Abstract
Guyana is currently actively engaged in border disputes with Venezuela on its western border, and with Suriname to its east. The first dispute involves an area of over 50,000 square miles or two-thirds of Guyana. The Surinamese claim to Guyanese territory covers over 5,000 square miles. One source of dispute is that borders were drawn when Guyana and Suriname were colonies of Britain and the Netherlands respectively. Vast proven untapped resources including minerals (oil, gold, diamonds, bauxite and manganese), tropical hardwood forests and fishing grounds are present in the disputed regions. While diplomacy and negotiations have been employed often, Suriname, in 2000, utilised military action to eject oil exploration rigs from offshore Guyanese territory in the Corentyne area. Tensions with Venezuela have increased following events after a cyanide spill in the Essequibo River in the mid-nineties. Venezuela also objected to Guyana granting permission to a North American company to establish a space vehicle launching station in Essequibo.
Recommended Citation
Ramraj, Robert
(2002)
"Guyana's Border Disputes with Venezuela and Suriname,"
The Geographical Bulletin: Vol. 44:
Iss.
1, Article 6.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/thegeographicalbulletin/vol44/iss1/6