Panama is divided into nine provinces and five regions.
Bocas del Toro
Bocas del Toro is a province of Panama. Its extension is 4,643.9 square kilometers comprising the mainland and nine main islands. The province consists of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Bahía Almirante (Almirante Bay), Laguna de Chiriquí (Chiriquí Lagoon), and adjacent mainland. The capital is the city of Bocas del Toro (Bocas Town) on Isla Colón (Colón Island). Other major cities or towns include Almirante, and Changuinola. The province has a total population of 125,461 people (2010).
Christopher Columbus and his crew discovered the area in 1502. Bocas del Toro borders the Caribbean Sea to the north, Limón Province of Costa Rica to the west, Chiriquí Province to the south, and Ngöbe-Buglé Comarca to the east. The Río Sixaola forms part of the border with Costa Rica. An old railroad bridge spans the river between Guabito and Sixaola, Costa Rica. The bridge is a border crossing used by tourists going between destinations in Bocas and Costa Rica.
The province contains two national parks: Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park and La Amistad International Park. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute operates a research station on Colón Island just northwest of Bocas Town. There are many banana plantations in Bocas del Toro, often called the oro verde or green gold of Central America.
Chiriquí
Chiriquí is a province of Panama, it is located on the western coast of Panama, and it is also the second most developed province in the country, after the Panamá Province. Its capital is the city of David. It has a total area of 6,490.9 km², with a population of 416,873 as of the year 2010. The local government of Chiriquí is modeled after that of the United States.
The province of Chiriquí is located in the western region of Panama. It is bordered to the north by the provinces Bocas del Toro and Ngobe-Buglé, to the west by Costa Rica, to the east by the province of Veraguas, and to the south by the Pacific Ocean, specifically the Gulf of Chiriquí.
The economy of Chiriquí is based principally on livestock and agriculture, making it the primary province of these materials for the rest of the country. Also, tourism is beginning to increase as the province becomes a destination for both domestic and foreign travel. its economy is made of corn and strawberries. Is a province with many economic rivalry. One major crop is mango. another economic activity is fishing.
Coclé
Coclé is a province of central Panama on the nation’s southern coast. The capital is the city of Penonomé. This province was created by the Act of September 12, 1855 with the title of Department of Coclé during the presidency of Dr. Justo de Arosemena. It became a province, Decretory Number 190, on October 20, 1985. Coclé is primarily an agricultural area, with sugar and tomatoes as major crops. The province has a number of well known beaches, such as Santa Clara, Farallon and Rio Hato, and tourist activity has increased in recent years. It has a population of 233,708 habitants (2010).
During pre-Columbian times, the area of Panama which today includes Coclé province had a number of identifiable native cultures. Archaeologists have loosely designated these cultures by pottery style. The poorly studied La Mula period ranged from 150 BC to AD 300. It was followed by the Tonosi period, from AD 300 to AD 550, and by the Cubita period, from AD 550 to AD 700. A unified Native American culture appears to have flourished in this area from approximately 1200 BC until the 16th century.
Colón
Colón is a province of Panama. The capital is the city of Colón. This province has traditionally been focused in commerce (through the Colón Free Zone, Panama Canal and its banking activities), but also has natural resources that are being developed as tourist attraction, such as coral reefs and rainforests. During the Spanish colonial period, the Colon region of Panama was the center of trade, commerce, and overall economy for the Spanish. They imported many black African slaves to this area to work in Panama and to ship to other Spaniard colonies.
Most of the black population in Panama is centered in the Province of Colon. Panama has two distinct groups of blacks. The first and earliest blacks were those who came as slaves as early as the fifteenth century, through much of the nineteenth century. They are of mixed African and Spanish descent. This group is known as Cimarrones, Afro Colonials, Nativos, Playeros, Congos. These terms have proven crucial[citation needed] in establishing that these are the first and original blacks of the Republic of Panama. Afro Colonials have held on to their culture and adopted Hispanic customs, traits, and cultures. They took and assumed Spanish names and surnames. They also developed the beginning of Panama’s black population and culture, in pure and in mixed forms. They have been incorporated into Panamanian and Spanish-speaking society, as a result.
In the nineteenth century, beginning as early as the 1840s, blacks from the Caribbean and West Indies immigrated to Panama to assist to build the Panama Railway and the Panama Canal. Later many blacks from all over the Caribbean and West Indies, especially from Jamaica and Barbados, settled here between the years of 1880 and 1920 to build the Panama Canal. Many later settled in the Colon Province. This group of Caribbean and/or West Indian origin are called Afro Antillanos by the Hispanic Panamanians. They have assimilated to the Hispanic culture and Panama as well as holding on to aspects of their descent and culture. They have influenced the cuisine and music of Panama. Most importantly, their influence on music, especially from those of Jamaican descent invented and created Reggaeton.
