Capoey | |
---|---|
Village | |
Coordinates: 7°11′36″N 58°32′02″W / 7.1932°N 58.5340°W | |
Country | Guyana |
Region | Pomeroon-Supenaam |
Government | |
• Toshao | Ralph Hendricks [1] |
Area | |
• Total | 9.31 km2 (3.59 sq mi) |
Population (2012)
[3] | |
• Total | 523 |
• Density | 56/km2 (150/sq mi) |
Capoey is a village in the Pomeroon-Supenaam Region of Guyana. The village is mainly inhabited by Lokono Amerindians. [4] It is located on Lake Capoey, a blackwater lake, which is one of largest lakes of Essequibo. [4]
Capoey was originally settled by Wapishana who named the village. The name translates to "Land of the Rising Moon". The tribe was wiped out by a plague. A group of Lokono Amerindians who were enslaved on a plantation on the Essequibo coast escaped from captivity, crossed the lake, and resettled the abandoned village. [1] In the early 20th century, a mission was founded by the Methodist Church. [2]
The economy of Capoey is based logging, subsistence farming, gold mining, [2] and tourism has become important. [5] The village has a primary school, village office, [2] and a health care clinic. [4] The village provides free transportation to the coast for secondary and trade education. [2] Electricity is provided by solar panels. [4]
Lake Capoey is one of the largest lakes in Essequibo. The lake is known for its large beige beaches, black water, [4] and benabs (palm thatched hut). [1] The lake is steadily growing in size. [4]
The lake is accessible via a side road of the Essequibo Coast Road. The village is located on the other side of the lake, and can only be accessed by boat. There is a tiny hamlet on the northern edge of the lake called Mary Point which is part of the Capoey reserve. [4]