David, Panama
Encyclopedia
David is a city located in the west of Panama
. It is the capital of the province of Chiriquí
and has an estimated population of 144,858 inhabitants as confirmed in 2010. It is a relatively affluent city with most families and houses having basic living requirements, such as concrete houses, clean water
and energy
. The Pan-American Highway
is a popular route to David.
In the beginning the actual Bolívar Park probably was the park of the town. At the end of the XIX century, David had six streets, but only four were the center of the town, sector actually known as Barrio Bolívar.
In that center was located the Ermita de San José, actually the San José Cathedral.
In march 1900, the Bolívar park was the scenery of the first battle of the "Thousand Days' War", between liberals and conservatives.
and cattle raising and supplies the rest of the country. It's the regions chief financial center and most national banks have offices here, including international banks such as HSBC. It also serves as port of exports and imports with neighboring Costa Rica
. It is connected to the rest of the country by the Pan-American Highway, and the Enrique Malek International Airport
. It is one of the most industrialized cities in the country and is a center of manufacturing
, heavy industry
and high technology standards and communications
. It is also a popular tourist destination due to its nightlife
, entertainment
, cuisine
, shopping
and relative proximity to the Pacific coast.
between the cities of Puerto Armuelles on the coast
and Boquete
in the mountains. The city lies below the water break on the David River, at the foothills of the Cordillera de Talamanca mountain range. Volcán Barú, a dormant volcano and also the tallest mountain in Panama, is visible from northern parts of the city. David is roughly 30 km from the Costa Rican border and is a vital center for trade between the two countries. Located some 434 km from Panama City.
Most expats and the wealthiest Davidians live in the northern section of town and in the neighboring communities immediately to the north and northwest. This area is also a commercial district and contains many stores and franchises that would be more familiar to American tourists.
David offers many lodging options. As Chiriquí province continues to gain popularity as a tourist destination, more hotels are being built to accommodate all budget ranges.
For Backpackers passing through there is the original backpackers hostel Purple House http://www.purplehousehostel.com and the newer Hostel with a pool Bambu Hostel. http://www.bambuhostel.com
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. It is the capital of the province of Chiriquí
Chiriquí Province
Chiriquí is a province of Panama, it is located on the western coast of Panama, and it is also the second most developed province in the country, after the Panamá Province. Its capital is the city of David. It has a total area of 6,490.9 km², with a population of 416,873 as of the year 2010...
and has an estimated population of 144,858 inhabitants as confirmed in 2010. It is a relatively affluent city with most families and houses having basic living requirements, such as concrete houses, clean water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
and energy
Energy
In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...
. The Pan-American Highway
Pan-American Highway
The Pan-American Highway is a network of roads measuring about in total length. Except for an rainforest break, called the Darién Gap, the road links the mainland nations of the Americas in a connected highway system. According to Guinness World Records, the Pan-American Highway is the world's...
is a popular route to David.
History
David was founded on 1602, by Francisco de Gama, advisor of the governor Juan López de Siqueira and under his mandatory.In the beginning the actual Bolívar Park probably was the park of the town. At the end of the XIX century, David had six streets, but only four were the center of the town, sector actually known as Barrio Bolívar.
In that center was located the Ermita de San José, actually the San José Cathedral.
In march 1900, the Bolívar park was the scenery of the first battle of the "Thousand Days' War", between liberals and conservatives.
Commerce and Industrialization
San José de David (official name) is Panama's third largest urban area. It functions as a hub for the province's commercial activities, mainly agricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and cattle raising and supplies the rest of the country. It's the regions chief financial center and most national banks have offices here, including international banks such as HSBC. It also serves as port of exports and imports with neighboring Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. It is connected to the rest of the country by the Pan-American Highway, and the Enrique Malek International Airport
Enrique Malek International Airport
-Accidents and incidents:On July 13, 1943, there was an accident at this airfield that claimed the life of 12 airmen when their B-17 Flying Fortress stalled during approach and crashed in the runway....
. It is one of the most industrialized cities in the country and is a center of manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
, heavy industry
Heavy industry
Heavy industry does not have a single fixed meaning as compared to light industry. It can mean production of products which are either heavy in weight or in the processes leading to their production. In general, it is a popular term used within the name of many Japanese and Korean firms, meaning...
and high technology standards and communications
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
. It is also a popular tourist destination due to its nightlife
Nightlife
Nightlife is the collective term for any entertainment that is available and more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning...
, entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
, cuisine
Cuisine
Cuisine is a characteristic style of cooking practices and traditions, often associated with a specific culture. Cuisines are often named after the geographic areas or regions that they originate from...
, shopping
Shopping
Shopping is the examining of goods or services from retailers with the intent to purchase at that time. Shopping is an activity of selection and/or purchase. In some contexts it is considered a leisure activity as well as an economic one....
and relative proximity to the Pacific coast.
Location and Geography
David is located in a basin in south central Chiriquí ProvinceChiriquí Province
Chiriquí is a province of Panama, it is located on the western coast of Panama, and it is also the second most developed province in the country, after the Panamá Province. Its capital is the city of David. It has a total area of 6,490.9 km², with a population of 416,873 as of the year 2010...
between the cities of Puerto Armuelles on the coast
Coast
A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
and Boquete
Boquete
Boquete is a small town on the Caldera River, tucked into the green mountain highlands of Panama, in western-most Chiriquí Province, about 60 km. from the border with Costa Rica. Because of its altitude, some 1,200 metres above sea level, its climate is cooler than that of the lowlands...
in the mountains. The city lies below the water break on the David River, at the foothills of the Cordillera de Talamanca mountain range. Volcán Barú, a dormant volcano and also the tallest mountain in Panama, is visible from northern parts of the city. David is roughly 30 km from the Costa Rican border and is a vital center for trade between the two countries. Located some 434 km from Panama City.
Layout
Central David is mostly laid out in a grid with numbered streets; however, the streets on the outskirts of town are neither named nor numbered. David's population density is rather low as most people live in detached single-family homes. Most buildings in town, including those in the central business district are only one or two stories high. Only a few hotels, banks, casinos, and apartment buildings reach a height of two to five stories.Most expats and the wealthiest Davidians live in the northern section of town and in the neighboring communities immediately to the north and northwest. This area is also a commercial district and contains many stores and franchises that would be more familiar to American tourists.
David offers many lodging options. As Chiriquí province continues to gain popularity as a tourist destination, more hotels are being built to accommodate all budget ranges.
For Backpackers passing through there is the original backpackers hostel Purple House http://www.purplehousehostel.com and the newer Hostel with a pool Bambu Hostel. http://www.bambuhostel.com
Famous residents
- Carlos Ruiz - Catcher, Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...