| Rupununi savannah | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ecology | |
| Biome | Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands |
| Geography | |
| Area | 13,000[1] km2 (5,000 sq mi) |
| Country | Guyana |
| State | Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo |
TheRupununi savannah/rʌpəˈnʌni/ is asavanna plain inGuyana, in theUpper Takutu-Upper Essequibo region. It is part of theGuianan savannaecoregion of thetropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublandsbiome.[2]
The Rupununi Savannah is located between theRupununi River and the border withBrazil andVenezuela. The Rupununi forms the southwestern wilderness territory of Guyana, a South American country situated on the Northeasternlittoral of South America. The savannah is dissected by theKanuku Mountains. The Rupununi Savannah encompasses 5000 square miles of virtually untouched grasslands, swamplands, rain-forested mountains. The region usually floods in thewet season (May to August). Early European explorers believed that the Rupununifloodplains were the legendaryLake Parime.[3][4][5]
The savannah is divided north from south, by theKanuku Mountains, Guyana's most biologically diverse region. According toConservation International, the "area supports a large percentage of Guyana’sbiodiversity", including 250 species of bird life, 18 of which are native "only to the lowland forests of the Guianas." The savannah is teeming with wildlife, including a large variety of bird species. The savannah is also home to thejaguar as well as theHarpy Eagle, the world's most powerfulbird of prey, an extremely rare andendangered species which once ranged the forests of South America and is found in the Rupununi/Kanuku mountain range.[2]
The Rupununi is the home of theWapishana,Macushi,Wai-Wai andPatamona peoples.[6] In 2012, the population of Amerindians in the Rupununi was estimated at 20,808 people.[7] The Wapishana live mainly in the south savannah, the Macushi in the north. Some 200 Wai-Wai live in near isolation inKanashen, the remote southeastern region bordering Brazil virtually untouched by modern life.[8]
The major occupations or industries in the Rupununi Savannah arecattle ranching for beef,Balatá bleeding to extractlatex; farming groundnuts, maize (corn),cassava, and vegetables; fishing and hunting; and craft work such as the manufacture ofhammocks, leather articles,Nibbi furniture and beadwork).[9]
There are Amerindian villages dotted throughout the Rupununi Savannah, as well as many ranches worked byvaqueros (cowboys), some of whom are descendants of 19th centuryScottish settlers. The main town isLethem, located beside theTakutu River, on the border with Brazil. Owing to the savanna's remoteness from the rest of the country most trade is conducted with Brazil and most people speakPortuguese.
In 1969 some ranchers started what has been referred to as theRupununi Uprising. The revolt was quelled within a few days.[10]
The Rupununi region caters towardsecotourists. It is designated a "protected area" by the government of Guyana, housing some 80% of the mammals and 60% of the bird life found in Guyana's tropical forests and savannahs. Several Lodges welcome guests, for exampleDadanawa Ranch or Karanambu ranch.[11]
The Rupununi is accessible by small aircraft and helicopter flights regularly available from Guyana's capitalGeorgetown on the Atlantic coast. In the dry season it is accessible by an unpaved "all-weather" road using trucks or 4x4 vehicles. It takes about 48 hours of tough driving. Heavy flooding makes this drive unpredictable and dangerous in the rainy season during the months of April to June.[2]