Bocas del Toro Archipelago
Bocas del Toro is a province of Panama. The capital is the city of Bocas del Toro on Isla Colon (Colon Island). The population of the province numbers some 89,300 people. The province consists of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Bahía Almirante (Almirante Bay), Laguna de Chiriquí (Chiriquí Lagoon), and adjacent mainland. Major cities or towns include Almirante, Bocas del Toro (aka: Bocas Town), and Changuinola. The province borders the Caribbean Sea to the north, Limón Province of Costa Rica to the west, Chiriquí Province to the south, and Ngöbe-Buglé Comarca to the east. The Río Sixaola forms part of the border with Costa Rica. An old railroad bridge spans the river between Guabito and Sixaola, Costa Rica. The bridge is a border crossing used by tourists going between destinations in Bocas and Costa Rica.
Its extension is 8,745 kilometers and is formed by 9 principal islands.[citation needed] There are many plantation of plantains here, often called the oro verde or green gold of Central America.[citation needed]
Christopher Columbus and his crew discovered the area in 1502. The province contains two National Parks: Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park and La Amistad International Park.[3] The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute operates a research station on Isla Colón just northwest of Bocas Town.[4]
Districts
| Districts of Bocas del Toro |
Establishment |
Surface area |
Corregimientos
|
Cabecera |
| Bocas del Toro District |
1855 |
430 km² |
Bocas del Toro, Bastimentos, Cauchero, Punta Laurel and Tierra Oscura |
Bocas del Toro |
| Changuinola District |
1903 |
3995 km² |
Changuinola, Almirante, Guabito, Teribe, Valle del Risco, El Empalme and Las Tablas |
Changuinola |
| Chiriquí Grande District |
1970 |
207 km² |
Chiriquí Grande, Miramar, Punte Peña, Punta Robalo and Rambala |
Chiriquí Grande |
History
Christopher Columbus explored here in 1502, while searching for the passage to the Pacific ocean. Columbus's original name for the island was Isla del Drago. In colonial times, Bocas del Toro was part of Veraguas. In the times of the union with Colombia, the government made a reservation called Bocas del Toro in 1834. In 1850, Bocas del Toro became a part of Chiriqui, then was separated from it and became part of Colon. On November 16, 1903, Bocas del Toro was separated from Colon and became its own province. In 1941, Bocas del Toro was divided into 2 districts, Bocas del Toro and Crimamola. Four years later, in became into the same division as before. In 1970, Bocas del Toro district became Changuinola, eliminated the district Bastimentos and added 3 new districts to what it is today. The extensions of the districts changed in 1997 when the reservation Ngöbe Buglé was made.
Protected Areas
National Parks[3]
Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park (Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentos) contains most of Isla Bastimentos and some smaller nearby islands. La Amistad International Park (Parque Internacional La Amistad) spans the Costa Rica-Panama border. Bocas del Toro contains most of the Panamanian section of the park, which is 400,000 hectares (4,000 km2; 1,544 sq mi). The Costa Rican section of the park is 584,592 hectares (5,846 km2; 2,257 sq mi).[5] La Amistad International Park is a listed UNESCO World Heritage site.[5]
References
- ^ Google Earth
- ^ Provinces of Panama
- ^ a b Frommer's Panama (1st ed.). 2007. ISBN 9780470048900.
- ^ Bocas del Toro Research Station Retrieved: 14 June 2009.
- ^ a b UNESCO La Amistad International Park overview Retrieved: 14 June 2009.
Coordinates: 9°10′N 82°30′W / 9.167°N 82.5°W / 9.167; -82.5
