The Spanish discovered and conquered Panama between
1502 and 1519. At that time, it was referred to as the Castilla de Oro,a
source of gold and potential converts. From 1519 through 1538, the area that is
now Panama was a base for soldiers sent to conquer the Andean civilizations in
South America. After 1538, it was used as a land route to Spain's South
American colonies and a transshipment point for Andean gold. From 1568 to 1671
there was series of pirate raids, and in 1671 Panama City was sacked by buccaneers
under the command of Sir Henry Morgan. Local traders engaged in smuggling until
Spain shifted the official gold route to Cape Horn, and the area entered a
period of commercial decline.
After independence from Spain and union with Colombia
in 1821, the isthmus again became an important transit route. Slavery was
abolished in 1852. The United States completed a railroad across the area in
1855 to expedite movement to the gold fields in California. After failing to
build a sea-level canal in the 1880s, the French sold their concession to the
United States, which conspired with the elite in Panama City to declare
independence when they could not obtain a favorable treaty from Colombia.
From 1903 to 1978, the United States controlled the
Canal Zone, a five-mile strip on both sides of the canal. Residents of that
area were called "Zonians" and remained American citizens even after
three generations of residence. These mostly white employees of the Canal
Company lived an isolated life and were prejudiced against the Panamanian
population. In 1977, after lengthy negotiations, President Jimmy Carter signed
a treaty that abolished the Canal Zone as a colonial enclave, arranged for
Panamanian ownership of the canal in the year 2000, and provided for the
closing of American military bases.
In 1925, the United States intervened in a revolt by
Kuna Indians on the northeast Atlantic coast and established a tribal reserve.
The Kuna enclave has been successful. In the 1930s, the United States' military
hired Kuna laborers to work at army bases. After the transfer of sovereignty
over the canal, those workers migrated to Panama City.
The country is a natural land bridge connecting the South American
continent with Central America. The isthmus runs east-west in the form of an
inverted "S." Low mountains run through most of the country, leaving
a gap in the center that is nearly at sea level. The Pacific coastline, with
the Azuero Peninsula jutting south to define the Gulf of Panama, is longer than
the Atlantic coastline. The area of the country is 25,590 square miles (74,046
square kilometers). In 2000, Panama had approximately 2.816 million inhabitants, 700,000 of
whom lived in Panama City, with another 300,000 in the immediate suburbs. The
urban elite is primarily Creole, mostly of Spanish descent. There are also
populations of Spanish, Italian, Greek, and Jewish origins. There is a longtime
Chinese community, and a small Hindu community lives in the capital, Panama
City. The largest demographic group is the interioranos ("interior
people"), who are classified as "Hispano-Indians." This group is
largely mestizo (mixed European and Native American), and its members consider
themselves the "real Panamanians." Some interioranos grade
imperceptibly into an acculturated native American population known
pejoratively ascholos,who refer to themselves asnaturales ("natives").
Together, these two groups constitute 70 percent of the population. There are
four officially recognized Indian ethnic groups (the Kuna, Guaymi or Ngawbe,
Embera, and Waunan), which number fewer than 200,000. People of African descent
account for 15 percent of the population. These "Afro-colonials"
descend from slaves who were imported in colonial times. They speak Spanish and
are Roman Catholic. The "Afro-Antillean" group descends from
Caribbean residents who came to work on the construction of the Panama Canal.
They speak English, French, or an English patois at home and are mostly
Protestant.
The Republic of Panama is a former Spanish colony in
Central America with a mixed population of Creoles, mestizos, European
immigrants, Africans, and indigenous Indians.Panama is 85 percent Roman
Catholic. Traditional beliefs and practices have been maintained among the Native
American groups despite a history of miss ionization.
resources:
https://www.sos-usa.org/where-we-are/americas/panama
http://offshoreincorporation.net/Panama.Offshore/General.Information/
