Leguan Island facts for kids
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Essequibo River |
| Coordinates | 6°55′N 58°25′W / 6.917°N 58.417°W |
| Archipelago | Essequibo Islands |
| Area | 12 sq mi (31 km2) |
| Administration | |
| Essequibo Islands-West Demerara | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 2,500 |
Leguan Island is a small island in the Essequibo River delta, located off the coast of Guyana in South America. This island is about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long and 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) wide at its widest point. It covers an area of roughly 31 square kilometers (12 square miles). The name "Leguan" comes from the many iguanas that early settlers found there.
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Who Lives on Leguan Island?
Leguan Island has an estimated population of 2,500 people, based on numbers from 2018. These residents live in 36 different villages across the island. Some of the well-known villages include Maryville, Le Bagatelle, Richmond Hill, and Uniform. A local government group called the Leguan Neighbourhood Democratic Council helps support these villages.
What Do People Do for Work?
Leguan is mainly a farming community. People grow a lot of rice, with about 3,000 acres of land used for rice farms. Another 3,000 acres are used for growing other crops that are sold for money. Raising cattle is also a big part of the island's economy, using about 2,500 acres. Besides farming, some people work for the government, as teachers, in healthcare, or as police officers.
What is Leguan Island's Culture Like?
Most people on Leguan Island have East Indian family backgrounds, making up about 82% of the population. About 17% of residents have African ancestry. A small number of people, around 1%, are from other countries like China, Canada, America, and England. Many of these foreign residents work on community projects with religious or government groups. Most people on Leguan are Hindu, but there are also followers of Islam, Christianity, and the Rastafari movement.
How Do People Get Around Leguan Island?
The main way to travel on Leguan Island is by bicycle. There are also some taxi services available, but no public buses. Many people own motorbikes, and a small number of residents have cars.
How Does Leguan Island Connect to the World?
Leguan Island is home to the main government office for the Essequibo Islands region. This office also helps manage other islands in the Essequibo River delta, like Wakenaam Island and Hogg Island.
Schools and Education
Leguan Island has five elementary schools for younger students and one secondary school for older students. The secondary school currently teaches about 300 students from grades seven to eleven (or forms one to five).
Travel and Transportation
The Guyana Department of Transport and Harbours provides ferry services to Leguan. Before 2020, there were two daily trips to and from Parika using large boats. However, due to COVID-19, the number of trips has been reduced. Many Leguan residents travel to Parika to shop at its busy open-air markets on Thursdays and Sundays. You can also find independent speed boat taxis that regularly travel to the island from the Parika stelling (a type of dock).
Modern Services on the Island
Leguan Island received electricity from the Guyana Power & Light company in 1997. Telephone services, including both landlines and cell phones, became available from Guyana Telephone & Telegraph in 1999. The island has three main paved roads: two run along the north and south coasts, and one road cuts across the island, connecting the coastal roads. In 2005, the government of Guyana built a new dock, called a brukup stelling, on the island.
