Santa Fe District
| Santa Fe District | |
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| District | |
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 Santa Fe District
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| Coordinates: 8°30′N 81°04′W / 8.500°N 81.067°WCoordinates: 8°30′N 81°04′W / 8.500°N 81.067°W | |
| Country |
 Panama
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| Province | Veraguas Province |
| Capital | Santa Fe |
| Area | |
| • Total | 750 sq mi (1,943 km2) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 12,890 |
| Time zone | ETZ (UTC-5) |
Santa Fe District is a district (distrito) of Veraguas Province in Panama. The population according to the 2000 census was 12,890. The district covers a total area of 1943 km². The capital lies at the city of Santa Fe.
Santa Fe is known throughout Panamá for its orchids. There is an orchid exposition every August.
The Artisan Market in the Cabecera de Santa Fe makes and sells classic Panamá hats that are more durable and cheaper than hats found elsewhere in Panamá. In addition to the hats the artisan market also sells handmade indigenous style dresses for women and girls. These dresses are characterized by bright colors and geometric patterns.
The area to the north of the town Santa Fe was a gold mining region from the beginning of Spanish colonisation (and has remained so to this day). In 1557, the Spanish crown authorised the conquest of Veraguas. Captain Francisco Vázquez founded several towns, including Santa Fe in 1558. The now much bigger town of Santiago was founded in the mid 17th century by the inhabitants of Santa Fe and Montijo as a base for further colonisation.
Contemporary history has been marked by sharp class conflict. When the Catholic Church began to step up its operations in the province of Veraguas in the early 60s, Santa Fe was one of the poorest regions in Panama. At the time, there was around %90 illiteracy and widespread hunger, and the region was only connected to Santiago by an unpaved road, which was impossible to travel during much of the rainy season. A report by a group of social scientists and Church leaders claimed that the main problem was the extremely uneven distribution of power. A small group of families controlled most of the resources in the region, and owned the town's only stores. This group could buy produce cheaply from the peasants and sell to them dry goods at exorbitant prices since growers had no way of reaching external markets. This elite lent money as well, further deepening dependency, and its members would serve as town judges, mayors and representatives in national politics.
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Wikipedia