Taboga
| Taboga | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Waters | Pacific Ocean | |
| Geographical location | 8 ° 48 ′ N , 79 ° 33 ′ W | |
|
||
| length | 4 km | |
| width | 2.2 km | |
| surface | 12.1 | |
| Residents | 722 (2000) | |
Taboga (also called "Flower Island ") is an island off Panama in the Pacific Ocean . The island is located approx. 20 km from Panama City . It is 12.1 km² and has 722 inhabitants (as of 2000). The island can be reached by boat . Half of the island is part of the “Refugio de Vida Silvestre Islas Taboga y Urabá” wildlife reserve. There is a diverse bird life on Taboga. Pelicans can be seen from January to June and whales from August to October .
history
In the 16th century, Vasco Núñez de Balboa was the first Spaniard to set foot on the island and named it Isla de San Pedro . The island got the name Taboga later. This is derived from the indigenous word aboga , which means "a lot of fish".
The village of San Pedro was founded in 1524 by Hernando de Luque , the provost of Panama. The village was built around the church of the same name, Iglesia San Pedro , which is considered the second oldest in the western hemisphere. With that of the Capitulación de Toledo , a treaty in which the Spanish king Francisco Pizarro authorized to conquer Peru , Pizarro was also appointed governor of the flower island.
In the 17th century the island became a popular hideout for pirates. After the pirate Henry Morgan destroyed Panamá la Vieja in 1671, he sent his pirates towards Taboga with orders to rob the island and then burn it down. In 1998, 1000 silver coins were found during the construction of a new hospital, which were dated to the 17th century.
In the 19th century the island became a strategically important point for shipping. Taboga was used as a port by the Pacific Steam Navigation Company , which installed a shipyard for boats there. The company brought hundreds of Irish people to the island who worked in the shipyard. You can still see the gravestones with the Anglo-Saxon names today. In addition, the island played an important role in the construction of the Panama Canal .
In 1887 the impressionist Paul Gauguin spent some time on the island on his way to Martinique and Tahiti .
During the Second World War, the island was used by the American military as a training base. To keep the armed forces happy, the military brought entertainment equipment such as cinemas. The infrastructure was also expanded and laid the foundation for the tourism that exists today.
Attractions
The island is home to the San Pedro Church, built in 1550 , the two beaches Playa La Restinga and Playa Honda and the house of Francisco Pizarro , the conqueror of Peru.
tourism
The flower island is now a popular destination for locals and tourists. Most of the 45-minute crossings to Isla Taboga start from Calzada de Amador .
Personalities
The Panamanian writer Rogelio Sinán (1902-1994) was born on Taboga . The Spanish conquistador Jerónimo de Alderete (1519–1556) died on the island.
swell
- Jisel Perilla: Frommers Panama. 3. Edition. 2010, ISBN 978-0-470-89073-8 .
- Sarah Woods: Panama; Bradt Travel Guides. 1st edition. 2005, ISBN 1-84162-117-X .
Web links
- Isla Taboga, the flower island (German)
- History of Isla Taboga (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Panama News, August 21, 2005 ( Memento of the original from July 17, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
