Vriesland
Village
Vriesland is located in Guyana
Vriesland
Vriesland
Location in Guyana
Coordinates: 6°41′20″N 58°11′51″W / 6.6888°N 58.1976°W / 6.6888; -58.1976
Country Guyana
RegionEssequibo Islands-West Demerara
Neighbourhood CouncilAmsterdam/Vriesland
Population
 (2012)[1]
 • Total530

Vriesland is a village in the Essequibo Islands-West Demerara Region of Guyana. It is located on the west bank of the Demerara River.[2]

Overview

Vriesland started as a sugar plantation in Demerara. In 1832, a total of 255 slaves was recorded.[3] The name is related to the Dutch province of Friesland, however the exact origin is unknown.[4]

Vriesland is bordered by a koker (canal). The Wales Sugar Estate used to own 16,000 acres (6,500 ha) of sugar cane fields along the koker, and was a major employer.[5] In 2016, Guyana Sugar Corporation, the owner, closed Wales Sugar Estate,[6] and the estate was divided into small lots to be sold as farmland.[5]

The economy is based on farming, fishing and shop keeping.[4] The health centre is in neighbouring Viva-La-Force while the secondary school is in Patentia.[5] Vriesland has access to water, electricity and telecommunications.[4]

In 2021, ExxonMobil announced plans to construct a natural gas processing plant near Vriesland.[7]

References

  1. ^ "2012 Population by Village". Statistics Guyana. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  2. ^ Michel Outridge (20 December 2020). "The entrepreneurs of Vriesland Village". Guyana Chronicle. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  3. ^ "Vriesland". Legacies of British Slavery. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Joanna Khan (5 April 2015). "Vriesland". Stabroek News. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Michel Outridge (20 December 2020). "Vriesland | A village that has withstood the test of time". Guyana Chronicle. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  6. ^ Tarron Khemraj (27 January 2016). "Closure of Wales Sugar Estate". Stabroek News. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  7. ^ "EPA orders ExxonMobil to submit environmental impact assessment on US$900M Gas-to-Energy Project". Guyana Standard. 26 June 2021.


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