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Panama City, Republic of Panama Ciudad De Panama' Is the Largest City and Capital on the Isthmus of Panama

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Panama City, Republic of Panama Ciudad De Panama' Is the Largest City and Capital on the Isthmus of Panama Panama City, Republic of Panama Ciudad de Panama' is the largest city and capital on the Isthmus of Panama. The Republic of Panama has a population of about 4 million people. It borders the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as Central and South America. The origins of Panama date back to 11,000 BC. Pottery and trading between Mexico and Peru were known in 2,500 BC. "There are seven unique indigenous cultures of Panama, which make up about 13% of the country’s population (currently around 4 million). These cultures are typically divided into four major groups based on language, traditions, and locations. These are the Ngöbe‐Buglé, the Kuna, the Emberá‐Wounaan, and the Naso‐Bribri." <zegrahm.com> The Spaniard conquistadors founded the first city in Panama in 1519. Old Panama (Panama la Vieja) became their chief post of the Pacific. "Panama City was founded by Spanish governor Pedro Arias de Ávila not long after conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa first saw the Pacific." <lonelyplant.com> It became a pass‐through for treasures found in Peru's mines and the pearl fisheries in the Bay of Panama. A series of fires devastated the city, but it was Captain Henry Morgan, a Welsh privateer sponsored by England, who sacked Panama in 1671. <thoughtco.com> "The privateers stayed for about four weeks, digging through the ashes, looking for fugitive Spanish soldiers in the hills and looting the small islands in the bay where many had sent their treasures. When it was tallied, it was not as big a haul as many had hoped for, but there was still quite a bit of plunder and every man received his share. It took 175 mules to carry the treasure back to the Atlantic coast, and there were numerous Spanish prisoners – to be ransomed by their families – and many black slaves as well which could be sold. Many of the common soldiers were disappointed with their shares and blamed Morgan for cheating them. The treasure was divided up on the coast and the privateers went their separate ways after destroying the San Lorenzo fort." <thoughtco.com> Panama gained its independence from Spain in 1821 becoming part of Gran Colombia. However, within ten years the confederation was dissolved, and Panama belonged to Colombia. That caused Panama City's importance to decline. It returned in the 1850s when the Panama Railroad was completed, and gold seekers wanted to reach California. Panama declared its independence from Colombia on November 3, 1903 and Panama City became its capital. With the completion of the Panama Canal in 1914, the city became an international trade center. Under an agreement, the United States paid Panama for the use of the Canal but controlled the Canal and had an exclusionary zone that consisted of two military bases. On September 7, 1977, President Jimmy Carter and Panamanian Chief of Government Omar Torrijos signed the Panama Canal Treaty and Neutrality Treaty (The Torrijos‐Carter Treaties). The signings meant that on December 31, 1999, Panama would take control over the Panama Canal and the five‐mile zone on both sides of the Canal. This was part of President Theodore Roosevelt's grant in building the canal in 1904. Construction to build was part of the agreement. Torrijos was not democratically elected. He seized power in a coup in 1968, but the U.S. considered the treaty justifiable given widespread support in Panama. <worldhistoryproject.org> On December 20,1989, President George H. W. Bush ordered 25,000 U.S. troops to invade Panama. The target was General Noriega's headquarters which was in the poor section of Panama City. He was considered a dictator who had made Panama a haven for drug dealers, killed political opponents and was also charged with election fraud. The action caused fatalities on both sides. Noriega surrendered to American forces on January 3, 1990. He was sentenced to 40 years after a 10‐ month trial in District Court in Miami on drug trafficking. <washingtonpost.com> Panama City has several sections of the city. Fuerte Amador Fuerte Amador (Fort Amador) is an artificial peninsula jutting into the Pacific Ocean that connects three small islands to the mainland. It is separate from Panama City. Fuerte Amador has a population of nearly 900,000 people. Panama City Metro area has over 1.2 million people. Just a few degrees above the equator, the temperature rarely varies in this tropical climate. The rainy season is April through December, but with plenty of sunshine also. Fuerte Amador and Fort Grant were U.S. Army bases at the southern end of the Panama Canal, Panama Bay. They were turned over to the Republic of Panama in 1999. Fort Amador was named after Manuel Amador Guerrero, first president of Panama (1904‐1908). Casco Viejo (Casco Antiguo) is Panama City's historic quarter, translated "Old Shell." It has