Panama

There are two mountain systems and the coast has many islands.

Christopher Columbus explored the coast in 1502.

Vasco Nuñez de Balboa discovered the Pacific Ocean.

There is a very famous cathedral with a gold altar that a monk painted before pirates arrived.

El altar de oro

This unassuminglittle church stillhas its originalaltar carved out ofgold. The pirateHenry Morganmissed this when he sackedPanama becausethe clever priestspainted the altar black.

Tomas Herrera is the national hero.

Panama is the capital. It is very modern, and there is a lot of foreign influence.

• Colon is the 2nd largest city in the Republic of Panama. It is located at the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal.

PANAMA CANAL

San Blas de Cuna

La isla • Situated in the Caribbean Sea a few miles off the north coast of Panama, the San Blas de Cuna Islands are the home of the Cuna, a traditional society of Native Americans.

There are bananas, potatoes, onions, and sugar.