Enterprise, Guyana
| Enterprise | |
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 Enterprise
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| Coordinates: 6°45′N 58°0′W / 6.750°N 58.000°W | |
| Country |
 Guyana
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| Region | Demerara-Mahaica |
| Population (2002) | |
| • Total | 12,000 |
Enterprise is a village in the Demerara-Mahaica region along the coastal belt of Guyana. It is about two square miles in size and has a population of about 12,000. It is located about 14 miles (23 km) southeast of the capital city Georgetown. This small community is flanked by Bachelors Adventure and a little further, Enmore to the east; Strasthpey on its west; Melanie Damishana and the Atlantic Ocean sits to the North. Some of the country's largest sugarcane fields are just beyond its southern horizon.
Enterprise started in late 1940s when the residents of Nonpareil were granted new plots of land to start a community north-east of their current village. These plots were an upgrade from the primitive mud hut homes of the old village, which, bunched together, were unable to support the population swell that came in the early generations. The new space was much better suited for cultivating fruits and vegetables, and proved most durable as the community continued to grow.
In the 1950s the development of Enterprise moved at a steady pace, and by the end of the first decade, Enterprise had more than doubled its population. It had acquired both a Primary and Secondary school to educate its largest population of youths hiterto. The main streets were covered with asphalt to allow easier vehicle access and to reduce deterioration from soil erosion. A Community Center was added in 1960 under the control of Bookers' Sugar Estate but control was passed to the community leaders soon after and today it is operated and maintained by the community and remains the community's agora for public forums and meetings. Development in Enterprise was slower in subsequent decades, but it remained steady during these nascent years.
When, in 1964, the worst political strife between the Indo-Guyanese and the Afro-Guyanese took place, Guyana's Government and its economy stopped functioning and life in the entire country came to a stand still. Commerce, Schools and Law Enforcement cease to function as it had and there were rampant murders, vandalism, looting, and civil clashes in magnitudes unseen hitherto. In quelling the uprising a line was drawn between these two dominant races and, as a result, mixed communities, like Enterprise, were forced to segregate its people. Riots continue to be commonplace throughout this decade and the divide created during this sensitive period can still be seen in many facets of community life today.
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Wikipedia