Spanish colonial, neoclassical and nouveau architecture. Its narrow brick streets and wrought‐iron balconies surround you with historical churches and over 300 years of life. Cerro Ancón (Ancón Hill) and Balboa are west of Casco Viejo. It borders the American Canal Zone and Panama City's line. Once divided by a chain‐link fence, Ancón Hill was named for students who died in the demonstration against American control in the zone in 1964. The Bridge of Americas is in this area. The Panama Canal Administration building and former barracks are also in this area. Downtown Panama City is northeast of the old city (shell). El Cangrejo to Punta Paitilla is where you find the city's skyscrapers, hotels, restaurants and the financial district. The waterfront is well‐established, and you can also see the building of new islands using fill from building the expanded Panama Canal finished in 2016. Panama City has a Metro system. It includes bus, subway and light‐rail as part of the "National Metro Plan" for the City. The metro plan went into effect in 2014. Panama Viejo (Old Panama) is the section of the city that has ruins from its early beginnings. It is an area that is undergoing restoration and development with old ruins. It is also an area that houses a lot of low‐income people. Parque Natural Metropolitano, Miraflores and Summit were also American Canal Zone areas that were turned over to the government of Panama in 1999 by President Carter. Today the area contains a mall, museums and an observation area near the Miraflores locks. Northwest of that section one will pass through the rain forest and head toward Gatun Lake. Playa Kobbe (Playa Bonita) an area with a long beach that has a cove which has a tropical forest in the background. It is the closest beach from the Downtown. At one time it was also a military base. <fodors.com> <tour guide> <ship guide of port> This photo program will share what we saw on our tour of Panama City in the Republic of Panama. We were not allowed to get off the bus during the tour. Time did not permit going back into the City once the tour was completed. We begin and end our tour in Fuerte Amador (Port Amador). Designer Frank Gehry's Biomuseo and six‐acre Biodiversity Park. Inside, Panama's ancient history and diverse genetic, econological and biological bounty. Located near the entrance to the Panama Canal. The building's façade represents the country's rich flora and fauna. From the air, the roof resembles the plumage of tropical birds. Opened in 2014. <portguide> <aasarchitecture.com> Panama City's boundary is 106 square miles, with a population density of about 7,656 residents per square mile. White people and Asians are among the minorities in the city. The predominate ethinic groups include Afro‐Panamanians, mulatoos and mestizos. <worldpopulationreview.com> Panama, as a country has extremes of wealth and poverty. "The wealthiest 20 percent of Panamanians control more that 50 percent of the country's wealth, while the poorest 40 percent only contol 12 percent." "Government estimates in 1999, classified 48 percent of the nation's people live in poverty and 9.8 percent las living in extreme poverty." <nationsencyclopedia.com> Much of the poverty in Panama is found in rural areas where jobs are scarce. Governments need to provide sustainability. It is important to prevent desperate and unstable conditions in the world. <borgenproject.org> Sources: Presentation on the ship and tour guide while touring Fuerte Amador and Panama City, https://www.lonelyplanet.com/panama/panama‐city/history, https://www.zegrahm.com/blog/indigenous‐cultures‐panama‐introductory‐guide, https://www.lonelyplanet.com/panama/panama‐city/background/history/a/nar/70ebf907‐ 0528‐4e74‐8f9e‐a57c3491f5f3/358532, http://www.localhistories.org/panama.html, https://www.studycountry.com/guide/PA‐history.htm, https://www.refworld.org/docid/4954ce3823.html, https://www.thoughtco.com/captain‐morgan‐and‐sack‐of‐panama‐2136368, https://visitcanaldepanama.com/en/edificio‐ de‐la‐administracion‐del‐canal‐de‐panama/, https://www.tripsavvy.com/historic‐and‐fun‐facts‐of‐panama‐1490722, https://www.britannica.com/place/Panama, https://aasarchitecture.com/2014/02/next‐opening‐of‐panama‐biomuseo‐by‐frank‐gehry.html, https://www.rhinocentral.com/projects/10/biomuseo‐panama‐city‐worlds‐ collide‐hall, http://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/ff‐tower/953, https://www.history.com/topics/mexico/morelos , https://www.fodors.com/world/mexico‐and‐ central‐america/panama/panama‐city/neighborhoods, https://www.fodors.com, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/manuel‐noriega‐panamanian‐ strongman‐toppled‐in‐us‐invasion‐dies‐at‐83/2017/05/30/9c2d77bc‐0384‐11e7‐b9fa‐ed727b644a0b_story.html?utm_term=.00054ddbeee4, https://worldhistoryproject.org/1977/9/7/jimmy‐carter‐signs‐the‐panama‐canal‐treaty, http://worldpopulationreview.com/world‐cities/panama‐city‐population/, https://borgenproject.org/causes‐of‐poverty‐in‐panama/ and https://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Americas/Panama‐POVERTY‐AND‐WEALTH.html.
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