Matthews Ridge, Guyana

Matthews Ridge is a small town within the Barima-Waini administrative region of Guyana, claimed by Venezuela as part of Delta Amacuro state, which is located in the Guayana Esequiba.

Matthews Ridge
Matthews Ridge
Location in Guyana
Coordinates: 7°30′N 60°10′W
Country Guyana Claimed by Venezuela[1]
RegionBarima-Waini
Population
 (2012)[2]
 • Total409

It is located at 7°30′N 60°10′W.

History

During the 1960s, Matthews Ridge was being considered as a potential area in which to relocate the capital city of Guyana. During that same era, it was the location of a large manganese mining operation.[3] After being closed for many years, it has recently been reopened by Reunion Manganese Incorporated.

Geography

Matthews Ridge lies in the North-West district of Guyana. It is located in Region 1 of Guyana, also known as the Barima-Waini region.

Climate

The area experiences an annual shift between rainy and dry seasons. Average temperature ranges between 80-100'F.

Demographics & Employment
A dredge being used in a nearby backdam.

The population of Matthews Ridge as of 2012 is 409 people,[2] and is composed mainly of Afro-Guyanese and Amerindian persons. Carib is the language spoken by the local Amerindian people. With the closing of the manganese mining operation in the 1970s, the town went into an economic downturn, which it struggled to recover from for many years. The mine was reopened by Reunioun Manganese Incorporated, but this operation was taken over by Guyana Manganese Incorperated (GMI) in 2019. Otherwise, small-scale gold mining is the basis for most other jobs in the area. This involves travel to backdams (small areas where gold is known to be located) by foot or on ATVs, where batels or dredges are used to mine.[4]

Education

The local nursery and primary schools can accommodate students through Grade 11. The school (Matthew's Ridge Primary Tops School) had pupils sit CSEC for the first time in 2018, but it not yet recognised as a Secondary School meaning pupils sit exams in the nearby town of Port Kaituma.

Infrastructure
The main street of Matthews Ridge

The infrastructure of the town is elementary. Cell-phone service is available, through the Digicel mobile network. Electric current is available during certain hours of the day, provided by the town's generator. Goods are brought into Matthews Ridge from Georgetown, and Port Kaituma.

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References
  1. "Official Announcements". Archived from the original on 8 September 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  2. "2012 Population by Village". Statistics Guyana. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  3. "Guyana - Resources and power". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
  4. https://lewpt.wordpress.com/2018/11/15/october/
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