EXPLANATORY NOTES
The following are explanatory notes on how to use the data in the Gazetteer:
NAMES
The Names of places and geographical features appear in the first column. They comprise standard names and variant names, use of the word “See”. Reference should be made to the main entries for standard names.
Where two or more names are applicable to the same feature, each is cross-referenced to the other by the use of the word “or” and one or all may be used.
A geographical name may comprise a specific and a generic term e.g. in the name “Pakaraima Mountains”, “Pakaraima” is the specific and the “Mountains” the generic term. Amerindian generics such as “kabra”, “paru” and “wau” or river, “nawa” and “nau” or village, “pawa” or fall and “tawa” and “tau” or mountain are combined by the usage with their specific terms; and English generics are added thereto in the formation of some geographical names of Amerindian origin e.g. “kabanawau river”, “Karadunawa village”, “Machidpawa fall”, “Wamuriaktawa mountain”.
CLASSIFICATION OF POPULATED PLACES
Populated places are usually incorporated into statutory communities by legislation. Most villages and estates are parts of such communities. The designations of populated places listed hereunder indicate the sizes of their population.
Incorporated Communities
Town
Local Government District
Village District
Amerindian Village
Amerindian District
Incorporated as such under the Municipal and District Councils Act.
Incorporated as such under the Amerindian Act.
Unincorporated Communities
The unincorporated communities listed hereunder may or may not be part of incorporated communities.
Unincorporated Communities
Township
Village
Settlement
Estate
Locality
– Ward or residential area, being part of a town.
– Comparatively large and compact community.
– Comparatively small and scattered community.
– Landed property, with single or multiple crops and ownership; and with or without a very small population.
– A named place, with or without a very small population.
RULES FOR ALPHABETIZATION
The specific term or proper name of a geographical feature is the basis for alphabetization, with the generic term being taken into account in the listing of two or more identical proper names.
The name of a populated place which is identical to that of a physical feature is given priority in the listing.
A generic term which precedes a specific term is listed after the specific term and is separated from it by a comma; thus, “Mount Roraima” is listed as “Roraima, Mount”.
Similar names identifying the same kind of feature are listed according to their latitudes, from lower to higher latitude.
Articles, prepositions and conjunctions are written in lower case letters, except when in the initial position in a name , e.g. The klip (English), Op Hoop Van Better (Dutch), La Bonne Mere (French).
Hypens between conjunctions and other parts of a name are omitted e.g. Vreed-en-Hoop is listed Vreed en Hoop. Hypens are also omitted from specific elements of some names of Amerindian origin and the elements run together to make one name e.g. “Burro-burro”, “Kara-Kara and weri-werai-kuru” rivers are listed “Burroburro”, “karakara”, and “weriweraikuru” rivers respectively.
The words “Number” and “No”. followed by numerals are omitted as standards names of populated places e.g. “Number 63 Benab” is listed as “benab” and cross-referenced as ” Number 63 Benab” see “Benab”. However, where the word “Number” or “No”. occurs it is listed as “Number Twenty four” and cross-referenced as “Number 24” see “Number Twenty-four”.
FEATURES
The following glossary explains the meaning of the geographical terms used in the Gazetteer.
These terms are used in the description of Features and locations.
