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Cuna Indian mola design of a Panamanian coin featuring Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa

The Cuna were the first people on Panama

Where the Cuna lived

Molas were and are made by the San Blas Cuna Indians of Panama. It is a very intriqite pattern of multi-colored and multi-layered pieces of appliiquéd cloth, each edge hand-sewn in place stitch by stitch. Many that you see today are of animals. the cloth faded just so to give it a lovely soft quality.

However, to those skilled in Cuna writing, each ideogram actually represents a phrase of about 8-10 words. Each wooden tablet is actually read from the lower right corner to the left. The next line up reads left to right, in socalled "boustrophedon" style. Cuna writing resembles the "writing" found on the "talking boards" of Easter Island, which in turn seem to have affinities with the ancient script of the Indus Valley in India. These affinities or similarities can only mean that pre-Columbian contacts may have occurred between ancient India, Easter Island, and Panama!

. Exploration gave way to a period in which the king exercised royal control by appointing governors and their staffs. They were all paid from crown revenues expected from the role profits on colony. Representative’s of the king was responsible for ensuring such returns.He tracked all gold, pearls, and income from trade and conquest; he weighed out and safeguarded the king's share.

By July 1903, when the course of internal Colombian opposition to the Hay-Herrán Treaty became obvious, a revolutionary junta had been created in Panama. José Augustin Arango headed the junta. Manuel Amador Guerrero and Carlos C. Arosemena served on the junta from the start all from prominent Panamanian families.Arango was considered the brains of the revolution, and Amador was the junta's active leader.

Panama is a constitutional republic. Executive power is held by the president, who is popularly elected for a five-year term and cannot serve two consecutive terms. The Legislative Assembly has 72 members who are also elected for five years. Administratively the country is divided into nine provinces, plus three autonomous territories for indigenous people. The government name is constitutional democracy.

Panama's economy is based primarily on a well-developed services sector that accounts for three-fourths of GDP. Services include operating the Panama Canal, banking, the Colon Free Zone, insurance, container ports, flagship registry, and tourism. A slump in Colon Free Zone and agricultural exports, the global slowdown, and the withdrawal of US military forces held back economic growth in 2000-02. The government has been backing public works programs, tax reforms, new regional trade agreements, and development of tourism in order to stimulate growth.

In 1955, Panamanian products as bakery goods, soft drinks, meats, and bottled milk. Foreign investment went into relatively large plants for oil refining, food processing, and utilities. The country’s industry construction, petroleum refining, brewing, cement and other construction materials, and sugar milling.The industrial population growth rate is 0.5%.

Panama’s population now is 2,960,784. The population grew 1.36%. The ethinic groups are mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 70%, Amerindian and mixed (West Indian) 14%, white 10%, Amerindian 6%. Spanish (official), English 14%, and most Panamanians bilingual. Small numbers of those of foreign extraction--Chinese, Jews, Arabs, Greeks, South Asians, Lebanese, West Europeans, and North Americans--were also present.

In Panama, they witness warm or even hot, sunny days. The summer months are with cool winds and extended periods of sun with little or no rain.In the rainy season which is often frequented by afternoon rains and thunderstorms.The rain can pour heavily but in a short time.The weather seasons is divided into two distinct periods. They are dry seson which occurs in December and April. The wet season which takes place during the remaining of the year. The region's normal daily temperature is 26 degrees Celsius and varies throughout the year,perhaps 2-3 degrees Celsius.The temperatures can be as 6-10 degrees Celsius. The evenings are cool,with refreshing breezes and star lit skies.

Two big festivities in Panama occur at Christmas and during the Carnival. The Carnival is a celebration that occurs before the Lent season. It is similar to Mardi Gras. The Carnival includes religious services, street dancing, and parades. Important holidays are Independence Day on Nov. 3 and Firemen’s Day on May 5.

                   

            

          

            

Panama’s traditional costume is the pollera. The pollera consist of a ruffled three quarters sleeved boat neck. It is an off shoulder blouse and long two or three layer ruffled skirt. It is said to have derived from Spanish sixteenth century.

Traditional and national dance is called tamorito. It is derived from Spanish folk. It is include native themes, rhythms, and dance step. The popular music has been influenced by Afro-Caribbean music. There are three music genres. They are cumbia, tamborita, and the mejorana. Tamborita is a call and response vocal phrasing and drum patterns.The lyrics are repetitive.

Coqui Calderon was born in 1937 in the city of Panama. In 1929 she finished her university degree at Rosemont College, PA. At Rosemont College, her majors were in art history and in history.She still continued her art in Paris , France. After staying in Paris and New York, movement has become her main characteristics in her works.

                                                

  Diosa de las Aguas

The most common food in Panama is arroz con pollo.Arroz con pollo is chicken with rice.Sancocho is Panama’s national dish. Sancoche is a hearty stew with chicken, yucca and avocado. Some other Panamanian foods are tamales, fried bananas, and broiled.

Arroz con Pollo

Who can pass up the cool, pure freshness of green coconut beverage, known in Panama as “pipa” water, once having tasted the sweet, clear liquid of the unripe coconut! Always pure and cool in the container that nature provided, the liquid could well be that “nectar of the gods” so often alluded to by one who has just satisfied a raging thirst.