ABSTRACT
Guyana is located on the northeast coast of South America, the westernmost of the three former colonial Guiana's. Guyana has been considered a flashpoint not only as a result of ethnic tensions during its political development, but more importantly because of its long-standing boundary problems. On Guyana's border with Suriname there is the New River Triangle, a disputed area of approximately 14,500 km between the CourantyneCutari Rivers, the New River and Guyana's boundary with Brazil. In 1871, when the New River was discovered, it was believed to be a larger tributary than the Cutari. Accordingly, in 1899 the Dutch, who controlled Suriname, claimed the New River as the source of the Courantyne and therefore their territorys boundary with Guyana. On 4 August 1930, the Dutch offered to accept the CourantyneCutari boundary and the UK agreed, but the final draft of the agreement was not signed owing to the onset of World War II.
