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What Are Natural Resources in a Tropical Wet Climate Zone?

Tropical wet climate zones harbor a diversity of natural resources. Because there are so many tropical regions around our planet, resources vary between areas. "Tropical" generally refers to extremely humid, hot climates such as in northern South America, Florida, Central Africa, southern India, Southeast Asia and many islands throughout the equatorial region. Humidity and heat generally enable unique and complex ecosystems to evolve, saturated with natural resources.

Beaches
- Hawaiian beach sunsets are beloved by tourists and locals.
  
  Tropical climate zones are home to legendary tropical beaches. Pristine waters and romantic views attract visitors from around the world and sustain large tourism industries. Locations such as the US Virgin Islands, the Gold Coast of Australia, Hawaii and the islands of Indonesia have extensive tropical beaches. These beaches and their surrounding areas are also home to unique and fragile ecosystems such as tropical sea grass beds and salt ponds. Huge tourism industries thrive from beach visitors.
Rainforests
- Rainforests are home to oxygen-producing trees and stunning wildlife.
  
  Rainforests exist only in tropical climate zones. They are the most diverse habitats on land, with their largest areas covering the Amazon basin of South America. Rainforest trees around the world commonly lack branches below 100 feet because the canopy is so thick that lower leaves would not collect light. About one quarter of all medicines are produced from rainforest flora. They now cover only six percent of the Earth's land surface but produce about 40 percent of the Earth's oxygen, making rainforests necessary for our survival.
Coral Reefs
- Australia's Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef.
  
  Coral reefs form from the accumulation of calcium carbonate from coral polyps over thousands of years. These tropical climates protect shores such as on the US Virgin Islands, and maintain diversity of fish species for fishing. Reefs can mitigate the effects of large waves, produce sand and prevent erosion of coasts. Scuba diving and snorkeling in regions such as Australia's Great Barrier Reef yield economies based on appreciation and wonder of these fascinating natural habitats.
Farmland
- Coffee beans are farmed in tropical regions like Costa Rica.
  
  Many tropical regions are used for farmland due to their unique climate conditions. Cacao used for chocolate and coffee beans are grown in regions such as Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ethiopia and New Guinea. Many natural fruits and plants are grown in tropical regions including bamboo, bananas, sugarcane, ginger and black pepper. The thick year-round moisture and hot temperatures are ideal farming conditions for these plants.

Nature