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Flying
over the Belize River looking towards Belize City. |
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Also referred to as the Old River, in the 1800's, the Belize River
was defined by the harsh reality that the Mahogany logging industry
brought upon it as deforestation went unchecked for over a century.
For most of the 20th century the river was the primary source for
all commerce and communication. During the 1980's Belize was thought
to be 97% forested with an annual forest loss of less than 0.2%.
However, more recent studies reflect that only 59% of Belize's total
land mass is covered by forest. Those forested regions are primarily
found in the southern district of Toledo. But as we go to press
with this edition, two new forest licenses were approved that will
allow two companies forty years of logging in the Toledo District.
The Belize River drains about one third of the entire country
of Belize especially the central river valley providing a valuable
ecosystem for varied wildlife from birds to tapirs to crocs.
It was also along the shores of the Belize River where several
scenes of the movie Mosquito Coats starring Harrison Ford were
filmed. Indeed the Belize River defining the fibre of a land,
the people that live along it’s shores defining the backbone
of a nation.
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