Darién
Darien is a province of Panama with its capital in the city of La Palma. It covers an area of 11,896.5 km². It is located at the eastern end of the country and bordered to the north with the province of Panamá and the region of Kuna Yala. To the south it is bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Republic of Colombia. To the east it borders the Republic of Colombia, and to the west borders the Pacific Ocean and the province of Panama.
The Darien Province covers an area of 11,896 km ², an area similar to that of the island of Jamaica, which is incorporated in its central part by an undulating plain why develop the valleys of the rivers Chucunaque and Tuira , and is framed by steep areas of the highlands of San Blas, Catfish, Pirre and Toad.
The highest mountains of the Darien province are: Tacarcuna (2.280 m), Pineapple (1.581 m), Pirre (1.569 m), Nique (1,550 m), Chucantí (1.430 m), Pavarandó (m), Armila (m) , Tanela (1.415 m), Frog (m) and Upper Quia (1,361 m). In relation to the country, Darien has 8% of land suitable for intensive cultivation, 60% suitable for pasture, permanent crops and forestry production, and 25% for protection and forest reserves. The dominant natural vegetation is forests Darien, which according to the topographic elevation and rainfall patterns are classified as tropical wet, tropical wet and premontane rain.
Darien The population is mostly indigenous Afro-descendants and settlers who migrated from other provinces (mainly chiricanos Santeña Herrerano and Veraguas) in search of good land and better opportunities. The musical expression that distinguishes the people of Darien is the bullarengue, which is a dance of purely African descent drum. However, each of the groups who have migrated to this province are struggling to preserve their roots and maintain their customs and traditions, despite the strong pressure exerted by Colombian migrants and radio stations in that country, tend to favor the taste of Darien by the folklore of the border Colombia, specifically by the Vallenato.
Despite the hodgepodge of groups can be seen in Darien identification of incipient population (men and women) with their land and a nascent interest in making their regionalism to speak, preparing dishes of the region. It is common for food preparation as the bastard of shellfish, fish and coconut rice, also the serendengue among others. It is traditional to drink a kind of stew made with plantain, which is here called “choca’o.” It is normal to use hand-sewn dresses completamenre the woman while the man is dressed as a man of the city.
We mention that the main crops grown in the province are maize, rice, plantains, bananas, cassava, yams and beans.In the Gulf of San Miguel fishery resources are abundant in shrimp, fish, and lobsters, which are operated by a fleet that operates directly from the city of Panama. In the inland rivers of the province fishing is practiced mainly for subsistence.
Another item is the timber, and which are extracted precious woods (Cedar, Balsa, Balsam, Fox, Mahogany, Cocobolo, ETC …)
Herrera
Herrera is a province in Panama. Named after General Tomás Herrera, the province was founded on January 18, 1915 after a division of the Los Santos province. The capital city of Herrera is Chitré, which is located near the province’s coastline. Herrera is bordered on the north by the provinces Veraguas and Coclé, on the south by Los Santos, on the east by Golfo de Parita and Los Santos, and on the west by Veraguas.
The famous Festival del Manito Ocueño has its origin in the city of Ocú in Herrera. Also, the pottery work in the province is extensive, consisting mainly of high-quality reproductions of precolombian artifacts. Herrera’s pottery is the best-known in the country. Panama’s most famous alcoholic drink, “seco” (translation: dry), is produced in Herrera, which is a sugarcane liqueur said to be dryer than normal rum. Varela Hermanos, a company based in Pesé, sells seco under the trade name Seco Herrerano.
Of Panama’s nine provinces, Herrera ranks third in sugarcane production. Other commercial mainstays in Herrera include retail, equipment repair, banking, and domestic service. Prominent industries include dairy, cattle, commercial fishing, alcohol, ceramics, clay products, mosaics, and cement.
Los Santos
Los Santos is a province of Panama. The capital city is Las Tablas, which is famous for its carnivals, the Festival Nacional de la Pollera (National Festival of the Pollera), and the Festival of the Patron Santa Librada; and the Festival Nacional de la Mejorana in Guararé. The province Los Santos and Herrera are important in Panamanian folklore because they are believed to be the birth place of the Pollera, the traditional Panamanian dress. Los Santos has a surface of 3,804.6 kilometers squared and 83,485 inhabitants. The primary economical activities are growing corn, rice, coffee, sugar cane and the raising of livestock and commerce.
There are many well-renowned beaches, as found in Venado, Achotines, and Guararé. There are also beaches on the island, Isla Iguana, known for its blue water and white sand. The island is 25 minutes by boat from Pedasí. There are also parks here, such as the national park Cerro Hoya. There are also museums like the: Museum of Nationality (Museo de la Nacionalidad), the Museum Belisario Porras and the Museum Manuel F. Zarate. There is also an arqueological site here called the Sitio Arqueologico Cerro Juan Diaz. There is also the Church of San Antonio and the Church of Santa Librada (made on March 1872). In 1958, a fire burned the Santa Librada’s roof.
