Panama City

Panama facts & history in brief       Panama Canal facts & history in brief


Map of Panama

Panama City is the largest city and capital of Panama, situated on the shore of the Gulf of Panama near the Pacific end of the Panama Canal, at the cross-roads of world trade and the centre of the nation's government.

More than 40 per cent of the nation's people live in the Panama City metropolitan area.

The city consists of several widely different sections.

A historic section occupies a peninsula on the Pacific coast called the old city, founded by the Spanish in 1519 on the site of an Indian fishing village.

The city was destroyed by Sir Henry Morgan the Welsh pirate and buccaneer in 1671.

Old buildings line the narrow streets of this section.

Ruins of the original city lie near Herrera Plaza.

The Spaniards rebuilt the city in 167, about 8 kilometres west of the peninsula and became capital in 1903, when Panama became a republic on gaining its independence from Colombia.

The city, developed rapidly after the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914, and the economy heavily relies on income from the canal and industries which produce clothing, chemicals, and plastics. A number of tree lined boulevards run through Panama City.

The city has beautiful parks, and wide walkways extend along the sea front.

Some of the interesting buildings include the Palace of Justice, the Presidential Palace, and the ruins of the Cathedral Tower.

Other sections of the city are slums.

Most of Panama City's people have jobs related to government, trade, or the Panama Canal.

The Pan American Highway links Panama City with the rest of Panama, the north, south and central American countries.

Population around 2 million.

Hui Chin and I enjoyed our brief stay in Panama, Panama City, visiting and admiring the workings of the Panama Canal at the Miraflores locks.

We joined a sightseeing tour from the airport and were fortunate enough to see the old and new city, the islands linked to the city by causeways and bridges, Gatum Lake, the Canal and the working of the locks.

What else one can ask for? I was surprised to see the many ruins in the old city.

Some due to pirates, some to fires, some to earthquakes, and some to the "Noriega - U.S." skirmishes, so we were told.

You can click on these photos for an enlargement.

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