethem (b. 1886 - d. 1962)
1946 - 12 Apr 1947 William Leslie Heape (acting) (b. 1896 - d. 1972)
12 Apr 1947 - 14 Apr 1953 Sir Charles Campbell Woolley (b. 1893 - d. 1981)
14 Apr 1953 - 25 Oct 1955 Sir Alfred William Lungley Savage (b. 1903 - d. 1980)
25 Oct 1955 - 22 Dec 1958 Sir Patrick Muir Renison (b. 1911 - d. 1965)
22 Dec 1958 - 7 Mar 1964 Sir Ralph Francis Alnwick Grey (b. 1910 - d. 1999)
7 Mar 1964 - 26 May 1966 Sir Richard Edmonds Luyt (b. 1915 - d. 1994)
Queen¹
26 May 1966 - 23 Feb 1970 the Queen of the United Kingdom
Governors-general (representing the British monarch as head of state)
26 May 1966 - 16 Dec 1966 Sir Richard Edmonds Luyt (s.a.)
16 Dec 1966 - 10 Nov 1969 Sir David James Gardiner Rose (b. 1923 - d. 1969)
10 Nov 1969 - 22 Feb 1970 Edward Victor Luckhoo (acting) (b. 1912 - d. 1998)
(from 1 Jan 1970, Sir Edward Victor Luckhoo)
Presidents
23 Feb 1970 - 17 Mar 1970 Sir Edward Victor Luckhoo (acting) (s.a.) Non-party
17 Mar 1970 - 6 Oct 1980 Raymond Arthur Chung (b. 1918 - d. 2008) Non-party
6 Oct 1980 - 6 Aug 1985 Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (b. 1923 - d. 1985) PNC/R
6 Aug 1985 - 9 Oct 1992 Hugh Desmond Hoyte (b. 1929 - d. 2002) PNC/R
9 Oct 1992 - 6 Mar 1997 Cheddi Berret Jagan (b. 1918 - d. 1997) PPP/C
6 Mar 1997 - 19 Dec 1997 Samuel "Sam" Archibald (b. 1943) PPP/C
Anthony Hinds
19 Dec 1997 - 11 Aug 1999 Janet Rosenberg Jagan (f) (b. 1920 - d. 2009) PPP/C
11 Aug 1999 - Bharrat Jagdeo (b. 1964) PPP/C
Chief minister
30 May 1953 - 9 Oct 1953 Cheddi Berret Jagan (s.a.) PPP/C
9 Oct 1953 - 5 Sep 1961 Vacant
Premiers
5 Sep 1961 - 12 Dec 1964 Cheddi Berret Jagan (s.a.) PPP/C
12 Dec 1964 - 26 May 1966 Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (s.a.) PNC/R
Prime ministers
26 May 1966 - 6 Oct 1980 Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (s.a.) PNC/R
6 Oct 1980 - 16 Aug 1984 Ptolemy Alexander Reid (b. 1918 - d. 2003) PNC/R
16 Aug 1984 - 6 Aug 1985 Hugh Desmond Hoyte (s.a.) PNC/R
6 Aug 1985 - 9 Oct 1992 Hamilton Green (b. 1934) PNC/R
9 Oct 1992 - 17 Mar 1997 Samuel "Sam" Archibald (s.a.) PPP/C
Anthony Hinds (1st time)
17 Mar 1997 - 22 Dec 1997 Janet Rosenberg Jagan (f) (s.a.) PPP/C
22 Dec 1997 - 9 Aug 1999 Samuel "Sam" Archibald (s.a.) PPP/C
Anthony Hinds (2nd time)
9 Aug 1999 - 11 Aug 1999 Bharrat Jagdeo (s.a.) PPP/C
11 Aug 1999 - Samuel "Sam" Archibald (s.a.) PPP/C
Anthony Hinds (3rd time)
¹Full style 1966 - 23 Feb 1970: "By the Grace of God, Queen of Guyana and of Her other Realms
and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth."
Territorial Disputes: Aall of the area west of the Essequibo River is claimed by Venezuela preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before UNCLOS that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters; Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks arbitration under provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters.
Party abbreviations: PNC/R = People's National Congress/Reform (socialist, populist, African-Guynanese); PPP/C = People's Progressive Party/Civic (socialist, Indian-Guyanese)
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