Belize River
| Belize River | |
|---|---|
Aerial view of the Belize River
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| Country | Guatemala, Belize |
| Basin features | |
| Main source | Confluence Mopan and Macal rivers 80 m (260 ft) 17°11′N 89°04′W / 17.183°N 89.067°W |
| River mouth |
Caribbean Sea at Belize City 0 m (0 ft) 17°32′N 88°14′W / 17.533°N 88.233°WCoordinates: 17°32′N 88°14′W / 17.533°N 88.233°W |
| Basin size | Caribbean Sea |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Length | 290 km (180 mi) (including Mopan River) |
The Belize River (Spanish: Río Belice) runs 290 kilometres (180 mi) through the center of Belize. It drains more than one-quarter of the country as it winds along the northern edge of the Maya Mountains to the sea just north of Belize City (17°32′N 88°14′W / 17.533°N 88.233°W). The Belize river valley is largely tropical rain forest.
Also known as the Old River, the Belize River begins where the Mopan River and Macal River join just east of San Ignacio, Belize (17°11′N 89°04′W / 17.183°N 89.067°W). The Belize River – Mopan River Catchment contains over 45 percent of the population of Belize. The Belize River, in spite of 78 runs or rapids, is passable via the Mopan to the Guatemalan border. It served as the main artery of commerce and communication between the interior and the coast until well into the twentieth century, and has long been associated with forestry, of logwood (for dye) and of mahogany which survives in small stands.
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Wikipedia