Panamá
Panamá is a major province of the country of Panama, containing the capital city, Panama City. The governor of the province is Mayin Correa, a former mayor of Panama City and elected by President Martinelli after being sworn in on July 1, 2009.
Veraguas
Veraguas is a province of Panama, located in the centre-west of the country. The capital is the city of Santiago de Veraguas. The province covers 10,677.2 km² and is divided into twelve districts.Veraguas has many groups of inhabitants, mainly of Spanish-Indian origin named campesinos. This land offers tourists and visitors close contact with nature. Forests, mountains, coasts and islands where there are more than 200 varieties of orchids; more than 400 species of birds, besides mammals, reptiles and insects.
Veraguas has various national parks. The Coiba National Park, (with the largest coral reef of the Pacific Coast of America), Cerro Hoya National Park (covers the southwest part of the Azuero peninsula and the sea that surrounds it), Santa Fe National Park (a wonderful virgin forest in the northern region of the province), La Yeguada Forest reserve (with a great artificial lake for the production of electricity)and El Montuoso Forest reserve.
Beaches such as Playa Santa Catalina, Playa Mariato, Malena and Torio offer great places for recreation, surfing and fishing. Other famous touristic areas is the Iglesia de San Francisco de la Montaña.This Church has a Baroque architecture and dates back to 1727. It was declared a National Historical Monument on January 27, 1937.
Panama City is why many people go visit Panama.
Emberá
Emberá is a comarca indígena (indigenous territory) in eastern Panama. It was created by Law Number 22 on November 8, 1983, within the territories of Chepigana and Pinogana districts, Darién Province. The capital is Union Choco. The 2010 census found 10,001 people within Emberá. The area of this comarca is 4,383.6 sq. kilometers.
Kuna Yala
Guna Yala Guna is an indigenous region Panama, inhabited by ethnic Guna. Formerly the region was called San Blas until 1998 as Kuna Yala until 2010. Its capital is El Porvenir. Bounded on the north by Caribbean Sea, south of the Darién Province and Embera-Wounaan, east with Colombia and west by the province of Columbus.
The Guna District of Yala has an area of 2.306 km ². It consists of a narrow strip of land of 373-kilometre (232 mi) long on the east coast of Caribbean Panama, bordering the province of Darien and Colombia. An archipelago of 365 islands around the coast, of which 36 are inhabited.
Among the most important traditions of the people mentioned Guna: “Ico-inna” or Feast of the needle than for a more accurate translation is the feast of puberty or what the Western world is known as the party or wedding. where a young girl after her first menstrual period is made a party where it pierces the septum of the pubescent female placing a ring with coconut oil as an antiseptic.
In childhood between 4 and 5 takes place the ceremony of “inna-suit” or baptism is performed in the first haircut, which was attended by all the people in the community, she is assigned a name in the language Guna to the female. This name is next to the name given the country’s official language. The Night festival or “inna-mutiki” is a party where all the people involved to celebrate a wedding or a new marriage in the village or community, this festival usually lasts for several days until the end of the whole liquor that has garnered the families.
Ngöbe-Buglé Comarca
Ngöbe-Buglé is a comarca (roughly, “reservation” though signifying a high degree of administrative autonomy) in Panama. It was formed in 1997 with lands from the provinces of Bocas del Toro, Chiriquí, and Veraguas. The capital is Chichica. Ngöble-Buglé has a population of 156,747 mainly Guaymí (Ngöble and Buglé).
The comarca Ngäbe-Bugle is characterized by mountainous terrain, steep slopes and generally nutrient poor soil with high rock content, all characteristics that make farming difficult. On the Caribbean slope there is no dry season and tropical forest dominates the landscape; on the Pacific slope there is a windy dry season (December to April) and a wet season. As a result of more seasonal variation there are more localized geographies on the Pacific slope and vegetation consists of grasses mixed with tropical forest cover.
Small perennial streams and larger rivers run on both sides of the continental divide and are used for bathing, laundry, and drinking. In the region most travel is done on foot or horseback as there is only one year round access road leading into the comarca (a mine access road that runs up to Hato Chamí and continues to Escopeta, the location of the Cerro Colorado mine) from San Felix, a city connected to the interamericana highway via Las Cruces.
Kuna de Madugandí
Kuna de Madugandi is a comarca in Panamá. It was created in 1996 from the east part of the province of Panamá, in the district of Chepo. The primary ethnicity is Kuna. The comarca is not divided into districts. Its capital is Akua Yala.
Kuna de Wargandí
Kuna de Wargandí is a comarca indígena (indigenous territory) in Panamá. It was created in 2000 from the province of Darién, from the district of Pinogana. It has an area of 299 square miles (775 km²). It is inhabited by the Kuna people. This comarca is not divided into districts. The community of Nurra serves as its capital.
