idge ▁was ▁being ▁considered ▁as ▁a ▁potential ▁area ▁in ▁which ▁to ▁re loc ate ▁the ▁capital ▁city ▁of ▁Guy ana . ▁During ▁that ▁same ▁era , ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁location ▁of ▁a ▁large ▁mang an ese ▁min ing ▁operation . ▁After ▁being ▁closed ▁for ▁many ▁years , ▁it ▁has ▁recently ▁been ▁re open ed ▁by ▁Re union ▁Mang an ese ▁In cor por ated . ▁ ▁Geography ▁Matt he ws ▁R idge ▁lies ▁in ▁the ▁North - West ▁district ▁of ▁Guy ana . ▁It ▁is ▁located ▁in ▁Region ▁ 1 ▁of ▁Guy ana , ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Bar ima - W ain i ▁region . ▁ ▁Cl imate ▁The ▁area ▁experiences ▁an ▁annual ▁shift ▁between ▁ra iny ▁and ▁dry ▁seasons . ▁A verage ▁temperature ▁ranges ▁between ▁ 8 0 - 1 0 0 ' F . ▁ ▁Dem ograph ics ▁& ▁Emp loyment ▁ ▁The ▁population ▁of ▁Matt he ws ▁R idge ▁is ▁under ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁persons , ▁and ▁is ▁composed ▁mainly ▁of ▁black ▁and ▁Amer ind ian ▁persons . ▁Car ib ▁is ▁the ▁language ▁spoken ▁by ▁the ▁local ▁Amer ind ian ▁people . ▁With ▁the ▁closing ▁of ▁the ▁mang an ese ▁min ing ▁operation ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁the ▁town ▁went ▁into ▁an ▁economic ▁dow nt urn , ▁which ▁it ▁strugg led ▁to ▁recover ▁from ▁for ▁many ▁years . ▁The ▁mine ▁was ▁re open ed ▁by ▁Re uni oun ▁Mang an ese ▁In cor por ated , ▁but ▁this ▁operation ▁was ▁taken