Lusignan is a community in
Demerara-Mahaica
Demerara-Mahaica (Region 4) is a region of Guyana, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the north, the region of Mahaica-Berbice to the east, the region of Upper Demerara-Berbice to the south and the region of Essequibo Islands-West Demerara to the ...
region of
Guyana and approximately 16 km from the capital city
Georgetown. Located on the East Coast of
Demerara
Demerara ( nl, Demerary, ) is a historical region in the Guianas, on the north coast of South America, now part of the country of Guyana. It was a colony of the Dutch West India Company between 1745 and 1792 and a colony of the Dutch state ...
, it has population of 1,868 persons as of 2012
mostly
Indo-Guyanese
Indo-Guyanese or Indian-Guyanese, are people of Indian origin who are Guyanese nationals tracing their ancestry to India and the wider subcontinent. They are the descendants of indentured servants and settlers who migrated from India beginnin ...
.
The village is sustained by subsistence farming and fishing.
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide fund ...
is also an emerging industry.
Its most famous expatriates are Ramkumar and Tapearee Singh who moved to Lusignan during the disturbance in the 1960s. Singh moved his house, board by board, from
Golden Grove - with help from Stella the Donkey. Singh was a gentleman farmer with extensive land holdings in the Golden Grove, back dam and
Georgetown. They parented 11 children.
Services
It is home to the Lusignan Golf Course, Guyana's only golf course, and there is also a community centre which houses the Lusignan Cricket Club and a Dental Surgery.
[Tifaine Rutherford]
"Lusignan"
''Stabroek News'', June 2, 2013 The village constitutes a market square, supermarket, and pharmacy, and one of the Guyana's five maximum security prisons.
Transportation for the village is via a railway embankment and the major East Coast highway, and connects the community to the capital city.
The village has a nursery and primary school, and secondary schooling is provided in
Annandale.
Lusignan Massacre
The community was brought to international attention following what has become known as the
Lusignan Massacre, in which 11 persons, including 5 children, were killed after a group of heavily armed gunmen led by
Rondell "Fineman" Rawlins stormed the village.
References
{{Settlements in Guyana
Populated places in Demerara-Mahaica