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For the first time in nearly a century as an independent nation, Panama controlled the entirety of its national territory. Panama enjoys a lively mix of cultural influences, expressed in the country’s cuisine, artwork, music, and literature. Its capital, Panama City, is located on the Pacific
Panama was part of the Spanish Empire for over 300 years (1513–1821) and its fate changed with its geopolitical importance to the Spanish crown. In the 16th and 17th centuries, at the height of the Empire, no other region would prove of more strategic and economic importance.
Vasco Núñez de Balboa, a recognized and popular figure of Panamanian history "New Caledonia", the ill-fated Scottish Darien scheme colony in the Bay of Caledonia, west of the Gulf of Darien. Rodrigo de Bastidas sailed westward from Venezuela in 1501 in search of gold, and became the first European to explore the isthmus of Panama.
Spearheads found in Panama date back to around 11,000 years ago, making them the first solid evidence of humans in the country. Panama was far too south for Mayan and Aztec influence. And the thick jungles of the Darien prevented too much influence by the Andean civilizations to the south.
A chronology of key events in the history of Panama from the 16th-century Spanish conquest to the present day.
In Panama: History. In 1501 the Spaniard Rodrigo de Bastidas, in the company of Juan de la Cosa and Vasco Núñez de Balboa, was the first European to explore the Atlantic coast of the Isthmus of Panama. Read More. 1989 U.S. invasion. In 20th-century international relations: The Philippines and Central America.
Panama became independent from Spain on 28 November 1821. At first, Panama was part of a superstate called Gran Colombia, which consisted of Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Venezuela. However, Gran Colombia soon broke up but Panama remained joined to Colombia.