Panama was part of the Spanish Empire for over 300 years (1513–1821) and its fate changed with its geopolitical importance to the Spanish crown. In the 16th and 17th centuries, at the height of the Empire, no other region would prove of more strategic and economic importance.

Jan 23, 2025 · Celebrated as “the door to the seas and key to the universe,” it served in the 1530s as the staging point for the Spanish conquest of the Inca empire, and until the 19th century it was a transshipment point for gold and silver destined for Spain.

In Panama: History. In 1501 the Spaniard Rodrigo de Bastidas, in the company of Juan de la Cosa and Vasco Núñez de Balboa, was the first European to explore the Atlantic coast of the Isthmus of Panama. In Read More; 1989 U.S. invasion

Feb 22, 2024 · This article takes you on a journey through Panama’s history, from the ancient civilizations that once thrived in its jungles to the modern-day bustling metropolises shaped by centuries of change. Join us as we explore Panama’s past and uncover the key events and milestones that have shaped its identity as a bridge between continents and ...

Panama’s history is very different from that of the stereotypical Central American polity lurching from one military coup to the next. From the time of its founding as an independent state in 1904 up until 1968, it was an imperfect but evolving democracy.

May 28, 2018 · A chronology of key events in the history of Panama from the 16th-century Spanish conquest to the present day.

The Panama Canal cost the United States about $375 million, including $10 million paid to Panama and $40 million paid to the French company. Although it was the most expensive construction project in US history to that time, it cost about $23 million less than the 1907 estimate despite landslides and an increase in the canal's width.

Jan 8, 2025 · Some key dates in the history of Panama: 2500-1700 BC - Panama sees some of the first pottery-making in the Americas. 1502 - Spanish explorer Rodrigo de Bastidas visits Panama, which is...

Jan 28, 2025 · The low point in U.S.-Panamanian relations came in 1964 when clashes began in the U.S.-controlled Panama Canal Zone over the flying of a Panama flag alongside a U.S. flag at a local high school.

Panama immediately becomes a place of focal importance in the developing Spanish empire. From here expeditions set out to colonize the Pacific coast (most notable being the departure of Pizarro on his voyage to Peru in 1530).