DARIN

geographic region of the easternmost Isthmus of Panama; it extends into northwestern Colombia, around the Gulf of Urab (a section of the Gulf of Darin), and forms the physiographic link between Central and South America. A hot, humid area typified by tropical rainforests, mangrove swamps, and low mountain ranges with cloud forest vegetation, Darin has always been sparsely populated. Darin was first reached by Europeans in 1501 and was seen by Christopher Columbus on his last voyage. The first successful European settlement on the mainland of the Americas, Santa Mara de la Antigua del Darin, was begun in 1510 on the western side of the Gulf of Urab. From this colony Vasco Nez de Balboa made his famous march to the Pacific Ocean in 1513. A few years later some colonists left the Darin settlement to found Panama City; eventually, Santa Mara was abandoned. Another short-lived attempt at colonization was made in the 17th century, when a Scottish trading company founded a settlement about halfway between Portobelo, Panama, and Cartagena, Colombia. The towns of Darin remain isolated in spite of the construction of small airfields across the region. Towns close to the international border include Jaqu, Yaviza, and El Real de Santa Mara (in Panama) and Jurad, Salaqu, and Rosucio (in Colombia). Notable indigenous groups are the Choc (specifically the Embera and Wounaan, or Waunana) and the Kuna (Cuna); estimates for their combined local populations range widely, from 1,200 to some 25,000. They have traditionally lived in villages scattered throughout the forest, but some families have relocated to towns and cities. In Darin plantains, corn (maize), and rice are cultivated, livestock is raised, and lumber is cut and milled. The Pan-American Highway does not traverse Darin, which effectively blocks land transportation between Central and South America. A pair of contiguous parks administer a large part of the regionDarin National Park in Panama and Los Katos National Park in Colombia. The Panamanian park was established as the Alto Darin Forest Reserve in 1972 and elevated to national park status in 1980; it covers some 2,305 square miles (5,970 square km). The Colombian park was established in 1974 and extended in 1980 to cover some 280 square miles (720 square km). UNESCO added Darin National Park to the World Heritage List in 1981, followed by Los Katos in 1994. Both areas protect a highly diverse assortment of flora and fauna. Among the wildlife are capybaras, jaguars, ocelots, giant anteaters, howler monkeys, harpy eagles, caimans, American crocodiles, and the endemic grey-headed chachalaca (Ortalis cinereiceps). Annual rainfall in Darin varies from a minimum of 70 inches (1,800 mm) to a maximum of 180 inches (4,500 mm).