Grade Six Social Studies

Let’s look at some of the landmarks within the Region!

Do you know what landmarks are?

From 2B

Landmarks are simply what the word suggests – marks on the land. As you know, marks are mainly for identification, and in almost every community, landmarks assist significantly in locating places. Landmarks are usually found in the same place for many years, not less than three or four decades. Landmarks found in our communities have a variety of forms.

We use landmarks to help us to locate places. A landmark can be an essential community building, bridge, tree, or pond.

Now that you know what landmarks are let’s examine a few within the Region.

• A fire station - The only fire station serving the Region can be found at Leonora on the West Coast of the Demerara River.

• A church - This landmark, St. Peter’s Anglican Church on Leguan Island was constructed in the nineteenth century from hewn stone. It has stained windows and a very tall tower.

THE DEMERARA HARBOUR BRIDGE –

This bridge crosses the Demerara River from Schooner.

Fact/Tip: The Demerara Harbour Bridge is a 6,074-foot long floating toll bridge. It was commissioned on 2 July 1978. The bridge crosses the Demerara River 4 miles south of the Guyanese capital Georgetown, from Peter’s Hall, DemeraraMahaica, East Bank Demerara, to Schoon Ord, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, West Bank Demerara. It is the longest floating bridge of its type. It is about one and a quarter miles long and twenty-four feet wide.

Fun Fact: A lookout - During the early days of Dutch occupation of the country, the village of Zeelandia was a plantation at the northern tip of Wakenaam Island. From this area, a “look- out” point for ships was developed in the area.

Did you know that many villages within Region three were once plantations? Let’s dig deeper!

The names of villages once plantations on the coast, banks, and islands in the Region suggest that their former owners came from more than one European nation. Some of these names are:

• Sans Souci

• La Bagatelle, • Doomhagg, • Groeneveld • Greenwich Park • Edinburgh.

A daily ferry service links Leguan and Wakenaam Islands, which are heavily inhabited, but farmers mainly inhabit Hogg Island.

FACT/TIP: There is no town in Region Three.

In our next lesson we are going to study and learn about Demerara/MahaicaRegion Four.

Bye, Boys and Girls!