The meeting of two continents
A few million years ago (between 3 and 13 million according to scientific dating), a land mass emerged from the waves to link two continents. At the same time, it closed the existing communication between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, which were linked by an arm of the sea. North America and South America in fact originated from two different continental masses, which moved apart and then closer together as a result of plate tectonics, before reaching their current positions. According to Wegener's theory (1912), 280 million years ago, all the planet's land masses formed a single continent called Pangea. Pangea began to break up 220 million years ago into two large blocks. To the south, Gondwanaland encompassed present-day South America, Africa, India, Antarctica and Australia. To the north, Laurasia comprised present-day North America, Europe and Asia (excluding India). Gondwana and Laurasia in turn broke up, and the future North and South America drifted apart until they came together again, separated only by an archipelago of volcanic islands. Over time, plate thrust and the accumulation of lava and sediment brought the islands together to form the Panamanian isthmus we know today. This land formed a veritable biological bridge for the plant and animal species of the two newly-connected continents, which explains the great biodiversity of the region between Colombia and southern Mexico. The separation of the seas also led to the creation of a new ocean current, the Gulf Stream, and global climate change. Panamá City's Biomuseo is the best introduction to all the upheavals caused by the appearance of the isthmus, on currents, winds, climate and the evolution of biodiversity in the region.
Tropical Cordilleras
Most of the territory (87%) is at an altitude of less than 700 m, but the mountains cross the isthmus along most of its length. These cordilleras separate the Caribbean and Pacific regions and structure the country to give it this particular elongated "S" shape. The relief is more marked in the west, in the region of Chiriquí, bordering Costa Rica. The Cordillera de Talamanca, which comes from the neighboring country, rises to an average height of 1500 m and exceeds 3000 m on four occasions. The Barú volcano (3 475 m) is the highest point of the country. From its summit and in clear weather, you can see both the Pacific Ocean, to the south, and the Caribbean Sea, to the north! We go there from Boquete or Volcán, a demanding hike, to be done at night in order to hope to arrive in the early morning before the sky gets cloudy. But the Barú volcano is not the only place where you can see the two oceans in good weather, it is also possible on the side of El Valle(Cerro Gaital, 1185 m) and in the heights of the Omar Torrijos national park. The mountain range then continues eastward, losing altitude progressively, until it reaches the vicinity of Lake Gatún. It is in this region of plains and hills in the center of the country that man decided to dig a canal. To the east of the Canal, the relief rises again, with two mountainous axes that follow the coast. To the north is the Serranía de San Blas, which separates the province of Panama and the comarca of Guna Yala. This small mountain range then takes the name of Serranía del Darién. It marks the border between Panama and Colombia. This region covered by the jungle shelters one of the biggest biodiversities in the world. The Darién plug, this buffer zone, where the Pan-American Highway stops in front of a river (in Yaviza), before resuming only 100 km further (as the crow flies) in Colombia, is protected by two bordering national parks: the Parque Nacional Darién, in Panama, the largest national park in Central America (575,000 ha), and the Parque Nacional de Los Katíos, in Colombia. The average altitude of this mountain range is about 500 m, its highest point is Cerro Tacarcuna (1875 m). Further south, the Bagre, Majé, Pirre and Sapo ranges dominate the Pacific, with an average altitude between 600 and 800 m. To return to the center of the country, the Azuero peninsula, which juts out into the Pacific, also has some volcanic peaks, such as Cerro Hoya (1559 m), in the national park of the same name, a very wild and little visited area.
So much water!
