The Essequibo is the longest river of the Guyana as well as the greatest river between the Orénoque and the the Amazon.

Its source is in the Monts Acaraï, close to the border with the Brésil; from there, it extends to north for approximately 1.000 kilometers, crossing wet Tropical forest and Savane S before being thrown in the Atlantic Ocean. One can find many falls of water and rapids over all his length. Its estuary is strewn with several small island S. It joined the ocean to 21 km of the capital of Guyana, Georgetown.

It has many affluents, of which most important are the Rupunini, the Potaro, the Mazaruni, the Siparuni, the Cuyuni and the Kiyuwini. The river is divided by the large islands punts and fertile of Leguan (46,62 km square), Wakenaam (44,03 km square) and Hog (57 km square) approximately 20 km before its mouth. The island of the Fort is located at the east of the Hog island and lodged formerly the seat of the colonial government Dutch in Guyana.

The first European establishment in Guyana was rested by Dutch in low Essequibo in 1615. The colonists had friendly relations with the Amerindian living the area and established Plantation S of Canne to sugar and Cacao.

In 1995, the mining company Canadian Cambior accidentally poured four billion Liter S of contaminated waste of Cyanure, causing serious irreversible damage with the ecosystem.

The name of the river probably comes from the word Arawak for " stones of the hearth, " referring to the tradition arawake to take rollers of banks to use in their hearths.

The government Venezuelan question that Essequibo forms the true border between him and Guyana, thus asserting all the territory in the west (that is to say 67% of the territory of Guyana) known under the name of Guayana Esequiba.

Essequibo is also the name of an old colony Dutchwoman founded in 1616 in an area which will form later part of old the British Guyana.

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