Bocas del Toro is a province located in the Northeastern part of the country of Panama on the Caribbean side. Primary towns of the province include Bocas del Toro City, the capital of the province and center for tourism in the Bocas del Toro Archipelagos, Changuinola City, on the Northern border with Costa Rica, and Almirante, where the banana companies ship and the tourists take water taxis or ferries to the different islands in the archipelago.

Bananas, a major export product for Panama, are currently cultivated along the narrow coastal region of this province, between the dense forested mountains and coast. http://www.bocas.com/biscusto.htm Other major economic forces in the region include fishing, tourism and development. The pristine waters, protected coral reefs and abundant sea life in the area are attractions that have made tourism and land development in the islands of the archipelago play an important role. http://74.6.239.67/search/cache?ei=UTF-8&p=bocas+del+toro+tourism+economy&icp=1&w=bocas+del+toro+tourism+economy+economies&u=www.nature.org%2Fwherewework%2Ffieldguide%2Fprojectprofiles%2Fbdt.html&d=dddKl929UEWY&_intl=us&sig=aSmaTSzNummwsfF7VcRdjg--&type=page

Indigenous people of Bocas del Toro include the Bri Bri, Ngobe-Bugl'e' (guaym'i'es), Bokota and Teribe, who primarily inhabit the mountainous forested regions. http://www.pa/secciones/informacion/index.html<ref> <ref>http://www.roughguides.com/website/travel/destination/content/default.aspx?titleid=91&xid=idh180717904_0823 The archipelago has a significant population descended from migrants from West India. English is spoken in the islands, however it has a Jamaican flavor with some Spanish and Ngobe elements. http://www.roughguides.com/website/travel/destination/content/default.aspx?titleid=91&xid=idh180717904_0823

European discovery of this area occurred on Christopher Columbus's fourth and last venture to the Americas. He reached Almirante Bay on October 6, 1502, and resupplied on Bastimentos Island, one of the four large islands within the Bay. Columbus made maps of the coastal region and continued his journey south to the Chagres River, where the Panama Canal now opens to the Caribbean. http://www.bocas.org/history.php

Spanish colonization of the area began shortly after Columbus's visit in the 17th century. This period included grave robbing for Pre-Colombian gold, persecutions, and missionary activities of Catholic priests. http://www.bocas.org/history.php Indigenous populations were drastically reduced during this period. There were rebellions of tribes in 1709 and 1762 against the Spanish colonial government. During the following century, there was also a long-lasting war between the Bri Bri and Teribes tribes within the province. http://batichango.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=521:la-ciudad-de-santiago-de-talamanca-primera-defensa-confederada-indigena-de-su-territorio&catid=49:lucha-en-la-lucha The Spanish imported slaves, supplanting the need for indigenous workers in the region. The Spanish empire ended in 1821, leaving what is now known a Panama as a part of Colombia. http://www.bocas.org/history.php

Several banana companies were established in the region in the late 19th century, and in 1899, the United Fruit Company was the only firm left operating in the area. Early plantations were on the islands and they were later moved to the coastal plains region due to a root disease that was destroying the plants. Some banana workers now live on the islands and are transported daily to the mainland by United Fruit Company boats. http://www.bocas.com/biscusto.htm http://www.galenfrysinger.com/banana_village_panama.htm

Due to a United States treaty with Colombia, the U.S. Military was used to quell disturbances. In Bocas del Tora, the American Military was present to protect the citizens from a rebellious chieftain in 1895 and to protect trains during a civil war in 1901 and 1902. http://www.reedandwright.net/RnWchronomil.htm Panama declared its independence from Columbia in 1903. http://www.bocas.org/history_2.php A border dispute between Costa Rica and Panama led to the defeat of Costa Rican troops in the area in 1921. http://www.bocas-del-toro.org/bocas-del-toro/town.htm The current Panamanian government is a constitutional democracy whose most recent constitution was approved in 2004. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pm.html

The province of Bocas del Toro is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the Northeast and the Cordillera Talamanca (mountain range) to the Southwest. The Almirante bay area is an archipelago with more than 320 islands. http://www.bocasliving.com/index.htm The granitic mountains of the Cordillera Talamanca are derived from volcanic activity and range as high as 11,464 feet. Within these cloud forests, 95% of a natural reserve named The Friendship International Park (Parque Internacional La Amistrad) is contained, the rest of which lies in Costa Rica. Within the Cordillera Talamanca, average temperatures range from 73 C to 32 degrees F at the mountain tops and rainfall can range from 100-200 inches per year. http://www.volcan.chiriqui.org/ecologia/chivolcan-eco-amistad.htm

The Bocas de Toro Archipelagos are mostly found within Almirante (Admiral) Bay, however Bastimentos Island borders the 320-square-mile Chiriqui Lagoon to the east. Bastimentos Island National Marine Park occupies about 6.6% of the total area of the archipelago. There is a significant amount of diversity of plant and animal species found within the coral reefs of this park, including four species of sea turtles who nest on the beaches of the islands. http://www.ancon.org/pnmarinoislabastimentos.html Rainfall occurs, on average, more than 200 days of the year with an annual average of 136 inches. Temperatures average between 71 and 89 degrees Fahrenheit. http://www.boqueteweather.com/climatedata.htm