| Veraguas Province | |
| Native Name: | Provincia de Veraguas |
| Native Name Lang: | es |
| Settlement Type: | Province |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Panama |
| Seat Type: | Capital city |
| Seat: | Santiago |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | July 9, 1508 |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 10587.5 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 259,791 |
| Population As Of: | 2023 census |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Demonym: | veraguense |
| Demographics Type1: | GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Year |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 2023 |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Total |
| Demographics1 Info2: | $3.3 billion[2] |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Per capita |
| Demographics1 Info3: | $14,300 |
| Timezone1: | Eastern Time |
| Utc Offset1: | -5 |
| Iso Code: | PA-9 |
| Blank Name Sec1: | HDI (2017) |
| Blank Info Sec1: | 0.727[3] |
| Website: | http://www.veraguas.org/ |
Veraguas (pronounced as /es/) is a province of Panama, located in the centre-west of the country. The capital is the city of Santiago de Veraguas. It is the only Panamanian province to border both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It covers an area of 10,587.6 km² and in 2023 it had a population of 259,791.[4] [5]
Veraguas was originally inhabited by the Veraguas culture.
Veraguas was explored by Christopher Columbus on his fourth voyage. He tried to establish the first colony in the new Spanish mainland but failed due to resistance from Indigenous peoples. Diego de Nicuesa also tried to establish a colony and failed, which made him create a colony to fight against the Indigenous population, which he named Nombre de Dios. Its capital, Santiago de Veraguas, was founded about 1636.[6]
A province called Veraguas containing Santiago de Veraguas, but with changing boundaries over time, existed in Gran Colombia, the Republic of New Granada, and at times during the Panama State era.
It is said that its name comes from the indigenous word "Veracua" or "Viragua", though other theories abound. It is the only province in Panama with coastlines on both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The majority of people live on the Pacific side; the Caribbean coast is mostly uninhabited.
Veraguas has many groups of inhabitants, mainly of Spanish/Indigenous origin named campesinos. This land offers tourists and visitors close contact with nature. Forests, mountains, coasts, and islands where there are more than 200 varieties of orchids; more than 400 species of birds, in addition to mammals, reptiles, and insects.
Veraguas has various national parks. The Coiba National Park, (with the largest coral reef of the Pacific Coast of America), Cerro Hoya National Park (covers the southwest part of the Azuero Peninsula and the sea that surrounds it), Santa Fe National Park (a forest in the northern region), La Yeguada Forest reserve (with a great artificial lake for the production of electricity) and El Montuoso Forest reserve.
Beaches such as Playa Santa Catalina, Playa Mariato, Malena, and Torio offer great places for recreation, surfing, and fishing. Other famous touristic areas is the Iglesia de San Francisco de la Montaña. This church has a Baroque architecture and dates back to 1727. It was declared a National Historical Monument on January 27, 1937.
Veraguas Province is divided into 12 distritos (districts) and subdivided into 104 corregimientos.[7]
| Distrito | Area (km2) | Population Estimate 2010[8] | Population Estimate 2019[9] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atalaya | 156 | 10,749 | 11,321 | |
| Calobre | 806 | 12,112 | 12,159 | |
| Cañazas | 789 | 17,737 | 18,022 | |
| La Mesa | 511 | 12,256 | 12,062 | |
| Las Palmas | 1,015 | 18,516 | 18,493 | |
| Mariato | 1,381 | 5,584 | 5,564 | |
| Montijo | 780 | 6,928 | 7,060 | |
| Río de Jesús | 302 | 5,376 | 5,501 | |
| San Francisco | 437 | 10,412 | 10,536 | |
| Santa Fe | 1,920 | 16,423 | 17,341 | |
| Santiago | 971 | 93,841 | 99,821 | |
| Soná | 1,519 | 29,329 | 29,774 |