Leguan Island
Encyclopedia
Leguan Island is a small island situated in the delta of the Essequibo River
on the coast of Guyana
, South America
. The island is shaped like a gull wing and is nine miles (14 km) long and 2 miles (3.2 km) wide at its widest making it roughly twelve square miles in area.
or migrate, often to the United States
, Canada
the United Kingdom
or to various Caribbean islands. Leguan is primarily a rice farming and cattle rearing community. Other occupations on the island include government administration, teaching, health care and policing.
Leguan is of roughly 82% East Indian ancestry and 17% African ancestry. The remaining approximately 1% of the population are foreign born Chinese, Canadian, American and English, most of whom are involved in community development work with religious or state organizations. A majority of Leguan residents are Hindu. The minority follow Islam, Christianity and the Rastafari movement
. Leguan is situated in the Essequibo River, next to another island named Wakenaam. There are 5 rice factories located on the island; the largest one being L.P.Doobay & Son Rice Mill. The primary mode of transportation on Leguan is bicycle. Many people also have motorbikes. A small group of people also have cars. In terms of public transportation, Leguan has a handful of taxis, buses, and horsecarts.
and Hogg Island. Leguan has five elementary schools and one secondary school. The secondary school currently serves about 300 students in grades seven through eleven or forms one through five.
Leguan is served by the Guyana Department of Transport and Harbours with two daily round-trips to and from Parika
with large engine vessels. Many Leguan residents travel to shop at the Thursday and Sunday open-air markets in Parika
. Independent speed boat taxis also service the island regularly from the Parika
stelling. Leguan only received electricity services from Guyana Power & Light company in 1997 and telephone services, both land-line and cellular, from Guyana Telephone & Telegraph in 1999. The island has three main paved roads, two running along the north and south coasts and a road that bisects the island connecting the coastal roads. The government of Guyana
built a new stelling on the island in 2005.
Essequibo River
The Esequibo River is the largest river in Guyana, and the largest river between the Orinoco and Amazon. Rising in the Acarai Mountains near the Brazil-Guyana border, the Essequibo flows to the north for 1,010 km through forest and savanna into the Atlantic Ocean.-Geography:There are countless...
on the coast of 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...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. The island is shaped like a gull wing and is nine miles (14 km) long and 2 miles (3.2 km) wide at its widest making it roughly twelve square miles in area.
Demographics
Leguan has an estimated population of 4,200 living in 27 demarcated villages. The population has declined fairly rapidly during the past decade as residents leave to settle in more urban parts of GuyanaGuyana
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...
or migrate, often to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
or to various Caribbean islands. Leguan is primarily a rice farming and cattle rearing community. Other occupations on the island include government administration, teaching, health care and policing.
Leguan is of roughly 82% East Indian ancestry and 17% African ancestry. The remaining approximately 1% of the population are foreign born Chinese, Canadian, American and English, most of whom are involved in community development work with religious or state organizations. A majority of Leguan residents are Hindu. The minority follow Islam, Christianity and the Rastafari movement
Rastafari movement
The Rastafari movement or Rasta is a new religious movement that arose in the 1930s in Jamaica, which at the time was a country with a predominantly Christian culture where 98% of the people were the black descendants of slaves. Its adherents worship Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia , as God...
. Leguan is situated in the Essequibo River, next to another island named Wakenaam. There are 5 rice factories located on the island; the largest one being L.P.Doobay & Son Rice Mill. The primary mode of transportation on Leguan is bicycle. Many people also have motorbikes. A small group of people also have cars. In terms of public transportation, Leguan has a handful of taxis, buses, and horsecarts.
Infrastructure
The island is home to the regional government office for the Essequibo Islands. The regional office serves the other populated islands of the Essequibo River delta, Wakenaam IslandWakenaam
Wakenaam is an island of about at the mouth of the Essequibo River of Guyana. It was settled at one time by the Dutch in the 18th Century; the name Wakenaam is Dutch meaning "waiting for a name". The island, like most other islands in the Essequibo River in Guyana, is characterized by green...
and Hogg Island. Leguan has five elementary schools and one secondary school. The secondary school currently serves about 300 students in grades seven through eleven or forms one through five.
Leguan is served by the Guyana Department of Transport and Harbours with two daily round-trips to and from Parika
Parika
Parika is a port township located in the Essequibo Islands-West Demerara region of Guyana. It is popular for its ferry service, operated by the Ministry of Transportation, to and from the Essequibo Islands and West Demerara area. It is also notable for its Sunday markets...
with large engine vessels. Many Leguan residents travel to shop at the Thursday and Sunday open-air markets in Parika
Parika
Parika is a port township located in the Essequibo Islands-West Demerara region of Guyana. It is popular for its ferry service, operated by the Ministry of Transportation, to and from the Essequibo Islands and West Demerara area. It is also notable for its Sunday markets...
. Independent speed boat taxis also service the island regularly from the Parika
Parika
Parika is a port township located in the Essequibo Islands-West Demerara region of Guyana. It is popular for its ferry service, operated by the Ministry of Transportation, to and from the Essequibo Islands and West Demerara area. It is also notable for its Sunday markets...
stelling. Leguan only received electricity services from Guyana Power & Light company in 1997 and telephone services, both land-line and cellular, from Guyana Telephone & Telegraph in 1999. The island has three main paved roads, two running along the north and south coasts and a road that bisects the island connecting the coastal roads. The government of 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...
built a new stelling on the island in 2005.