NGSA Social Studies flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Guyana's four natural regions

Coastal low plain, white-sand belt, clayey sand belt, and the Pakaraima highlands with Rupununi savannahs, running roughly northwest to southeast across the country.

Longest river in Guyana

The Essequibo, about 1,010 km long, drains more than half the country and receives the Potaro, Cuyuni and Mazaruni rivers before entering the Atlantic.

Kaieteur Falls

A single-drop waterfall of about 226 m on the Potaro River, one of the world's highest single-plunge falls and a major national landmark and tourist attraction.

Guyana's rainy seasons

Two main wet periods, roughly May to July/August and November to January, driven by the northeast trade winds and the movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone.

Mount Roraima

Guyana's highest point, about 2,810 m, a flat-topped tepui in the Pakaraima Mountains at the meeting point of Guyana, Venezuela and Brazil.

Berbice Slave Rebellion 1763

A major uprising of enslaved Africans in the Dutch colony of Berbice, led initially by Cuffy, which challenged colonial control and is remembered as a landmark of resistance.

British Guiana 1831

The united colony formed when Britain merged Demerara, Essequibo and Berbice into a single administration, with Georgetown as its capital.

Indian indentureship begins

In 1838 the Whitby and Hesperus brought the first Indian indentured labourers to Guyana, starting a system that continued until 1917 and reshaped the population.

Guyana independence 1966

On 26 May 1966 British Guiana became the independent state of Guyana; it became a republic on 23 February 1970, now celebrated as Republic Day.

Golden Arrowhead

Guyana's national flag, designed by Whitney Smith, with green, white, yellow, black and red triangles symbolising agriculture, rivers, mineral wealth, endurance and sacrifice.

Executive presidency

Guyana's system in which the President is both head of state and government, elected through party lists, and appoints the Prime Minister and ministers.

Guyana's National Assembly

The unicameral legislature of 65 elected members, chosen by proportional representation, plus non-elected members; it makes laws and approves the budget.

GECOM

The Guyana Elections Commission, a constitutional body responsible for registering voters and administering national and local elections independently and impartially.

Guyana's final court

The Caribbean Court of Justice in Trinidad, which replaced the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as Guyana's highest appellate court.

Guyana's ten regions

Administrative units such as Barima-Waini, Pomeroon-Supenaam, Demerara-Mahaica and Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo, each served by a Regional Democratic Council.

Six sisters crops

Guyana's traditional export crops: sugar, rice, bauxite, gold, timber, and shrimp or fish, which long dominated foreign earnings before oil.

Stabroek Block

The offshore oil area where major reserves were discovered, making petroleum Guyana's leading export and generating revenue managed through the Natural Resource Fund.

Guyana's drainage system

A coastal network of canals, kokers (sluice gates), pumps and the sea wall that keeps low-lying farmland and settlements dry and protects against spring tides.

Greenheart

A dense, durable Guyanese hardwood used in construction and marine pilings; forestry also produces mora and other species from interior forests.

Bank of Guyana

Guyana's central bank, which issues the Guyanese dollar, manages monetary policy and regulates the banking system.

CARICOM

The Caribbean Community, founded in 1973 by the Treaty of Chaguaramas, with its secretariat in Georgetown, Guyana, promoting regional integration and cooperation.

CSME

The CARICOM Single Market and Economy, which allows free movement of goods, services, capital and skilled workers among participating member states.

Greater and Lesser Antilles

The Greater Antilles are large islands such as Cuba, Jamaica and Hispaniola; the Lesser Antilles are a volcanic arc of smaller islands including Grenada and St. Vincent.

Caribbean hurricane season

The period from about June to November when tropical storms and hurricanes form in the Atlantic and Caribbean, threatening islands and coastal areas.

Code of Hammurabi

A set of laws from ancient Babylon, inscribed on stone, that set out rules and punishments and is among the earliest surviving legal codes.

Industrial Revolution

The shift from hand production to machine and steam-powered manufacturing that began in Britain in the late 18th century and transformed economies and societies.

United Nations 1945

An international organisation founded after World War II to maintain peace and security, promote human rights and foster cooperation among nations.

Grid references

Map coordinates read easting first then northing; four-figure references identify a square, while six-figure references locate a point within that square.

Map scale

The ratio between map distance and ground distance; on a 1:50,000 map, one centimetre represents 50,000 centimetres, or half a kilometre, on the ground.

Contour lines

Lines on a map joining points of equal height; close spacing shows steep slopes, wide spacing shows gentle slopes, and values reveal relief and gradient.

Climate graph

A graph showing monthly rainfall as bars and temperature as a line, used to identify wet and dry seasons and annual temperature range.

Social institutions

Established structures such as the family, school, religion, government and media that organise society and perform functions like socialisation, regulation and service provision.