BERBICE RIVER

river in eastern Guyana. The Berbice River rises in the highlands of the Rupununi region and flows northward for 370 miles (595 km) through dense forests to the coastal plain. It enters the Atlantic Ocean at New Amsterdam, where its flow is obstructed by shallows. The basin of the Berbice is restricted by the proximity of its larger neighbours, the Essequibo and Courantyne rivers, and its only tributary of consequence is the Canje. The river is navigable for 100 miles (160 km) by small vessels; many rapids lie farther upstream. Its name is that of the Dutch colony of Berbice, which in 1831 became part of British Guiana (now Guyana).