Balboa, Panama

Balboa
Balboa
Coordinates: 8°57′N 79°34′W / 8.950°N 79.567°W / 8.950; -79.567
Country	Panama

Balboa is a district of

.

History

The town of Balboa, founded by the

.

The town of Balboa, like most towns in the Canal Zone, was served by the Canal Zone Government–operated schools, post office, police and fire stations, commissary, cafeteria, movie theater, service center, bowling alley, and other recreational facilities and company stores. There were several schools in the area, including Balboa Elementary School, Balboa High School, and the private St. Mary's School. The town was also home to two private banks, a credit union, a Jewish Welfare Board, several Christian denomination churches, civic clubs (such as the Elks Club and the Knights of Columbus), a Masonic Lodge, a YMCA, several historic monuments, and a miniature Statue of Liberty donated by the Boy Scouts of America.

Panama Canal Treaties

Until 1979, when the Canal Zone as a solely US territory was abolished under the terms of the

, the town of Balboa was the administrative center of the Canal Zone, and remained so until midday on December 31, 1999, by which time, according to the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, the Panama Canal and all its assets and territories were fully returned to the Panamanian government.

Panama Canal Administration Building

The Panama Canal Administration Building, the former seat of the Canal Zone Government and

depicting the construction of the canal.

Balboa Naval Transmitting Station

A United States Navy very-low-frequency transmitting station (callsign NBA) near Balboa began service around 1915. It transmitted orders to submerged submarines.

Port of Balboa

Balboa is the Pacific-side port of the Panama Canal. The port has a dry dock in Panamax size (even the gates have a construction similar to that of the locks of the Panama canal). In 2012, Balboa was ranked the busiest container port in Latin America.^[1]

Balboa has a multimodal (ship-to-train) terminal, called the Pacific Terminal, connected to Colón by the Panama Canal Railway. This allows transportation of containers by train across the isthmus. The railway also runs a passenger service between Panama City and Colón, once a day, each way.

Climate

Current highlights

Formerly a part of the

and some English-language churches, obviously because they were mostly available for Americans.

Sightseeing highlights for anyone visiting Balboa today^[when?] include the Administration Building, Mi Pueblito Afroantillano, scenic overlook of Ancon Hill (from which a set of locks of the Canal can be seen), monument Homenaje a la Democracia, the Goethals Memorial, the Prado, two handicraft markets, three bed-and-breakfast hotels, and a country store and café near the Administration Building.

The population as of the 1990 census was 1,214.

See also

• Naval Base Panama Canal Zone

References