Dolega District

Dolega District
District
Dolega District is located in Panama
Dolega District
Dolega District
Location of the district capital in Panama
Coordinates: 8°33′36″N 82°25′12″W / 8.56000°N 82.42000°W / 8.56000; -82.42000
Country Panama
ProvinceChiriquí Province
CapitalSan Francisco de Dolega
Area
 • Total
97.1 sq mi (251.4 km2)
Population
 (2023)
 • Total
37,648
Time zoneUTC-5 (ETZ)

Dolega District is a district in the Chiriquí Province of Panama. It covers an area of 251.4 km2 (97.1 sq mi) and has a population of 37,678 inhabitants as per the 2023 census. The district was established in 1855 before being annexed to the Boqueron District in 1868, and was re-created again two years later. The district has its capital at the city of Dolega.

History

There are several theories as to how the settlement of Dolega was established, with the earliest pointing to its establishment by Antonio de la Rocha in 1635, and others mentioning it as in 1671 by Gómez Suárez de Figueroa, and in 1795 by the Franciscan missonaries. Dolega was established as a district in 1855. In 1862, the Assmebly of Panama enacted a law to divide the Chiriquí department was officially divided into eleven districts, which included Dolega. In February 1866, a rebel group named "guaraperos" under the command of Aristides de Obaldía revolted against the government and attacked government positions in David. After the attack was suppressed, the district was annexed to Boquerón District in 1868. The district was re-established two years later, and was one of the administrative units when Panama became a republic in 1904. The region has historically been linked with the production of panela from sugercane.

Etymology

According to historian Beatriz Miranda de Cabal, the name "Dolega" refers to a term usde by the indigenous Indians and means "place of the hummingbird". Historian Alberto Osorio indicates that the name was derived from one of the indigenous chieftains known as "Dolegaya". As per historian Rubén Darío Carles, it means "site of the visitflower" or "slaughter of the hummingbird" with "Dole" meaning hummingbird or visitoflower and "go" meaning to kill or a place.

Geography

Dolega District is one of the 82 districts of Panama, and is part of the Chiriquí Province. It is spread over an area of 251.4 km2 (97.1 sq mi).

Administration and politics

The district has its capital at the city of Dolega. The district is divided administratively into the following corregimientos–Dolega, Dos Ríos, Los Algarrobos, Los Anastacios, Potrerillos, Potrerillos Abajo, Rovira, and Tinajas. The corregimiento of Los Algarrobos was created from Dolega by Law 43 on 5 August 2002.

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. The district forms part of the Chiriquí Province, which has seven electoral circuits, and elects 11 members to the National Assembly.

Demographics

As per the 2023 census, Dolega District had a population of 37,678 inhabitants. The population increased from 25,102 in the 2010 census. The population consisted of 18,369 males and 19,309 females. About 8,603 (22.8%) of the inhabitants were below the age of 14 years and 3,800 inhabitants (10.1%) were above the age of 65 years. The majority (58.4%) of the population was classified as urban while the remaining 41.6% was classified as rural. Non-indigenous, non-Afro-descendant people (77.5%) formed the largest ethnic group in the district, followed by Afro-descendant people (13.1%) and Ngäbe people (8.8%).

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Dolega". Culturama Chiriquí (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  2. ↑ 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.
  3. ↑ "Panama: Provinces and Districts". City Population.de. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  4. ↑ "District boundaries of Panama". Smithsonian. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  5. 1 2 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. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 April 2024.
  6. 1 2 "Dolega District". City Population.de. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  7. ↑ "Panama districts". Statoids. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  8. ↑ 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.
  9. ↑ "Ley No. 43 de 5 de agosto de 2002" (PDF) (in Spanish). Justia Panamá. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  10. ↑ "Asamblea Nacional (National Assembly), Panama". Inter Parliamentary Union. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  11. ↑ "Panama electoral system". Georgetown University. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  12. ↑ 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.