Los Santos Province
Encyclopedia
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
of Panama
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...
. The capital city
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
is Las Tablas, which is famous for its carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
s, the Festival Nacional de la Pollera
Pollera
A pollera is a Spanish term that denotes big one-piece skirts, that nowadays are used mostly in traditional festivities and folklore in the Spanish speaking world.-Spain:...
(National Festival of the Pollera), and the Festival of the Patron Santa Librada; and the Festival Nacional de la Mejorana in Guararé. The province Los Santos and Herrera
Herrera Province
Herrera is a province in Panama. Named after General Tomás Herrera, the province was founded on January 18, 1915 after a division of the Los Santos province. The capital city of Herrera is Chitré, which is located near the province's coastline...
are important in Panamanian folklore because they are believed to be the birth place of the Pollera, the traditional Panamanian dress.
Los Santos has a surface of 3,804.6 kilometers squared and 83,485 inhabitants. The primary economical activities are growing corn, rice, coffee, sugar cane and the raising of livestock and commerce.
Districts
The province is divided in 7 districtDistrict
Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
s:
- Guararé DistrictGuararé DistrictGuararé District is a district of Los Santos Province in Panama. The population according to the 2000 census was 9,485.The district covers a total area of 216 km²...
. Corregimientos include GuararéGuararé- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
(capital), El Espinal, El Macano, Guararé Arriba, La Enea, La Pasera, Las Trancas, Llano Abajo, El Hato and Perales.
- Las Tablas DistrictLas Tablas DistrictLas Tablas District is a district of Los Santos Province in Panama. The population according to the 2000 census was 24,298. The district covers a total area of 698 km²...
. Corregimientos include Las Tablas (capital), Bajo Corral, Bayano, El Carate, El Cocal, El Manantial, El Muñoz, El Pedregoso, La Laja, La Miel, La Palma, La TizaLa TizaLa Tiza is a town in the Los Santos province of Panama.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
, Las PalmitasLas PalmitasLas Palmitas is a village and municipality in Catamarca Province in northwestern Argentina....
, Las Tablas Abajo, Nuario, Palmira, Peña Blanca, Río Hondo, San José, San Miguel, Santo Domingo, El Sesteadero, Valle Rico and Vallerriquito.
- Los Santos DistrictLos Santos DistrictLos Santos District is a district of Los Santos Province in Panama. The population according to the 2000 census was 23,828.The district covers a total area of 429 km²...
. Corregimientos include La Villa de los SantosLa Villa de los SantosLa Villa de los Santos is the capitol city of the Los Santos District of Los Santos Province in Panama. Founded as Santa Cruz in 1555 by Juan Rodriguez Monjaraz, the then-governor of the region, the city is known for its efforts in the movement to separate Panama from Spanish power in November 1821...
(capital), El Guásimo, La Colorada, La EspigadillaLa EspigadillaLa Espigadilla is a town in the Los Santos province of Panama.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
, Las Cruces, Las Guabas, Los Angeles, Los Olivos, Llano LargoLlano LargoLlano Largo is a town in the Los Santos province of Panama.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
, Sabanagrande, Santa Ana, Tres Quebrada, Villa Lourdes and Agua BuenaAgua Buena- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
.
- Macaracas DistrictMacaracas DistrictMacaracas District is a district of Los Santos Province in Panama. The population according to the 2000 census was 9,137.The district covers a total area of 504 km²...
. Corregimientos include MacaracasMacaracasMacaracas is a town in the Los Santos province of Panama.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
(capital), Bahía Honda, Bajos de Guera, Corozal, Chupa, El Cedro, Espino Amarillo, La Mesa, Llano de PiedraLlano de PiedraLlano de Piedra is a town in the Los Santos province of Panama.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
, Las Palmas and Mogollón.
- Pedasí District. Corregimientos include PedasíPedasí township, Los SantosPedasí is a town situated on the south-eastern tip of the Azuero Peninsula on Panama’s Pacific coast. It is located in the Pedasí District, in the Los Santos province. It is principally a fishing village with a population of about 2000 people....
(capital), Los Asientos, Mariabé, Purio and Oria Arriba.
- Pocrí DistrictPocrí DistrictPocrí District is a district of Los Santos Province in Panama. The population according to the 2000 census was 3,397.The district covers a total area of 280 km²...
