Panama City

Panama City, also known simply as Panama, is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It is a busy place with many people. The city sits near the Pacific Ocean at the entrance of the Panama Canal, a very important waterway that helps ships travel safely between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

The city has a long and interesting history. It was first founded in 1519 by a Spanish explorer named Pedro Arias Dávila. For many years, it was a key stop for traders. Unfortunately, in 1671, the famous explorer Henry Morgan and his crew attacked the city. After that, the city was rebuilt in a new place.

Today, Panama City is the political heart of Panama, where leaders make decisions for the whole country. It is also an important center for business and banking. The old ruins of the first Panama City are now protected as a World Heritage Site and attract many visitors.

History

The city of Panama was founded on August 15, 1519, by Pedro Arias de Ávila. It became an important place for explorers and trade between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

In 1671, the explorer Henry Morgan attacked the city, and it was later rebuilt in a new spot.

In the 1800s, the Panama Railroad was built, helping people travel between oceans. In 1903, Panama declared independence from Colombia, and the Panama Canal was completed in 1914, changing the city's future.

During World War II, the city grew because of military bases and visitors. In 1989, the United States helped remove a leader who was causing problems, and in 1999, full control of the Panama Canal was given back to Panama. Today, the Panama Canal remains one of the city's biggest attractions.

Colonial Metropolitan Cathedral of Panama City

Geography

Panama City is between the Pacific Ocean and a tropical rain forest in northern Panama. The Parque Natural Metropolitano (Metropolitan Nature Park) runs from the city along the Panama Canal. It is home to unique birds and animals like tapirs, pumas, and caimans. At the Pacific entrance of the canal is the Centro de Exhibiciones Marinas (Marine Exhibitions Center). This is a research spot for learning about tropical marine life. It is managed by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

Tropical forests around Panama are important for the Panama Canal because they supply the water the canal needs. Because the canal is important to Panama's economy, these forests have been protected. One nearby park is Parque Nacional Soberanía (Sovereignty National Park). It has botanical gardens and a zoo. A popular trail there is Pipeline Road, liked by birdwatchers.

Panama has nearly 500 rivers. Two rivers within the city, the Río Chepo and the Río Chagres, provide hydroelectric power. The Río Chagres helps create Gatun Lake, which is part of the Panama Canal route. Both Gatun Lake and Madden Lake supply hydroelectricity to the area around the former Canal Zone.

Climate

Panama City has a tropical savanna climate. This means it is a little drier than a tropical monsoon climate. It gets about 1,900 mm (74.8 in) of rain each year. The wet season is from May through December, and the dry season is from January through April. Temperatures stay around 27 °C (81 °F) all year. Panama is in the Intertropical Convergence Zone, so it often has clouds even in the dry season.

Cityscape

Architecture

Panama's old area called Casco Viejo, Panama has many different building styles, from Spanish colonial buildings to French and Antillean houses built when the Panama Canal was being made. Newer parts of the city have many tall buildings that make up a busy skyline.

The Centennial Bridge that goes over the Panama Canal won an award from the American Segmental Bridge Institute.

Neighborhoods

The city is located in Panama District, and its bigger area reaches to the other side of the Panama Canal. Like the rest of the country, the city is split into areas called corregimientos, which have many smaller parts. The old area, called Casco Viejo, is in the corregimiento of San Felipe. San Felipe and twelve other corregimientos make up the city's main area, including Santa Ana, El Chorrillo, Calidonia, Curundú, Ancón, Bella Vista, Bethania, San Francisco, Juan Diaz, Pueblo Nuevo, Parque Lefevre, and Río Abajo.

The skyline of Panama City from Ancon Hill. 2008

Economy

Panama City is the main economic and financial center of Panama. Its economy is based on services such as banking, commerce, and tourism. The city’s economy depends a lot on trade and shipping because of the Panama Canal and the port facilities in Balboa. Many banks and businesses are located here, helping global companies manage their finances.

Tourism is very important for Panama City. The number of visitors has grown a lot since the late 1900s. Many new hotels have opened, including well-known international brands. The city has also grown with new land created for highways, housing, and parks, like Cinta Costera.

Demographics

Panama City has 410,354 people living in its main area. Many people living there are called capitalinos. Most of them have mixed backgrounds, called mestizos. There are also people from Caribbean, European, Amerindian, and African Panamanian families. The city is very culturally diverse. People speak many languages such as German, Portuguese, French, Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, English, and Spanish.

