Bill Text: NY J00403 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Commemorating the 49th Anniversary of Guyana becoming a Republic

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-1)

Status: (Passed) 2019-02-12 - ADOPTED [J00403 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-J00403-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 403

BY: Senator PERSAUD

        COMMEMORATING   the  49th  Anniversary  of  Guyana
        becoming a Republic to be  celebrated  February  23,
        2019

  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  keeping  with  its
time-honored  traditions,  it  is the intent of this Legislative Body to
commemorate the 49th Anniversary of Guyana becoming  a  Republic  to  be
celebrated February 23, 2019; 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 Caribbean Community (CARICOM), of  which  Guyana  is  a
member,   has   its  secretariat's  headquarters  in  Guyana's  capital,
Georgetown; and

  WHEREAS, Guyana was originally colonized by the Netherlands;  later,
it became a British colony, known as British Guiana, and remained so for
over  200 years until it achieved independence on May 26, 1966, from the
United Kingdom; and

  WHEREAS, On February 23, 1970, Guyana officially became a  Republic;
in  2008,  the  country  joined the Union of South American Nations as a
founding member; and

  WHEREAS, Guyana is a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations and
has the distinction of being the only South  American  nation  in  which
English   is  the  official  language;  however,  the  majority  of  the
population speak Guyanese Creole, an English-based Creole language  with
slight Dutch, Arawakan and Caribbean influences; 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,   Historical  Guyana  consists  of  three  Dutch  colonies:
Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice; modern Guyana is bordered by  Suriname
to  the  east, by Brazil to the south and southwest, by Venezuela to the
west, and by the Atlantic Ocean to the north; and

  WHEREAS, At 215,000 square kilometers (83,000 square miles),  Guyana
is the third-smallest independent state on the mainland of South America
after Uruguay and Suriname; 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 Todaiji Temple in Japan; and

  WHEREAS, The 49th Anniversary of Guyana becoming a Republic 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 49th Anniversary of Guyana becoming  a  Republic  to  be
celebrated February 23, 2019; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Barbara Atherly, Guyana Consul General to New York.