More than a million people live in the rain forests throughout the world. Usually they are descendents of those that came before them dating back hundreds and even thousands of years.

The primary rain forests of the tropics are located in Brazil, inhabited by the Kayapo and Yanomami people; Mexico, inhabited by the Lacandon people and Zaire or New Guinea, inhabited by the Efe Pygmies. They are able to live and sustain themselves in these forests through hunting, fishing, and using forest products. Sometimes they keep these things for themselves, other times they use them to sell or trade. As a people, in all rain forests throughout the world, the number of inhabitants is in decline as the forests shrink. This has been occurring for many years.

The inhabitants use rivers and paths as their method of travel. Most live among the rivers where they can easily fish, trade and sell their catches.

There are those people of the tropics that make their living by using the rain forest. They don’t live there but they use the resources found there to make their livelihood; for example the rubber tappers. Rubber tappers do just that; they tap and collect latex from wild rubber trees. They then sell or trade the latex to the companies and businesses that use it.

As precious as the rain forests are for our tropics, we must be aware they are in decline. As more and more destruction takes place, the inhabitants die of and the vegetation turns to soil. Visit a rain forest on a tropical vacation while you can! You might just become and advocate for there continued vitality and health!