Motagua River

The Motagua River (moˈtaɣwa) is a river in Guatemala. It rises in the Western Highlands of Guatemala and runs in an easterly direction to the Gulf of Honduras. The Motagua River basin covers an area of and is the largest in Guatemala. The Motagua River valley contains sources of jadeitite, which has been used by many Indigenous communities that have inhabited the region. The Motagua River is also one of the most plastic-emitting rivers in the world, contributing around two percent of global plastic pollution emissions into oceans annually. Conservation efforts have been driven by the government and other organizations to ensure safe water and clean oceans. The river begins in the Western Highlands of Guatemala and runs along the Atlantic slope. Traveling in an easterly direction, it passes through 14 of Guatemala’s departments and contains seven distinct ecoregions. Along its course, water flows in from 29 other major rivers. The final few kilometres of the river form part of the Guatemala–Honduras border. The river mouth opens at El Quetzalito Beach, which is located along the Guatemalan coast, and flows into the Gulf of Honduras. The Motagua River valley also marks the Motagua Fault, the tectonic boundary between the North American and the Caribbean Plates. The Motagua fault has been the source of several major earthquakes in Guatemala. The river runs in a valley that has the only known source of jadeitite (jade) in Mesoamerica. Green jade, which was used by the Aztec and Maya people, was re-discovered in the 1950s by American geologist William Foshag, who was directed by a local tomato farmer. The rarer blue-green jade, used by the Olmec people, was re-discovered further north of the river in 2002. The Olmecs were believed to have first settled in the Motagua River valley in around 3000 BC. They constructed figures, masks, and ornaments using the blue-green jade. The Maya likely settled in the Motagua River valley in around 2000 BC. They used the green jade to make beads and amulets.