Corregimientos of Panama City
Corregimiento	Area (km²)	Population (2023)	Density (per km²)
San Felipe	0.3	1,258	4,089.0
El Chorrillo	0.5	16,335	33,264.4
Santa Ana	0.8	13,495	17,049.9
Calidonia	1.8	17,300	9,721.3
Curundú	1.2	15,458	12,861.2
Betania	8.2	42,199	5,124.5
Bella Vista	4.6	33,710	7,358.4
Pueblo Nuevo	3.1	24,167	7,709.0
San Francisco	6.7	61,290	9,210.1
Parque Lefevre	7.2	42,832	5,923.7
Río Abajo	3.8	28,045	7,344.3
Juan Díaz	19.8	56,583	2,856.7
Pedregal	28.5	57,682	2,021.5
Panama City	86.6	410,354	4,750

Culture

World Heritage Sites

Panamá Viejo

Main article: Panamá Viejo

Panamá Viejo ("Old Panama") is the name for the old buildings from the first Spanish city on the Pacific coast of the Americas. It was founded in 1519 by Pedro Arias de Ávila. This city was important because it was where trips started to conquer parts of Peru. It was also a key place for trade between the Americas.

Casco Viejo or Casco Antiguo

Main article: Casco Viejo, Panama

After Panamá Viejo was destroyed, a new area called Casco Viejo was built in 1671. It was made to protect people from attacks. In 2003, it became a World Heritage Site. Casco Viejo has many different building styles, showing Panama's rich history. Important places there include theaters, churches, and monuments. It is now a popular place for tourists to visit.

Literature

Panama's writing history began with stories written by Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés in 1535. Many famous writers were born in Panama City, such as Amelia Denis de Icaza, Darío Herrera, and Ricardo Miró.

Art

One famous Panamanian artist is Alfredo Sinclair, known for his abstract paintings. His daughter, Olga Sinclair, is also a well-known artist. Other important artists include Guillermo Trujillo, known for his unique style, and Brooke Alfaro, famous for his oil paintings.

Tourism

Panama City has many places to see, especially those linked to the Panama Canal. Popular spots include:

Las Bóvedas, a beautiful walk along the Pacific coast;
The National Institute of Culture Building;
The Cathedral at Plaza de la Catedral;
Teatro Nacional, a special theater for performances;
The Interoceanic Canal Museum; and
Palacio de las Garzas, the president's home.

Other attractions include the Miraflores Visitors Center, where you can learn about the canal, and the Amador Causeway, a special area being built for tourists. The city also has many hotels and places to enjoy at night, especially around Calle Uruguay and Casco Viejo.

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute has a small museum, and a new museum called the Biomuseo was built in 2014. It was designed by famous architect Frank Gehry.

Sports

Panama City has a long history of success in sports like boxing, baseball, basketball, and soccer. Many famous athletes come from the city, such as Roberto Durán, Rommel Fernández, Rolando Blackman, Julio Dely Valdés, Mariano Rivera, and Rod Carew. Today, the city has many teams and clubs for these sports.

The city's baseball team is called Panama Metro. There are boxing gyms in many neighborhoods, and several football clubs, including Alianza, Chorrillo, Plaza Amador, Tauro, Chepo, and San Francisco F.C.. Panama City also has four teams in the country's second-level league, Liga Nacional de Ascenso: Atlético Nacional, Deportivo Genesis, Millenium, and Río Abajo.

The city has two big stadiums: the National Baseball Stadium (also called Rod Carew Stadium) and the Rommel Fernández Stadium. The city also has the Roberto Durán Arena for events.

Education

Panama City has public and private schools. Many private schools teach in English and Spanish. The city has two large public universities: the University of Panama and the Technological University of Panama. There are also several private universities, such as the Universidad Católica Santa María La Antigua, the Universidad Latina de Panama, the Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnología, and others. There are also university branches from other countries, like Nova Southeastern University, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Louisville, and the Florida State University.

Healthcare

Panama City has many places where people can get medical help. There are at least 14 hospitals and many clinics. Some well-known hospitals are Hospital Santo Tomás, Hospital del Niño, Complejo Hospitalario Arnulfo Arias Madrid, Centro Médico Paitilla, Hospital Santa Fé, Hospital Nacional, Clinica Hospital San Fernando, and Hospital Punta Pacifica.

About half of all the doctors in the country work in Panama City.