Panama

Where the name comes from

Panama continues the name of an Indigenous settlement near today’s capital; suggested meanings include “many fish”, but none is settled.

First people

Indigenous societies linked Central and South America.¹

Known for

Since 1914, the Panama Canal has linked Atlantic and Pacific shipping, saving the long voyage around South America.^2,3

Outside contact

Spain founded a permanent mainland settlement in 1510.¹

The modern country

Independence from Spain in 1821 brought union with Colombia, and Panama broke away in 1903. The United States controlled the canal for much of the 1900s, and Panama took full charge at the end of 1999.¹