Hogg Island, (sometimes referred to as Hog Island)[2] is the largest of the hundreds of islands in the Essequibo River in Guyana, it is located just 5 km from the river's mouth in its estuary into the Atlantic Ocean.

Hogg Island
The flow of the Essequibo River through Guyana to its estuary into the Atlantic Ocean
Map
Geography
LocationEssequibo River
Coordinates6°49′27″N 58°31′54″W / 6.82417°N 58.53167°W / 6.82417; -58.53167
ArchipelagoEssequibo Islands
Area23 sq mi (60 km2)
Administration
Essequibo Islands-West Demerara
Demographics
Populationc. 250 (2020)[1]

With a total area of 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi) this island is larger than many Caribbean islands. Its 250 residents are engaged mainly in the farming of rice and ground provisions. The population has decreased a lot because of migration to other parts of Guyana, However, there is still a primary school and a church on Hogg Island.

History

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The island used to be controlled by the Dutch when it was known as Varken Eiland[2] or Hog Island, so named due to it being inhabited by a large number of wild hogs. Then in 1814 with the cessation of the Napoleonic Wars the British gained control of the Dutch colonies: Demerara, Berbice, and Essequibo, leaving the Dutch with Suriname until 1975. The British had decided to keep the name of the island as the Dutch did "Hogg Island".

Windmill

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A windmill is located on the former plantation Lyksburg.[3] The windmill is the only remaining mill in Guyana, and was constructed in 1768.[4] The National Trust of Guyana restored the mill in 2010,[3] and it has been declared a national monument.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "Spotlight on the Essequibo: Guyana's Longest River". Guyanese Bank. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Hog Island, not Hogg Island". www.stabroeknews.com. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  3. ^ a b "HOG ISLAND WINDMILL". Guyana Times International. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Region 3 (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara)". National Trust of Guyana. Retrieved 26 November 2021.