Essequibo River

Catchment area of ​​the Essequibo

Template: Infobox River / Obsolete

The Essequibo is around 1,000 km in length the largest river in the Republic of Guyana (South America) and namesake of the former colony of Essequibo, which existed from 1616 to 1814.

The river rises in the Acaraí Mountains on the border with Brazil and ends at Bartica in an approximately 60 km wide delta into the Atlantic Ocean. In Bartica unite Mazaruni and Essequibo, the downstream will go from here to the mighty, 5 km wide, passable by ships power. In contrast, it is in its upper reaches, due to numerous waterfalls and rapids limited and partly navigable. Its tributary Río Potaro forms the 247 m high Kaieteur Falls.

Expedition

1908 was made by the German - American ichthyologist Carl H. Eigenmann an expedition along the Essequibo and its tributary Potaro and documented 336 fish species occurring here.

Gold recovery

In recent years, the Essequibo is exposed to the gold mining at its river and its tributaries considerable environmental pollution. Many miners, especially the illegal Garimpeiros using the mercury process to the gold panning for gold to bind with mercury.