Vriesland, Guyana

Vriesland
Village
Vriesland Location in Guyana
Coordinates: 6.6888°N 58.1976°W / 6.6888; -58.1976
Country	Guyana
Region	Essequibo Islands-West Demerara
Neighbourhood Council	Amsterdam/Vriesland
Population  (2012)[1]
• Total	530

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. Joanna Khan (5 April 2015). "Vriesland". Stabroek News. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
5. 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.