Bartica
Bartica | |
---|---|
Town and regional capital | |
Etymology: Red Earth | |
Nickname: Gateway to the Interior | |
Coordinates: 06°24′N 58°37′W / 6.400°N 58.617°W | |
Country | Guyana |
Region | Cuyuni-Mazaruni |
Population (2012)[1] | |
• Total | 8,004 |
Demonym | Bartician |
Climate | Af |
Bartica, Essequibo, is a
Considered the "Gateway to the Interior", the town has a population of 8,004 as of 2012,[1] and is the launching point for people who work in the bush, mining gold and diamonds.[3]
History
The town developed from an
Education
Bartica has two secondary school Bartica Secondary and Three Miles Secondary and three primary schools, St. Anthony's Primary and St. John-the-Baptist and Two Miles Primary. There are several other primary schools in the surrounding riverine communities.
Health
The region 7 hospital is located in Bartica and is known for having implemented the country’s first electronic Health Information System in 2005, developed by Peace Corps volunteers Geoffrey Thompson and Jason Knueppel.[5]
Tourism
Bartica can be reached from Parika, Essequibo and Linden, Demarara. The Denham Suspension Bridge, also known as the Garraway Stream Bridge, links Bartica to Mahdia.[5]
Bartica Airport is 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) southwest of the town.
North of Bartica lie the ruins of the Dutch fort
There are several hotels in the town including the Platinum Inn, The New Modern Hotel, Balkarran's Guest House (D factor to D interior), and Zen's Plaza. There is also a thriving nightclub located in the Modern Hotel building.
Several Brazilians live in Bartica, so one can find Brazilian restaurants and bars. There are several restaurants as well as local fast food joints including Sunset Boulevard, which is a perfect place to meet and have a bite while getting information from locals.
There are also several resorts around the Bartica area including Baganara Island Resort, Aruwai H2O Resort, Shanklands (not open at the moment), Whitewater and a Guesthouse in Byderabo. From Bartica, persons can also gain access to pristine riverain communities to experience the true indigenous way of life.
During the
Notable people
- Frank Bowling (1934-), an abstract painter.[6]
- Dianne Ferreira-James (1970-), international FIFA referee[7]
- Ivor Mendonca (1934-2014), a West Indian cricketer[8]
- Kaysia Schultz (1997-), a West Indian cricketer[9]
Massacre
On the 17th of February 2008 Bartica was allegedly attacked by Rondell Rawlins' heavily armed gang. Twelve people, including three policemen, were shot dead as the gang terrorized the town. The Bartica Police Station was overrun by the gunmen during the rampage and several business places robbed during the hour-long mayhem. The gang and attack is believed to linked to the Lusignan Massacre three weeks earlier. The perpetrators were killed on August 28, 2008 at one of their hideouts near the Guyanese capital Georgetown in a shootout with the police.[10]
References
- ^ a b "2012 Population by Village". Statistics Guyana. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
- ^ "Capital towns and economic development". Ministry of Communities. Archived from the original on 1 February 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ^ "Gold and Diamond Mining in Guyana". Buy Gold Online. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
- ^ a b c d "BARTICA – A Missed Opportunity of History". Guyanese Online. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
- ^ a b c "Bartica–a fusion of valleys, undulating hills, and happy people". Kaieteur News Online. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
- ^ "A global moment for Frank Bowling — and for black art". Financial Times. 2021-06-08. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
- ^ "Ferreira-James among Bartica's Wall of Fame inductees". Newsroom.gy. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
- ^ "Ivor Mendonca". ESPN cricinfo. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
- ^ "From Bartica to Antigua: Prospective West Indies Women player Kaysia Schultz tells her story". Guyana Times. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
- ^ "Bartica Massacre". Guyana.org. Retrieved 17 August 2020.