Gualaca District
Gualaca District | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
  Gualaca District Location of the district capital in Panama | |
| Coordinates: 8°31′48″N 82°17′24″W / 8.53000°N 82.29000°W | |
| Country | Panama |
| Province | Chiriquí Province |
| Capital | Gualaca |
| Area | |
• Total | 239 sq mi (619 km2) |
| Population (2023) | |
• Total | 9,831 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (ETZ) |
Gualaca District is a district in the Chiriquí Province of Panama. It covers an area of 619 km2 (239 sq mi) and has a population of 9,831 inhabitants as per the 2023 census. The Fortuna Dam, located in the corregimiento of Hornito, hosts the country's largest hydroelectric power station.
Geography
Gualaca District is one of the 82 districts of Panama. It is part of the Chiriquí Province.[1][2][3] It is spread over an area of 619 km2 (239 sq mi).[4] The district contains several waterfalls and is known as the land of waterfalls. It generates the most hydroelectricity of all the districts in Panama.[5] The Fortuna Dam, located in the corregimiento of Hornito, hosts the country's largest hydroelectric power station, with an installed capacity of 300 mega watt. It was completed in 1984 and its height was further raised in 1994.[6]
Administration and politics
Gualaca District was created by law on 29 December 1862, enacted by the Constituent Assembly of the Federal State of Panama with its capital at the city of Gualaca.[5][7] The town of Gualaca itself was established in 1766 by Franciscan missionaries.[5] The district is divided administratively into the following corregimientos–Gualaca, Hornito, Los Ángeles, Paja de Sombrero, and Rincón.[4][8]
The National Assembly of Panama has 71 members, who are elected directly from single and multi-member constituencies. The district forms part of the Chiriquí Province, which elects three members to the National Assembly.[9][10] The district forms part of the Chiriquí Province, which has seven electoral circuits, and elects 11 members to the National Assembly.[11]
Demographics
As per the 2023 census, Gualaca District had a population of 9,831 inhabitants. The population increased from 9,750 in the 2010 census.[4] The population consisted of 5,097 males and 4,734 females. About 2,160 (22.0%) of the inhabitants were below the age of 14 years and 1,221 inhabitants (12.4%) were above the age of 65 years. The majority (64.1%) of the population was classified as rural while the remaining 35.9% was classified as urban. Non-indigenous, non-Afro-descendant people (85.3%) formed the largest ethnic group in the district, followed by Afro-descendant people (8.8%) and Ngäbe people (5.5%).[12]
References
- ↑ Algunas características de la división política-administrativa indígena y distrito: año 2016 en la república de panamá, según provincia, comarca [Some characteristics of the indigenous political-administrative division and district: year 2016 in the Republic of Panama, according to province, region] (PDF) (Report) (in Spanish). Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censo (INEC). Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
- ↑ "Panama: Provinces and Districts". City Population.de. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- ↑ "District boundaries of Panama". Smithsonian. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- 1 2 3 Superficie, Población y densidad de población en la república, Según provincia, Comarca indígena, Distrito y corregimiento: Censos de 2000, 2010 y 2023 [Area, Population, and Population Density in the Republic, by Province, Indigenous Region, District, and Corregimiento: 2000, 2010, and 2023 Censuses] (PDF) (Report) (in Spanish). Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censo (INEC). p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 April 2024.
- 1 2 3 "Gualaca". Culturama Chiriquí (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 April 2026.
- ↑ "Fortuna Hydroelectric Plant, Panama". Enel Green Power. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
- ↑ "Panama districts". Statoids. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- ↑ Autoridades locales 2024-2029 por provincia, distrito y corregimiento [Local authorities 2024–2029 by province, district, and corregimiento]. Asociación de Municipios de Panamá (Report) (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- ↑ "Asamblea Nacional (National Assembly), Panama". Inter Parliamentary Union. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- ↑ "Panama electoral system". Georgetown University. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- ↑ Report of the electoral observer mission to the Republic of Panama (PDF). Organization of American States (Report). May 1999. p. 7. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- ↑ "Gualaca District". City Population.de. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
