INTRODUCTION

This Gazetteer contains six thousand, six hundred and fifty-seven (6,657) entries of the names of places and geographical features in the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. It is a new compilation and it supersedes the Gazetteer of Guyana published by the Lands and Surveys Department, Ministry of Agriculture, in 1974. 

The names listed in this Gazetteer include major and minor administrative divisions, populated and other named places, various cultural entities and a variety of geographical features. There are seven columns in which are listed, from left to right, the name, features, locations, latitudes, longitudes, regional codes and map reference included in the Gazetteer. 

For further details the reader is referred to the Explanatory Notes.

Most of the names of the creeks and rivers, as well as mountains originate from the several Amerindian languages. Settlements and villages in the interior usually also have their origin from the Amerindians. Along the coast, as well as along the downstream parts of the major rivers, the names of villages and settlements came from the colonial times, mainly the Dutch, but also French, Spanish and English names do occur. 

A publication like the Gazetteer is above all a matter of hard work which can only be carried out by dedicated individuals.

The first edition of the Gazetteer was based on data compiled by Mr. C. A. Cole, O. B. E., retired Superintendent of Lands and contained 4,592 entries.

Special credits for the second edition must be given to Mr. R. Jaggernauth, retired Cartographer of the Lands and Surveys Department, who was responsible for the compilation of a further 2,043 entries.

The preparation of the original manuscript into the copy for printing was done by Miss R. Ramkishun and Ms. N. Ramroop of the Natural Resources Management Project (NRMP). Final checking of the manuscript was implemented by Ms. N. Ramroop (NRMP), Ms. F. Bart of Lands and Surveys Department, Mr. L. Rutherford (Assistant Commissioner L&S), Mr. D. Husbands (NRMP) and Mr. H. Diedrich (GFA Terra Systems). The German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ), through NRMP, funded the printing of the second edition of the Gazetteer of Guyana.

This current edition is the third edition and first online edition. This work reflects the updates to the coordinates of the locations thereby increasing the accuracy of the position and was undertaken by the Cartographic Section of the Land Information and Mapping Division of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission.