Panama –
O Panama e muito mais do que o seu fabuloso Canal e todas as operacoes envolvidas, assim que resolvi escrever uma pagina inteira sobre o assunto para compartilhar com voces.
Panama, e uma palavra indigena que significa “abundancia
de peixes”, pertencia a Colombia e se emancipou dela, com a ajuda dos Americanos, em 1903. Logo apos, em 1905 iniciam a construcao do Canal que, alias, e uma obra de engenharia demagnitude incomparavel, e foi inaugurado em 15 de agosto de
1914, portanto completara 100 anos no proximo 2014 e ja iniciaram as comemoracoes por aqui. Tambem em virtude da demanda, aumento da frota e das dimensoes das embarcacoes, ja se iniciou a construcao de um canal paralelo maior e mais moderno, com tecnologia
de ponta. No inicio de 1979 iniciou-se o processo de devolucao do Canal para o Panama. O Canal tem 50 milhas de comprimento, media de 13.000 embarcacoes passam por ele anualmente, com bandeiras de 70 paises, as embarcacoes sao erguidas em 85 pes e a travessia
leva em torno de 8 horas, ah e a tarifa media de uso e de U$ 100.000!!!O maior pagamento foi do navio de Cruzeiro “Norwegian Pearl”- U$419.600…e a menor tarifa foi de 36 centavos de dolar paga por Richard Halliburton que nadou pelo Canal!!!
O Pais se divide em Provincias e Comarcas, sendo estas territorios indigenas como Ngobe Bugle, Kuna Yala, Kuna de Mandungandi,Kuna de Wargandi, Embeera Wounan 1 e 2. Os Kuna Yala, que estao na sua maioria na area das ilhas do Caribe, na parte do Golfo de
San Blas – nome dado pelos conquistadores Espanhois – sao um povo rico em suas vestimentas coloridas e adornos e nas tradicoes. A maior parte das comunidades se concentram em 49 das 365 ilhas que compoe o Caribe Panamenho. As mulheres usam
a “mola” blusa colorida feita a mao com varias camadas de tecido e tambem usam um tipo de turbante vermelho com desenhos amarelos na cabeca. Para eles a terra e a mae de todas as coisas: a “Grande Mae” – motivo pelo qual sao ensinados
a preservar o meio ambiente como preservacao da especie – belo legado.
O Panama tem 3 milhoes de habitantes de diversas origens: descendentes dos colonizadores Espanhois, dos negros Cimarrones, indigenas da regiao da costa e das montanhas, indigenas
da parte oeste que vieram para trabalhar na construcao do Canal, imigrantes Americanos e de origem Europeia e aproximadamente 72% da populacao se caracteriza por uma “mistura” chamada em Espanhol de “Mestizo”. Tao diverso quanto o seu
povo e a paisagem que vai desde a floresta tropical, area montanhosa e de vales formados por vulcoes, picos de 11.000 pes, praias, corais em San Blas, vastas areas desertas da peninsula de Azuero ate suas aproximadamente 2000 ilhas!! Tem de 50 a 120 milhas
de largura e tem 477 milhas de costa no lado Caribenho e 767 milhas de Pacifico.
O istmo do Panama foi descoberto pelo explorador espanhol Don Rodrigo de Bastidas no ano de 1501. Nesta viagem veio em sua compania Vasco Nunez de Balboa que
em 1513 descobriu o Mar del Sur, posteriormente chamado de Pacifico, dando atualmente nome a moeda do pais – a Balboa que se equipara ao dolar Americano. O istmo floresceu apos o descobrimento do Peru e se converteu na rota obrigatoria de mercadorias,
ouro e prata das colonias para a Coroa Espanhola. Epoca da pirataria o pais foi objeto de numerosos ataques e em 1671 foi vitima de saque pelo pirata Sir Henry Morgan seguindo-se um incendio que resultou na mudanca da Ciudad de Panama para outro local. Um
pouco de Historia…
Panama 2 english
Panama is much more than its fabulous Canal and the operations around it, so I decided to write a whole page on it to share with you.
Panama is an Indian word that means “abundance
of fish” and the country was a province which belonged to Colombia, gained its independence in 1903 with the help from the Americans. Right after that, in 1905, another attempt to build a canal was done and they start building one of the world’s
greatest engineering project which was inaugurated in August 15, 1914, so next year they commemorate 100 years and the commemorations have already started here. Also due to demand, the increase in the number of vessels and the increase of their sizes, they
are building an addition to the Canal which will have bigger, deeper and more modern locks, baring cutting edge technology. On October of 1979 the process of handing the Canal back to the Republic of Panama began, under Jimmy Carter’s administration.
It was finally under Panama control in 1999. The Canal is about 50 miles long, and ships are lifted85 feet in three lockage as they cross the isthmus. Around 13.000 vessels go through the Canal each year, under the flags of about 70 nations, and the
passage takes around 8 hours; and the average toll is around US$ 100,000 and the record toll was paid by the Norwegian Pearl which paid US$ 419,600 and the least amount was paid by Richard Halliburton – 36 cents…
The
Country is divided into Provinces and Comarcas – being the latter Indian Territory belonging to the Ngobe Bugle, Kuna Yala, Kuna de Mandungandi, Kuna de Wargandi ,Embeera Wuunan1 e 2. The Kuna Yala which are in its majority located in the Caribbean
islands, in the Gulf of San Blas – name given by the Spanish “conquistadores” – are rich people in their costumes, jewelry and culture. Most of the communities are concentrated in 49 of the 365 islands which make up the Panamanian Caribbean.
The women wear the “molas” which are very colorful blouses which are handmade with several layers of fabric. The women also wear a red handkerchief with yellow designs in their head. For them the land is the mother of all things – the
“Great Mother” – reason why they are taught to preserve the environment as a self-preservation - nice lesson…
Panama has 3 million inhabitants of diverse origins: descendants of Spanish settlers,
of black Cimarrones, Indians of the coast and mountains, West Indians who came to help dig the Canal, North Americans, Europeans, and a large number of people (about 72%) is a ”mixture” which in Spanish is called “Mestizo”. As
diverse as is it’s people, is the landscape which goes from the rain forest, mountains and valleys formed by volcanoes, peaks of 11.000 feet, beaches, the coral reefs of San Blas, the vast desert areas of the Azuero Peninsula, to its approximately
2000 islands!!! The country is between 50 to 120 miles wide and has 477 miles of coast on the Caribbean side and 767 miles on the Pacific Ocean side.
The isthmus of Panama was discovered by Spanish explorer Don Rodrigo de Bastidas in 1501.
In this trip came along Vasco Nunez de Balboa who in 1513 discovered the “Mar del Sur”, after named Pacific Ocean, and the present currency takes after his name – the Balboa which corresponds to the American dollar value. The isthmus prospered
after the discovery of Peru and became the route of goods, silver and gold from the colonies to the Spanish Crown. In times of piracy attacks the country underwent several of them and in 1671 was victim of sacking by pirate Sir Henry Morgan, followed by a
fire that destroyed the whole town which resulted in the move of Ciudad de Panama to another site.
A little bit of History…