. Corregimientos include PocríPocríPocrí is a town in the Coclé province of Panama.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
(capital), El Cañafístulo, Lajamina, Paraíso and Paritilla.
- Tonosí DistrictTonosí DistrictTonosí District is a district of Los Santos Province in Panama. The population according to the 2000 census was 9,736.The district covers a total area of 1,294 km²...
. Corregimientos include TonosíTonosíTonosí is a town in the Los Santos province of Panama.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
(capital), Altos de Guera, Cañas, El Bebedero, El Cacao, El CortezoEl Cortezo- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
, Flores, Guánico, La Tronosa, Cambutal and Isla de CañasIsla de CañasIsla de Cañas is a village and rural municipality in Salta Province in northwestern Argentina.-References:...
.
History
In 1850, the province of Azuero was created in honor of Vicente de Azuero y Plata. In 1855, with the establishment of the "Estado Federal de Panamá", the province was divided into the departments of Los Santos and Herrera. After the union with ColombiaColombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, and later with Panama becoming a sovereign state, Los Santos underwent many political and administrative changes. In 1941, with the presidency of Ricardo A. de la Guardia (1941–1945), Los Santos and Herrera were established as one province, named Los Santos. By the Decreto de Gabinete N° 13 of January 8, 1945; Herrera and Los Santos became two different provinces.
Tourism
There are many well-renowned beaches, as found in Venado, Achotines, and Guararé. There are also beaches on the island, Isla Iguana, known for its blue water and white sand. The island is 25 minutes by boat from PedasíPedasí township, Los Santos
Pedasí is a town situated on the south-eastern tip of the Azuero Peninsula on Panama’s Pacific coast. It is located in the Pedasí District, in the Los Santos province. It is principally a fishing village with a population of about 2000 people....
. There are also parks here, such as the national park Cerro Hoya. There are also museums like the: Museum of Nationality (Museo de la Nacionalidad), the Museum Belisario Porras and the Museum Manuel F. Zarate. There is also an arqueological site here called the Sitio Arqueologico Cerro Juan Diaz. There is also the Church of San Antonio and the Church of Santa Librada (made on March 1872). In 1958, a fire burned the Santa Librada's roof.
Culture
Las TablasLas Tablas
Las Tablas is the capital of the Panamanian province of Los Santos. It is located a few kilometers inland from the Gulf of Panama on the Azuero Peninsula. Las Tablas is a recognized national center of Panamanian folk: Art, music, gastronomy, architecture, culture and literature...
is the capital of the province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
, one of its biggest attractions is the church of Santa Librada, considered a national monument.
The city lives all its splendor during the Carnival celebration that lasts 4 days and 5 nights, being the headquarters city of Las Tablas Best Carnival of the republic, where one of the main attractions of the carnival in Las Tablas, are famous or culecos mojadera, which is sprayed with water (clean and purified) to the participants of this activity from sisternas cars (especially pre-sterilized for this activity) located throughout the park and surrounding streets are where the carnival, while can admire the tour of the queens of both streets, street up and down the street on spectacular floats, and suitable for this activity packed day, with the notes of the contagious and famous and well known murgas of Panama (which also have its epicenter in the town of Las Tablas, where the best murgas the country), do jumping and dancing for joy to young and old alike, unable to contain her joy and excitement following the queen with the most sympathetic all day without stopping or until the forces accompanying the activity takes place during four days of carnival, another attraction of this carnival is wasteful luxury and splendor of the costumes shown in the queens and their ladies, and the designs and finishes epectaculares floats of both daytime (from culecos or mojaderas) and evening, reaching its greatest splendor Carnival on Monday, his grace and charm of women represented in their Tableña and queens in ladies of his court to make the carnival Tableño one of the best and most famous carnavals the world.
Another well-known celebration is Corpus Christi, a religious holiday which dates its beginnings to the colonial era. It commemorates the institution of the Eucharist in the mix with pagan festivals represented by different dance, which today form part of the folklore of the region, this activity takes place in the City of La Villa de Los Santos.
Los Santos is the place to see the beautiful hand-woven Polleras, the typical costume of Panama. Here you will find artisans who make masks of the famous "Diablicos".