| Coclé Province | |
| Native Name: | Provincia de Coclé |
| Native Name Lang: | es |
| Settlement Type: | Province |
| Motto: | |
| Coordinates: | 8.5°N -110°W |
| Coor Pinpoint: | Seat of Government |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Panama |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1985 |
| Seat Type: | Capital |
| Seat: | Penonomé |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 4946.6 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 268,264 |
| Population As Of: | 2023 census |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Year |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 2023 |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Total |
| Demographics1 Info2: | $5.2 billion[2] |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Per capita |
| Demographics1 Info3: | $20,500 |
| Timezone1: | Eastern Time |
| Utc Offset1: | -5 |
| Iso Code: | PA-2 |
| Blank Name Sec1: | HDI (2019) |
| Blank Info Sec1: | 0.787[3] |
Coclé (pronounced as /es/) is a province of central Panama on the nation's southern coast. The administrative capital is the city of Penonomé. This province was created by the Act of September 12, 1855 with the title of Department of Coclé during the presidency of Dr. Justo de Arosemena. It became a province, Decretory Number 190, on October 20, 1985. Coclé is primarily an agricultural area, with sugar and tomatoes as major crops. The province has a number of well-known beaches, such as Santa Clara, Farallon and Rio Hato, and tourist activity has increased in recent years. It covers an area of 4,946.6 km2, and had a population of 268,264 in 2023.[4]
See main article: Pre-Columbian Coclé. During pre-Columbian times, the area of Panama which today includes Coclé province had a number of identifiable native cultures. Archaeologists have loosely designated these cultures by pottery style. The poorly studied La Mula period ranged from 150 BC to AD 300. It was followed by the Tonosi period, from AD 300 to AD 550, and by the Cubita period, from AD 550 to AD 700. A unified Indigenous culture appears to have flourished in this area from approximately 1200 BC until the 16th century.
Coclé Province is divided into 6 distritos (districts) and subdivided into 44 corregimientos.[5]
| Distrito | Area (km2) | Population Estimate 2010[6] | Population Estimate 2019[7] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aguadulce | 469 | 47,470 | 51,668 | |
| Antón | 748 | 53,361 | 57,672 | |
| La Pintada | 1,030 | 27,976 | 30,161 | |
| Natá | 605 | 21,507 | 23,374 | |
| Olá | 386 | 6,842 | 7,366 | |
| Penonomé | 1,709 | 87,600 | 94,908 |
| District | Corregimientos (Subdivisions) | Cabecera (Seat) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aguadulce District | San Juan Bautista de Aguadulce, El Cristo, El Roble, Pocrí, Barrios Unidos | San Juan Bautista de Aguadulce | |
| Antón District | Antón, Cabuya, El Chirú, El Retiro, El Valle, Juan Díaz, Río Hato, San Juan de Dios, Santa Rita, Caballero | Antón | |
| La Pintada District | La Pintada, El Harino, El Potrero, Llano Grande, Piedras Gordas, Las Lomas, Llano Norte | La Pintada | |
| Natá District | Natá de los Caballeros, Capellanía, El Caño, Guzmán, Las Huacas, Toza | Natá de los Caballeros | |
| Olá District | Olá, El Copé, El Palmar, El Picacho, La Pava | Olá | |
| Penonomé District | Penonomé, Cañaveral, Coclé, Chiguirí Arriba, El Coco, Pajonal, Río Grande, Río Indio, Toabré, Tulú, El Valle de San Miguel, Vista Hermosa, Los Uveros, El Silencio | Penonomé |
Parque Nacional General de División Omar Torrijos Herrera, established around the crash site of former Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos, is located in the northeastern portion of Coclé. Parque Omar, as it is known, enjoys some legal protection as a national park.
Coclé is also home to APROVACA orchid conservation center, which conducts orchid conservation activities, including orchid reintroduction into the wild and a sponsorship program for the Panamanian national flower Peristeria elata.
Folklorist Rosita Liao Gonzales was awarded the Order of Manuel José Hurtado for her work categorizing the cultures of Coclé Province.[8]