 
Assembly Resolution No. 513
 
BY: M. of A. Weprin
 
        COMMEMORATING   the   51st   Anniversary   of  the
        Independence of Guyana
 
  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 full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this  Legislative  Body  is  justly  proud  to
commemorate the 51st Anniversary of the Independence of Guyana; and
 
  WHEREAS,  The  people of this great State, Nation and Guyana enjoy a
deep and abiding relationship rooted in kinship and culture; and
 
  WHEREAS, Independence Day is a significant public holiday in Guyana;
it is celebrated on May 26th every year and  it  is  the  day  when  the
country  attained  its  independence in 1966, when British Dominion over
Guyana ended; 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  European  voyagers  discovered  Guyana  in 1498; as a
result, the history of the country dates back to  over  500  years;  its
history  is  interrupted  by  combats  wrestled  and  triumphed, through
properties lost and recovered  since  the  French,  Spanish,  Dutch  and
British settlers battled for hundreds of years to occupy this territory;
and
 
  WHEREAS,  The  British Empire ultimately was able to take control of
Guyana in 1814; the country attained its well-deserved independence from
the British rulers on May 26, 1966; and
 
  WHEREAS, In gaining her independence, Guyana today is  a  nation  of
800,000  people  that  is  the  only  English-speaking  nation  in South
America; its citizens trace their roots across the Caribbean and  India;
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,  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 Today Temple in Japan; and
 
  WHEREAS,  Currently,  approximately 140,000 Guyanese immigrants live
in New York City, making them the fifth-largest foreign-born  population
in the city; and
 
  WHEREAS,  Many  Afro-Guyanese  immigrants  have  settled among other
Afro-Caribbean immigrants  in  places  like  Canarsie  and  Flatbush  in
Brooklyn;  Guyanese  of  South  Asian  descent are concentrated in large
numbers in Richmond Hill and neighboring Ozone Park; and
 
  WHEREAS, The 51st Anniversary of Guyana's Independence  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 51st Anniversary of the Independence of Guyana.
Commemorating the 51st Anniversary of the Independence of Guyana

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