The Naso tribe will share management responsibilities of 400,000 acres of land within La Amistad National Park and Palo Seco Nature Reserve after the court granted them authority to create a comarca: a semi-autonomous tribal kingship, in the two parks.
Country: Panama
Panama cancels order for diesel buses, will purchase 195 electric buses instead
MiBus, which operates the Metrobús public transport system, has decided to cancel an order for 160 new diesel buses and purchase electric buses from BYD instead. In total, MiBus will spend $35 million to purchase 195 medium-size electric buses for use in Panama City.
Panama bans single-use plastic bags
Panama’s plastic bag ban has gone into effect. Panama became the first Central American country to ban single-use plastic bags in 2018.
The Panama Canal officially opens
France began work on the canal in 1881, but stopped due to engineering problems and a high worker mortality rate. The United States took over the project in 1904 and opened the canal on August 15, 1914.
Panama declares independence from Spain
Timing the action with the rest of the Central American isthmus, Panama declared independence in 1821 and joined the southern federation.
Rodrigo de Bastidas becomes the first European to explore the Isthmus of Panama
A year later Christopher Columbus on his fourth voyage, sailing south and eastward from upper Central America, explored Bocas del Toro, Veragua, the Chagres River and Portobelo (Beautiful Port) which he named.
The Cueva people form in modern-day Panama
The Cueva were an indigenous people who lived in the Darién region of eastern Panama.
Monagrillo culture emerges in modern-day Panama
Monagrillo is an archaeological site in south-central Panama. It provides the earliest example of ceramics in Central America along with one of the earliest examples of maize agriculture in the region.