Essequibo
Essequibo is a mapped river in the YearMaps hydrographic index. River courses organise settlement, agriculture and frontier-making more durably than any political boundary, and this reach is indexed against the dams, lakes and cities within its catchment.
- Feature Class
- River
- Coordinates
- 3.92°, -58.41°
About Essequibo
The Essequibo River (Spanish: Río Esequibo; originally called by Alonso de Ojeda; Río Dulce) 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 1,014 km (630 mi) through forest and savanna into the Atlantic Ocean. It has a total drainage basin of 156,828 km2 (60,552 mi2) and an average discharge of 154 to 178 km³/year.
Territory near the river is argued over by Venezuela and Guyana. The river is administered by Guyana after being previously colonized by the British. Historically, Venezuela has claimed the Essequibo River as their most eastern border, though in practice it was under Dutch control.
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: Essequibo River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Essequibo in Depth
Geography
There are many rapids and waterfalls (e.g., Kaieteur Falls on the Potaro River) along the route of the Essequibo, and its 20-kilometre (12 mi) wide estuary is dotted with numerous small islands. It enters the Atlantic 21 kilometres (13 mi) from Georgetown, the capital city of Guyana. The river features Murrays Fall, Pot Falls, Kumaka Falls, and Waraputa Falls.
Tributaries include the Rupununi, Potaro, Mazaruni, Siparuni, Kuyuwini, Konawaruk and Cuyuni rivers. Islands in the river include Leguan, Wakenaam, and Hogg Island. Sloth Island is an eco-tourism island in the river.
History
The first European discovery was by the ships of Juan de Esquivel, deputy of Don Diego Columbus, son of Christopher Columbus in 1498. The Essequibo River is named after Esquivel. In 1499, Amerigo Vespucci and Alonso de Ojeda explored the mouths of the Orinoco and allegedly were the first Europeans to explore the Essequibo. Alonso de Ojeda called it "Rio Dulce" which means Sweet River in Spanish.
In 1596 Lawrence Kemys, serving as second-in-command of Walter Raleigh's British expedition to Guiana, led a force inland along the banks of the Essequibo River, reaching what he wrongly believed to be Lake Parime. The next year Kemys, in command of the Darling, continued the exploration of the Guiana coast and the Essequibo River.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Essequibo River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Essequibo: Key Facts
| Length | 1,014 km |
|---|---|
| Average discharge | 2,104 m³/s |
| Drainage basin | 155,000 km² |
| Mouth | Atlantic Ocean |
| Tributaries | Potaro River, Mazaruni River, Cuyuni River, Rupununi District, Rewa River, Konawaruk River, Siparuni River |
Facts from Wikidata Q589911 (CC0).
Major River Dossiers
Hand-written studies of the great river systems of history.
Connected Reaches
Nearby watercourses in the same drainage network.
Water Bodies in the Catchment
Settlements Along the Reach
Hydraulic Infrastructure Nearby
Surrounding Terrain
Essequibo: Quick Answers
- Where is Essequibo?
- Essequibo is located in Guyana, at 3.9166° N, 58.4079° W.
- Are there dams on the Essequibo?
- No dam on the Essequibo is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.