Panama History

For the Spanish version of this page, click here.

Online Histories

 * Historyworld.net's brief history of Panama
 * "Panama: A Country Study," a book published in 1987, electronic version hosted by countrystudies.us

Did you know?

 * The Isthmus of Panama is the narrowest strip of land in the American continent. It is bordered north-west by Costa Rica, south-east by Colombia, south by the Pacific Ocean, and north by the Caribbean Sea.
 * Some consider Panama a transcontinental nation, with the Panama Canal bisecting North and South America.
 * The first permanent European settlement in the mainland of the Americas, Santa Maria la Antigua del Darien, was founded in Panama by Vasco Nunez de Balboa in 1510.
 * The Pacific Ocean was discovered by Balboa off the coast of Panama on September 25, 1513.

Panama in 1915
Published by Diario de Panama (a newspaper agency) in 1915. Includes historical documents spanning the first 12 years of Panama as a republic, as well as a history of Panama and the Panama Canal from the Sixteenth Century to 1912. Other topics include political geography, ethnography, health, culture, public instruction, and religious and civil architecture. Different articles are written in either English or Spanish, but are not translated.

http://www.binal.ac.pa/buscar/cldetalle.php?id=164&amp;from=l

The Hispanic Panama: 1501-1821
Contains the history of the hispanic presence in the Isthmus of Panama. It has 10 chapters: I. The Isthmus of Panama when it was discovered. II. The Isthmus as a center for colonization and geographical explorations. III. Panama, transit point for valuable metals. IV. The hispanic world against the Indian. V. The negro presence in colonial Panama. VI. Government, white society, and economy. VII. Foreign incursions and the security system in Panamá. VII. Panamá during the height of illegal commerce (1700-1750). IX. Culture, artistic manifestations and education in Hispanic Panamá. X. The independence of Panama from Spain in 1821. Authors: Celestino Andrés Araúz Monfante, Patricia Pizzurno

http://bdigital.binal.ac.pa/bdp/hispano.pdf

Nationality Library Collection
These books are all in Spanish.


 * Apuntamientos históricos (1801-1840) - Mariano Arosemena
 * Memorias de las campañas del Istmo 1900
 * Raíces de la Independencia de Panamá - Ernesto J. Castillero R.
 * Introducción al compendio de Historia de Panamá - Carlos Manuel Gasteazoro
 * Compendio de Historia de Panamá - Juan B. Sosa y Enrique J. Arce
 * Relaciones entre Panamá y los Estados Unidos (Historia del Canal Interoceánico desde el siglo XVI hasta 1903), Tomo I - Celestino Andrés Araúz y Patricia Pizzurno

Download pdf files from http://www.binal.ac.pa/buscar/clnac.htm

The "Blue Book of Panama"
Published by the Latin American Publicity Bureau, inc. William T. Scoullar, compiler and editor ... 1916-1917. Narrative and history of the lives of the most prominent people. Condensed history of the republic. Special articles relative to commerce, agriculture and natural resources, based on official statistics. Contains over a hundred biographies and photos of prominent people living in Panama at that time. Spanish and English in parallel columns. The translation is not always faithful.

The Blue Book of Panama