The History of Panama
The regions history can be traced many thousands of years, and after archaelogical digs and finds, it was established that Central Panama was the site of some of the first pottery making villages in the Americas, an example of the predecessors of the region include the Monagrillo culture dating back to 2500-1700 BC. Prior to the colonial period, when Spanish explorers came to the region, the lands were inhabited by Chibchan, Chocoan and Cueva native Indians, a lot were forced into slavery and died from the European diseases that they had been exposed to. To this day, the modern Panamanians have respected the indigenous people and tribes of the area, and have allocated numerous politically autonomous provinces and regions to the native peoples.
Colonial times saw the likes of exploration by Rodrigo de Bastidas in 1501 and more intensively by Columbus in 1502. The area quickly became a very strategic and valuable centre for the Spanish, as they used this area to invade Peru and surrounding regions. Of course news was quick to circulate and attracted the various privateers and pirates. To this day numerous ruins and sites can be visited to view the effects of the raids and plundering of Henry Morgan and his band of pirates. The Portobello region has a host of damaged ruins and forts for exploration of these historical events.
The area of Casco Viejo was established to get away from the raids of these pirates. The city was established in a defensive rocky peninsula and offers a great sense of history along the red brick roads, with a diversion of rich cultural and architectural history. In Panama Viejo, there are a number of ruins that depict the history of this region, from the time of the founding of Old Panama, in 1519, when it was a small fishing village to modern day Panama City with the skyscrapers and numerous beautiful real estate developments.
A more recent history of Panama involves their declaration of independence from Colombia in 1903, as well as the full management of the Panama Canal being reverted to the Panamanians from 1999. Panama as a whole, as well as Panama City offers investors, residents and tourists unique opportunities from all aspects, it is predicted to be the top and fastest growing economy in Central and South America. There are regions of natural beauty that have benefits ranging from taxation rebates to unadulterated pristine nature, and offer every person something suited to their preference and taste.
