Den Amstel is a village in
Guyana
Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...
's
Essequibo Islands-West Demerara region. It lies on the Atlantic coast, approximately west-north-west of the capital,
Georgetown. The village has a population of 938 people as of 2012,
who are predominantly
Afro-Guyanese.
[Roxanne Clarke (4 September 2011)]
"The World Beyond Georgetown: Den Amstel"
– ''Stabroek News
The ''Stabroek News'' is a privately owned newspaper published in Guyana. It takes its name from ''Stabroek'' , the former name of Georgetown, Guyana.
It was first published in November 1986, first as a weekly but it later changed to a daily prin ...
''. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
History
Den Amstel is situated on the site of a coffee plantation of the same name, which was established by a Dutchman, John Craig, and named after the river
Amstel
The Amstel () is a river in the province of North Holland in the Netherlands. It flows from the Aarkanaal and Drecht in Nieuwveen northwards, passing Uithoorn, Amstelveen, and Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, to the IJ in Amsterdam. Annually, the riv ...
in the Netherlands. The plantation was abandoned midway through the 19th century, owing to repeated flooding, and subsequently purchased by a syndicate of 125 ex-slaves, who gained ownership in 1854. In 1892, Den Amstel was united with the neighbouring village of
Fellowship and granted municipal government for the first time, as part of the Den Amstel/Fellowship Village District.
[Jacqueline Allen-West]
"The History of Den Amstel & Fellowship"
– Guyana Under Siege. Retrieved 8 January 2016. Fellowship was historically the more important of the two villages, with Den Amstel being described as "a very under-developed settlement with a few scattered houses and dense bushes and foliage".
[Alex Wayne (15 March 2014)]
"Den Amstel: A village with a strikingly rich history"
– '' Guyana Chronicle''. Retrieved 8 January 2016. Until the closure of the line in 1974, the village had a platform on the
Demerara–Essequibo Railway (running from
Vreed-en-Hoop
Vreed en Hoop is a village at the mouth of the Demerara River on its west bank, in the Essequibo Islands-West Demerara region of Guyana, located at sea level. It is the location of the Regional Democratic Council office making it the administrati ...
to
Parika).
The railway has since been replaced by a paved highway. Den Amstel's economy has historically been based around agriculture and horticulture, but now relies more on small businesses. The southernmost portion of the village includes a rice plantation.
Sport
The Den Amstel Cricket Club is a member of the West Demerara Cricket Association, which is in turn affiliated with the Demerara Cricket Board, one of the three constituent members of the
Guyana Cricket Board
The Guyana Cricket Board is the ruling body for cricket in Guyana.
Guyana Cricket Board
The Guyana Cricket Board has regions who play cricket in the Country. Below is the history of the regions of certain cricket boards in the country. And also ...
.
Rayon Griffith, who played cricket for the
Guyanese national team in the 2000s, was born in the village. However, a 2014 ''
Guyana Chronicle'' article reported that cricket had declined in popularity, in favour of football.
The Den Amstel Football Club is a member of the West Demerara Football Association, and qualified for the
Guyana Super League on at least one occasion.
[(4 March 2012)]
"WDFA congratulates Den Amstel Football Club"
– '' Guyana Chronicle''. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
References
{{Settlements in Guyana
Populated places in Essequibo Islands-West Demerara