Bartica, Essequibo, is a town on the left bank of the Essequibo River in Cuyuni-Mazaruni (Region 7), at the confluence of the Cuyuni and Mazaruni Rivers with the Essequibo River in Guyana. Considered the "Gateway to the Interior", the town has a population of about 15,000 and is the launching point for people who work in the bush, mining gold and diamonds.