The Rupununi savannah is a savanna

Savanna

A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...

 plain in Guyana

Guyana

Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...

, in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo

Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo

Upper Takutu-Upper Esequibo is a region of Guyana in the Zona de Reclamación by Venezuela, bordering the region of Potaro-Siparuni to the north, the region of East Berbice-Corentyne to the east and Brazil to the south and west. It contains the towns Lethem, Isherton, Good Hope and Surama. It is...

 region. It is an ecoregion

Ecoregion

An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...

 of the Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands

Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands

Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands are a grassland terrestrial biome located in semi-arid to semi-humid climate regions of subtropical and tropical latitudes. Grasslands are dominated by grass and other herbaceous plants. Savannas are grasslands with scattered trees...

 Biome

Biome

Biomes are climatically and geographically defined as similar climatic conditions on the Earth, such as communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms, and are often referred to as ecosystems. Some parts of the earth have more or less the same kind of abiotic and biotic factors spread over a...

.

Description

The Rupununi savannah is located between the Rupununi River and the border with Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

. The savannah is dissected by the Kanuku Mountains

Kanuku Mountains

The Kanuku Mountains are a group of mountains in Guyana, located in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo region. The name means 'forest' in the Wapishana language, a reference to the rich diversity of wildlife found there...

.

The savannah is teeming with wildlife, including a large variety of bird species. The savanah is also home to the jaguar

Jaguar

The jaguar is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Southern United States and Mexico...

 as well as the harpy eagle. The region usually floods in the wet season (May - August).

Settlements

There are Amerindian villages dotted throughout the Rupununi savannah, as well as many ranches worked by vaqueros (cowboys), some of whom are descendants of 19th century Scottish

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 settlers. The main town is Lethem

Lethem, Guyana

Lethem is a town in Guyana, located in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region of the South American Country. It is named after Sir Gordon James Lethem, who was the Governor of British Guiana from 1946 to 12 April 1947.-Geography:...

, located beside the Takutu River

Takutu River

The Takutu River is a river in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region of Guyana. It forms part of the boundary with Brazil, and is a tributary of the Branco River...

, the border with Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

. Owing to the savanna's remoteness from the rest of the country most trade is conducted with Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

 and most people speak a little Portuguese

Portuguese language

Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...

.

In 1969 some ranchers started what has been referred to as the Rupununi Uprising

Rupununi Uprising

The Rupununi Uprising was an act of insurrection that occurred in Guyana beginning on 2 January 1969. The police station in the town of Lethem, the administrative center of the Rupununi District, was attacked by ranchers, who were armed with bazookas and automatic weapons.Lethem Police Station was...

. The revolt was quelled within a few days.