Panama, Melting Pot of Races

Due to its position as point of crossing and center of transport from their beginnings, the people and the culture of Panama reflect their international origins. The people and their culture have roots everywhere in the world, resulting in a tolerance atmosphere in which people get along with others well.

Its population is a crucible of races that includes a 62% of half-caste, 14% of African, 10% of Spaniards, 5% mulattos and 5% Indians. The Jewish, Chinese, Arab and Hindustani communities play an important role in the commercial sector. The 7 indigenous ethnic groups who live in Panama are scattered by all the territory, in regions very located.

The Emberá live in the borders of the Chagres river, and the Wounaan inhabits the area of Darien, the impenetrable jungle that separates Panama of Colombia. In spite of the distance, both ethnic groups share customs and clothes, taparrabos or " paruma " for them, and colorists skirts and naked torso for them, in addition to bracelets and necklaces of silver currencies. However, their languages are totally different.

The Kunas are probably the indigenous group that more jealously it has maintained his culture, and live in the archipelago of San Blas. The women show to the mourning taking a red and yellow handkerchief in the head, and a longitudinal black line crosses their noses; the red is extracted of a called fruit jagua. Their dances are danced to the compass of flutes of bamboo and maracas done of pumpkins and seeds.

The Ngöbe-Bugle are the majority ethnic group in Panama and inhabits the provinces of Veraguas, Bocas del Toro and Chiriquí, where I am now. Usually they work in the coffee plantations, sugar bowls and bananeras, since these provinces concentrate most of the agricultural production of the country. Their conditions of life are quite bad, and live such in large cabins within coffee plantations, that there are been crossing. They make " the very " colorists Chácaras, purses, and "chaquiras", geometric necklaces polychromes facts with obtained accounts of shells and bones.

The Teribe (Nazo) live near the borders of the river of the same name, are excellent constructors of canoes, hammocks, drums, and wood statures, and their dances very are varied, like gallote, and the dance of the tiger (there are no tigers here, but it sees that they know them). The Bokotá lives in Bocas del Toro and their dyed vegetal fiber hats are very famous.