Windsor Forest, Guyana
Windsor Forest | |
|---|---|
Village | |
  Windsor Forest Location in Guyana | |
| Coordinates: 6°50′47″N 58°14′22″W / 6.8464°N 58.2395°W | |
| Country |  Guyana |
| Region | Essequibo Islands-West Demerara |
| Neighbourhood Council | La Jalousie/Nouvelle Flanders |
| Population (2012)[1] | |
• Total | 1,602 |
Windsor Forest is a village in the Essequibo Islands-West Demerara of Guyana. It is located along the Atlantic Ocean coast.[2] It was the first Chinese settlement in Guyana, however few Chinese remain. It was the birthplace of First Guyana President Arthur Chung.[3]
Overview
[edit]Windsor Forest started as a plantation. In the early 20th century, Windsor Forest and neighbouring La Jalousie, were purchased by the government, divided into acre sized lots, and offered for rent.[4]
The economy of the village is mainly based on rice cultivation.[5] It has a primary school[6] and a health centre.[7] Between 1900 and 1974,[8] Windsor Forest had a railway station on the Demerara-Essequibo railway.[5]
The area is prone to flooding.[9] It used to be protected by mangrove forests. A citizen's initiative by Deopaul Somwaru aims to replant the mangroves along the coast.[2]
Chinese settlement
[edit]Between 1853 and 1879, indentured labourers from China were brought to work on the plantations in British Guiana. On 12 January 1853, the first labourers arrived aboard the Glentanner, and 105 people were assigned to the Windsor Forest plantation[6] making it the first Chinese settlement in Guyana.[3] In 1986, a monument was erected in front of the primary school to commemorate the event.[6]
Few Chinese remain in the village. Of the 1,602 inhabitants of Windsor Forest at the 2012 census, only five identified as ethnic Chinese, and 1,484 as Indo-Guyanese.[1]
Notable people
[edit]- Arthur Chung (1918–2008), first President of Guyana.[3]
- Doreen Chung (1932–2009), first First Lady of Guyana.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "2012 Population by Village". Statistics Guyana. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
- ^ a b Lakhram Bhagirat (22 November 2021). "Young environmental advocate aims to restore Region Three mangrove forest". Stabroek News. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
- ^ a b c "Windsor Forest – The first Chinese settlement". Guyana Times International. 8 February 2009. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
- ^ Odeen Ishmael. The Guyana Story - Indian Settlements. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help) - ^ a b Michel Outridge (14 June 2020). "Hard work and talent abound in Windsor Forest". Guyana Chronicle. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
- ^ a b c "Guyana celebrates 166 years of Chinese Arrival". iNews Guyana. 12 January 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
- ^ "Region 3". Ministry of Health. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
- ^ "The Public Railways of Guyana, 2014, Part 2". International Steam. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
- ^ Miranda La Rose (31 January 2004). "La Jalousie/Nouvelle Flanders Neighbourhood". Stabroek News via Land of Six People. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
- ^ "Guyana's 'first' First Lady Doreen Chung dies". Repeating Islands. 8 September 2009. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
