Matthews Ridge is a small village within the Barima-Waini administrative region of

Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...

. The village name comes from the name of a public official, Matthew Young, as well as the ridges in the area. The village is divided into three sections, Heaven's Hill, Hell Hill and the valley.

Demographics & Employment

The population of Matthews Ridge as of 2012 is 409 people, and is composed mainly of Afro-Guyanese and Amerindian persons. Carib is the language spoken by the local Amerindian people. Agriculture is also an important economic activity in Matthews Ridge, however to a lesser extent than mining.

History

Matthews Ridge was one of the oldest indigenous villages in the Barima-Waini region. Between 1962 and 1968, Matthews Ridge was the location of a large

manganese Manganese is a chemical element with the symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese is a transition metal with a multifaceted array of industrial alloy use ...

mining operation by

Union Carbide Union Carbide Corporation is an American chemical corporation wholly owned subsidiary (since February 6, 2001) by Dow Chemical Company. Union Carbide produces chemicals and polymers that undergo one or more further conversions by customers befor ...

. A narrow gauge railway was built to

Port Kaituma Port Kaituma is a small village within the Barima-Waini administrative region of Guyana. It became known internationally as a gateway village to the Peoples Temple settlement in nearby Jonestown. It has long been a hub for mining in the area. ...

to transport the ore. The mine was closed in 1968. In 2011, it has been reopened by Reunion Manganese Incorporated. With the closing of the manganese mining operation in 1968, the village went into an economic downturn, which it struggled to recover from for many years. The mine was reopened by Canadian company Reunion Manganese Incorporated, but this operation was taken over by Guyana Manganese Incorporated (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

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, where batels or

dredges Dredging is the excavation of material from a water environment. Possible reasons for dredging include improving existing water features; reshaping land and water features to alter drainage, navigability, and commercial use; constructing da ...

are used to mine.

Education and health care

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 village of

. Matthew's Ridge has a health care centre, but as of 2017, it was lacking in facilities.

Infrastructure

The infrastructure of the village is elementary. Cell-phone service is available, through the

Digicel Digicel is a Jamaican and Caribbean mobile phone network and home entertainment provider operating in 33 markets worldwide. Digicel has operated in several countries, including Guyana, Fiji, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia, Suriname, and Ja ...

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

. The village is served Matthews Ridge Airport. The village has a Pentecostal as well as Jehovah Witness church.

Climate

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

References

{{Settlements in Guyana Populated places in Barima-Waini Populated places in Guyana