Senate Resolution No. 403

BY: Senator PERSAUD

COMMEMORATING the 49th Anniversary of Guyana
becoming a Republic to be celebrated February 23,
2019

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
pay just tribute to the cultural heritage of the ethnic groups which
comprise and contribute to the richness and diversity of the community
of the State of New York; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in keeping with its
time-honored traditions, it is the intent of this Legislative Body to
commemorate the 49th Anniversary of Guyana becoming a Republic to be
celebrated February 23, 2019; and

WHEREAS, Guyana, officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a
sovereign state on the Caribbean coast of South America; although Guyana
is part of the Anglophone Caribbean, it is one of the few Caribbean
countries that are part of South America; and

WHEREAS, The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), of which Guyana is a
member, has its secretariat's headquarters in Guyana's capital,
Georgetown; and

WHEREAS, Guyana was originally colonized by the Netherlands; later,
it became a British colony, known as British Guiana, and remained so for
over 200 years until it achieved independence on May 26, 1966, from the
United Kingdom; and

WHEREAS, On February 23, 1970, Guyana officially became a Republic;
in 2008, the country joined the Union of South American Nations as a
founding member; and

WHEREAS, Guyana is a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations and
has the distinction of being the only South American nation in which
English is the official language; however, the majority of the
population speak Guyanese Creole, an English-based Creole language with
slight Dutch, Arawakan and Caribbean influences; and

WHEREAS, Historically, the region known as Guiana or Guyana
comprised the large shield landmass north of the Amazon River and east
of the Orinoco River known as the Land of Many Waters; and

WHEREAS, Historical Guyana consists of three Dutch colonies:
Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice; modern Guyana is bordered by Suriname
to the east, by Brazil to the south and southwest, by Venezuela to the
west, and by the Atlantic Ocean to the north; and

WHEREAS, At 215,000 square kilometers (83,000 square miles), Guyana
is the third-smallest independent state on the mainland of South America
after Uruguay and Suriname; and

WHEREAS, More than 80% of Guyana is still covered by forests,
ranging from dry evergreen and seasonal forests to montane and lowland

evergreen rainforests; these forests are home to more than a thousand
species of trees; and

WHEREAS, Guyana's tropical climate, unique geology, and relatively
pristine ecosystems support extensive areas of species-rich rainforests
and natural habitats with high levels of endemism; approximately 8,000
species of plants occur in Guyana, half of which are found nowhere else;
and

WHEREAS, Guyana has one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the
world, and with 1,168 vertebrate species and 814 bird species, boasts
one of the richest mammalian fauna assemblages of any comparably sized
area in the world; and

WHEREAS, The Guyana Shield region is little known and extremely rich
biologically; unlike other areas of South America, over 70% of the
natural habitat remains pristine; and

WHEREAS, Some notable landmarks to be found in Guyana include:
Kaieteur Falls, the world's largest single-drop waterfall by volume, and
St. George's Anglican Cathedral, one of the tallest wooden church
structures in the world and the second tallest wooden house of worship
after the Todaiji Temple in Japan; and

WHEREAS, The 49th Anniversary of Guyana becoming a Republic provides
an opportunity to recognize the significance of their contributions to
the quality and character of life, and, through events and activities,
for all people to gain a greater appreciation of Guyanese history and
traditions, and of the role Guyanese have played, and will continue to
play, in our society; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is pleased to have this opportunity
to recognize such events of significance which foster ethnic pride and
exemplify the cultural diversity that represents and strengthens the
fabric of the people and the State of New York; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 49th Anniversary of Guyana becoming a Republic to be
celebrated February 23, 2019; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Barbara Atherly, Guyana Consul General to New York.