| Bank | The sloping ground along the edge of a river, stream or lake. |
| Bay | A wide indentation into the land, formed by the sea, river or lake. |
| Beach | Strip of land bordering the sea or lake consisting of sand, shell, mud or other unconsolidated material, between high and low water marks and sloping gently downwards from the coastline. |
| Bluff | A headland of cliff with an almost perpendicular broad front, usually applied to the steep slopes bordering broad a river. |
| Bridge | Structure carrying road, path and railway across river, stream or canal. |
| Canal | An artificial watercourse dug to facilitate drainage and\or irrigation: or to improve the waterway systems between river and ocean. |
| Cataract | A great waterfall or series of falls. |
| Cemetery | A burial ground. |
| Channel | (1) A relatively narrow stretch of sea or river between two land masses, and connecting two more extensive areas of sea or river. |
| (2) The deep, navigable part of a bay, harbor, territorial sea, river or creek. | |
| Cliff | A high and extremely steep, almost vertical rock face, either inland or along a coastline. |
| Coast | Land bordering the sea and coming under the direct influence of waves. |
| Coastal Plain (or Coastlands) | A plain, which borders the sea coast and extends from the sea to the nearest elevated land. |
| Coastline (or Shoreline) | The coastal outline of the land including bays but crossing narrow inlets and the mouths of rivers. |
| Confluence | The point at which one river or stream flows into another, or where two rivers or streams converge and unite. |
| Conservancy | Area of fresh water in shallow lakes and swamps for the irrigation of sugarcane and rice fields of the coastlands. |
| Creek | (1) A narrow coastal inlet |
| (2) A natural watercourse, tributary or branch of a river, being smaller than a river. | |
| Dam | (1) A man made structure built across a river in order to control the flow of water for irrigation and the manufacture of electricity. |
| (2) A barrier constructed to hold back water and raise its level, to form a reservoir, or to prevent flooding. | |
| Ditch | A long narrow excavation, especially to hold of conduct water or serve as boundary. |
| Drainage Basin | The total area drained by a river and its tributaries, bounded by the ridge beyond which water flows in the opposite direction. |
| Dykes | A bank of earth, stones or other material constructed to prevent low lying land from being inundated by the sea, river or other source of excessive water. |
| Estate | Named landed property, owned by one or more persons, with or without a small population, on which one or more crops are cultivated. |
| Estuary | The funnel Shaped mouth of a river where tidal effects are evident, and where fresh water and aea water mix. |
| Fall | See Waterfall |
| Ford | The Shallow Parts of a river or other body or water where it may be crossed by wading |
| Fort | Defensive structure or works which was of military significance and which may be in a state of ruin. |
| Gorge | A Valley which is more than usually deep and narrow with steep walls; similar but much smaller than a ‘canyon’. |
| Hanging Valley | A tributary valley which enters a main valley from a considerable height above the later, so that a stream flowing down it enters the main valley by a waterfall or rapid. |
| Harbour | A stretch or water, on the coast or the mouth of a river which affords shelter to sea going vessels. |
| Hill | A small portion of the earth’s surface elevated above its surroundings, being of low altitude than a mountain. |
| Inlet | A small opening into the coastline or into the shore of a lake or bank of a river. |
| International Airport | A fully equipped airfield with custom and immigration facilities at which passengers by air, embark and disembark. |
| Island | A piece of land surrounded by water in a sea, lake or river, or moderately elevated drier areas in a swamp or marsh. |
| Itabu | A new and relatively short channel cut by a stream across the neck of an acute meander in river or creek. |
| Lake | An extensive sheet of water surrounded by land, occupying a hallow in the earth’s surface. |
| Landing | Place where small boats are tide up or beached; or where boast touch land for the purpose of taking on or discharging people or cargo. |
| Langunash | A broad expanse of water, being a widened portion of a river, between two narrower stretches thereof. |
| Locality | Named area, with or without a very small population, including such terms as Landing, Mine, Mission, Point and Quarry. |
| Marsh | A tract of soft wet land usually low lying and at times partially or completely under water. |
| Mountain or Mount | Land formation of conspicuous relief, considerable higher than its surroundings, and of a greater altitude than a hill. |
| Mouth | Opening through which a river, creek or stream enters the sea, a larger river or a lake. |
| Ocean | (1) The sheet of salt water which surrounds the great land masses of the earth. |
| (2) Anyone of its great divisions e.g. Atlantic Ocean. | |
| Park | (1) Enclosure in a developed area, ornamentally laid out for public recreation. |
| (2) A natural site with no only limited human interference, protected as such by law e.g. Kaieteur National Park | |
| Peak | The More or less pointed top of a mountain, standing above the level of the range or the surrounding country. |
| Point | A more or less pointed piece of land jutting out into sea or river. |
| Polder | An area of land reclaimed from the sea, lake, swamp or marsh, surrounded by dams or dykes to prevent flooding and provided with drainage and irrigation facilities. |
| Pond | A small standing body of water |
| Rapids | Part of a river where the current is flowing with more than normal swiftness. |
| Ridges | Long narrow hilltop, mountain or watershed. |
| River | A Stream of water which is larger than a creek, and flows by a natural channel, being confined within banks, into the sea, a lake or another river. |
| River Basin or Drainage Basin | The total area drained by a river and its tributaries, bounded by the ridge beyond which water flows in the opposite direction. |
| Source | The place where a river originates |
| Stream | A course of running water, a creek or river. |
| Swamp | A tract of low lying land which is permanently saturated with moisture and is usually overgrown with vegetation. |
| Trail | Overland means of rough communication and transport through different types of terrain and vegetation. |
| Trench | A ditch constructed to hold or conduct water. |
| Tributary | A river or stream which contributes its water to a main river by discharging it into the latter, from either side, and at any point along its course. |
| Valley | A long narrow depression in the earth’s surface, usually with a Fairly regular downward slope. A river or stream usually flows though it and it is then known as a “river valley”. |
| Waterfall or Fall | A sudden fall or water in the course of a river caused by the presence of hard rock across its bed,or when a river plunges over plateau or descends into a valley from a hanging valley. |
| Watershed, Water Parting or Divide | The elevated boundary line separating the headwaters of river, creeks and streams, which are tributary to different river systems or basins. |
LOCATIONS
Contains descriptions of the locations of places and geographical features. These locations are indicated by their distances from better-known places and the descriptions are sufficiently detailed to enable the places and features to be identified on maps. However, the distances are to facilitate the location of places and geographical features and are approximate. All distances are given in kilometers and miles to the nearest half-kilometer or half mile; and they are correct to within one and half kilometers or one mile, respectively. However, the section giving the distances of places from central places or convenient road termini, road mileages are stated to the second decimal place.
POSITIONS
The geographical coordinates, or the latitudes and longitudes or places, are provided.The latitudes are North of the equator and the longitudes are West of the meridian of Greenwich, in England. The equivalent coordinates in the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) projection are also given. These coordinates are expressed in meters. The full details are as follows.
| Projection: | Universal Transverse Mercator |
| Geodetic Datum: | World Geodetic System 1984 |
| Zone: | 21N |
| Unit of Measurement: | Meters |
| Central Meridian: | 57W of Greenwich |
| Latitude Origin: | Equator |
| False Coordinates of Origin: | 500,000 in Easting |
The geographical coordinates are given for the mid-points of named places, lakes, ponds, bridges and highways; and for the mouths of rivers and creeks.
The geographical coordinates are to facilitate the location of places and geographical features and are approximate, being correct to the nearest second plus 2 decimal places of arc.
REGIONAL CODES
Regional code numbers are representative of the administrative regions in Guyana, numbered and named as stated hereunder.
| Number of Region | Name of Region |
| 1 | Barima-Wani |
| 2 | Pomeroon-Supenaam |
| 3 | Essequibo Islands – West Demerara |
| 4 | Demerara-Mahaica |
| 5 | Mahaica-Berbice |
| 6 | East Berbice – Corentyne |
| 7 | Cuyuni-Mazaruni |
| 8 | Potaro-Siparuni |
| 9 | Upper Takutu – Upper Essequibo |
| 10 | Upper Demerara – Upper Berbice |
| 53 | Named Islands in the Essequibo |
Each region is subdivided into smaller units, namely, from larger to smaller: sub-regions, districts, communities, neighbourhoods and peoples cooperative units.
The number of the people’s cooperatives, in which places and geographical features fall, are listed in column six. However, when a place or feature falls two or more similar subdivisions of an administrative region, the number of the next larger subdivision, which accommodates the place or features in its entirety, is given in the listing.
MAP REFERENCES
This is the index number of the 50,000 topographic maps covering the areas where the respective names places and geographical features are located.
All named places and geographical features have been positively identified on maps on record in the Lands and Surveys Department.
PROPOSALS FOR NEW NAMES, NAME CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS
Users of this Gazetteer are invited to submit information relating to names not listed and to errors discovered in the gazetteer, for possible inclusion and correction in any future edition thereof .
Each name should be accompanied by adequate information on its origin and usage; and the place or feature to which the name relates should be clearly identified on a map, sketch plan, aerial photograph, satellite image or Google Earth.
Information on errors and advice for name changes should include, if possible, the source of the correct data.
Any map, sketch plan or air photograph submitted with proposals for new names, name changes or corrections would be returned or replaced as desired.
All correspondence should be addressed to:
The Commissioner
Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission
22 Upper Hadfield Street
D’Urban Backlands
Georgetown
Guyana
South America
Or use the contact form provided on this site.
ABBREVIATIONS
The following is a list of the abbreviations used in this gazetteer:
| WORD | ABBREVIATION |
| Administrative | Admin. |
| Amerindian | Amer. |
| Between | bet. |
| Boundary | bnd. |
| Creek (s) | Ck. (s) |
| District | Dist. |
| East | E. |
| Fall (s) | F. (s) |
| International | int. |
| Island | id. (S) |
| Kilometer | km |
| Left bank | L. b. |
| Local Government | L.G. |
| Mile | mi. |
| Mountain(S) | Mt. (S) |
| North | N. |
| Northeast | NE. |
| Northwest | NW. |
| Number | no. |
| Opposite | opp. |
| Region | Reg. |
| River(S) | R. (S) |
| Rapid(S) | Rap. (S) |
| Right bank | R. b. |
| South | S. |
| Southeast | SE. |
| Southwest | SW. |
| Village | Vil. |
| West | W. |