North Vancouver is the smallest of the three municipalities north of Vancouver on the North Shore, while also being the most urbanized of the three. The Burrard Inlet separates the North Shore from Vancouver and serves as a major waterway and port for the city. The densely populated area was once home to First Nations tribes, before becoming a major timber producer in the 19th century. Settlers and opportunists flocked to the area for a chance to log the virgin Douglas fir trees. The overlogging of these precious resources had a disastrous effect on the local ecosystem and wildlife, but the city has since recovered to become a thriving metropolis surrounded once again by the lush forests British Columbia is famous for. Around WWII, the city reinvented itself as a shipbuilding hub, and to accommodate the incoming workers and their families, many new communities were set up in North Vancouver.