Darien Province

Darien province is at the eastern end of Panama, sharing a border with the country of Columbia.Located in the eastern extreme of the country bordering with Colombia on the East, Kuna Yala (San Blas) in the North, the Pacific Ocean on the South and the Province of Panama in the Northwest.

This province is the largest in Panama, It extends an area of 16,000 km2 covered by rivers, thick tropical rainforest, high peaks and considered by many to be dark and foreboding. The largest rivers in this area the Tuira and the Chucunaque rivers. The capital of Darien, La Palma, is located where the Tuira River empties into the Bay of San Miguel. . The Darien National Park makes up most of the southern end of the province, and covers almost 1.5 million acres. This area also includes what is known as The Darién Gap, which is a large swath of undeveloped swampland and forest separating Panama and Colombia.

The Darien Province has a greater variety of ecosystems and is the last safe home for many endangered species. It is considered one of the most pristine tropical ecosystems that can still be found in the Americas. The wild life is spectacular including exotics the likes of jaguars, tree sloths , tapirs, tamarins , capybaras and the list goes on and on.

Population: 40,284inhabitants (2000 census) of which 4,200 in La Palma (2004)Population: 8,246 inhabitants (2000 census) in the Embera Territory

Sparsely populated The native population of the province of Darien is primarily made up of the Embera and Wounnan tribes. These peoples continue to live much as they did thousands of years ago. They engage mainly in sustainable agriculture, hunting, and fishing. Crafts produced in this area include beautiful woodcarvings and woven baskets.

Foreign Embassy’s advise against all travel beyond Yaviza, defining a smaller danger zone beginning at the end of the Pan American Highway and extending to the Columbian border. Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama is an impassable jungle. The presence of drug smugglers, bandits and Colombian guerrillas and paramilitary forces render the border area of Darien Province between Yaviza and the Colombian border along the upper Tuira River unsafe. The entire Darién Gap is largely under the control of three Colombian rebel groups. These include the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), a right-wing paramilitary group headed by Carlos Castano; the National Liberation Army (ELN); and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The first two groups have a history of war against one another, while the latter two groups have gained a reputation for violence and anti-U.S. activity.

Click Here