From these cordilleras that separate the country into two sides, Pacific and Caribbean, are born no less than 500 rivers. 350 of them flow into the Pacific Ocean and 150 into the Caribbean Sea. The main navigable rivers (in small boats) are the Tuira, the Chucunaque and the Bayano (or Chepo), all located in the region of Darien. These rivers are sometimes the only means of communication to reach villages not served by road or air. It is also possible to practice kayaking and rafting through agencies, like in the rapids around Boquete. As for the lakes, it is always in the eastern region that we find the three biggest of the country, all created by man. The largest is Lake Gatún (Lago Gatún) with an area of 423 km². This lake has long been the largest artificial lake in the world. It was created to avoid having to dig the Panama Canal along its entire length (a saving of 32 km by 80). Boats crossing the canal access it through several sets of locks, the lake being 26 meters above sea level. The second lake in the country is Lago Bayano, formed in 1976 after the construction of a dam on the river of the same name. Finally, Lake Alajuela was created in 1935, following the construction of a dam on the river Chagres, to constitute a large reservoir to supply the Panama Canal with fresh water. It is located in the southwest of the lake. This lake is still often called Madden Lake, its original name, when the Canal Zone was under American administration. It was renamed when the Canal came back under Panamanian sovereignty at the end of the last century.
Wild islands
Panama has almost 3,000 km of coastline, whether rocky, sandy or mangrove. 1,288 km are bathed in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea (or West Indian Sea) and 1,700 km in the powerful rollers of the Pacific Ocean. Tides are higher on the Pacific side than on the Caribbean side, where coastal waters are deeper and beaches narrower. There are also more waves on the Pacific side, where almost all the country's best spots await surfers(El Palmar, Santa Catalina, Playa Morrillo, Punta Burica...), although the islands of the Bocas de Toro archipelago, or Isla Grande in the province of Colón, reserve some great sessions. The country also boasts over 1,500 islands. Large, wild islands on the Pacific side and smaller, but generally more populated, islands on the Atlantic side. On the Atlantic or Caribbean side, there are two magnificent archipelagos not far from the coast: Bocas del Toro and San Blas, the latter an autonomous territory of the Gunas Indians. On the Pacific side, the Pearl archipelago(Isla Contadora, Isla Saboga, Isla San José) is a little paradise for fishermen, as is Isla Cébaco, or the dream islands of the Gulf of Chiriquí(Isla Boca Brava, Isla Parida...). Isla Coiba is the country's largest island (493 km²). Until 2004, it housed a maximum-security prison, and is a veritable sanctuary for both terrestrial and marine fauna, making it one of Panama's top diving destinations.
Human occupation
In contrast to other Central American countries, Panamanians tend to live in mountain valleys or on plateaus. Panamá City is one of the continent's few capital cities (along with Lima) located on the Pacific coast. The country's main cities are also located on the Pacific coast, where the climate is less rainy than on the Caribbean side, and there are numerous bays and gulfs that are ideal for human activities. The rate of urbanization is high, with around 75% of the population living in urban areas, with an average of 46 inhabitants/km². Half of the 4.2 million inhabitants are concentrated on the banks of the Canal, including over a million in Panamá City and its metropolitan area. In contrast, the province of Darién, in the east of the country, and most of the Atlantic coast, are sparsely populated. In terms of territorial organization, Panama is divided into ten administrative provinces(provincias): Bocas del Toro, Chiriquí, Coclé, Colón, Darién, Herrera, Los Santos, Veraguas, Panamá and Panamá oeste, which was created in 2014. Given the size of the country, you'll probably visit at least three or four of them during your stay. Each of these provinces is headed by a governor(gobernador) appointed by the President of the Republic. These provinces are divided into districts(distritos), of which there are 81, themselves made up of corregimientos, the smallest administrative entity (there are over 700). Alongside this traditional administrative division, Panama also has autonomous indigenous territories, known as comarcas indigenas . The comarcas are managed directly by the Amerindian communities. There are six across the country, in regions with a significant indigenous population. The first and best-known is Guna Yala (Guna Land), located on the country's northeast coast. It adjoins the administrative province of San Blas. Three other comarcas are located in the province of Darién and in the west of the province of Panamá: Emberá-Wounaan, Guna Wargandí and Guna Madugandi. The Ngäbe-Buglé comarca, the largest, straddles three provinces: Bocas del Toro, Chiriquí and Veraguas. Finally, the Naso Tjër Di comarca was created in December 2020, following a long political struggle led by the Naso community, which was the last ancestral people of Panamá without its own territory. The comarca occupies the eastern part of the province of Bocas del Toro, and lies at the heart of La Amistad International Park.
