Ancon Hill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ancón Hill |
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View of the Ancón Hill with the Panamanian flag on top.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 199 m (653 ft) |
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Ancón Hill (in Spanish: Cerro Ancón) is a hill that stands tall over Panama City, Panama. It is about 199 meters (653 feet) high. This makes it the highest point in the city.
Ancón Hill is next to the area called Ancón. This hill was once part of the Panama Canal Zone. This was an area controlled by the United States. In 1977, the hill was given back to Panama. Today, Ancón Hill is mostly undeveloped. It is a special nature reserve.
You can reach the top of the hill by hiking for about 30 minutes. It is a popular spot for jogging and hiking. Along the path, you can see many different plants and birds. This includes many types of orchids. These beautiful flowers are protected by a group called CITES.
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Nature and Wildlife
Ancón Hill is like a small jungle in the middle of a city. Many wild animals live here. You might see sloths moving slowly in the trees. Other animals include white-nosed coatis and nine-banded armadillos. You could also spot Geoffroy's tamarins or even deer.
The hill is now a protected area. This means its nature and animals are kept safe. A Panamanian environmental group uses the hill's name as part of its own name. This group is called the Asociación Nacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (ANCON). They work to protect nature.
History of Ancón Hill
Early History and Pirates
In 1671, a famous pirate named Henry Morgan attacked Panama City. His scouts climbed Ancón Hill first. They used the hill to look at the city's defenses. Ancón Hill overlooks the place where the new Panama City was built. This happened after Morgan destroyed the old city.
Panama Canal and National Symbol
The hill became part of the land used to build the Panama Canal. It became a national symbol for Panama in 1906. This was after a poet named Amelia Denis de Icaza wrote a poem about the hill. Her poem was about the hill becoming part of the Canal Zone. Today, a very large Panamanian flag flies proudly at the top of the hill.
The first ship to officially travel through the Panama Canal in 1914 was named SS Ancon. It was named after Ancón Hill and the nearby town.
Return to Panama
Panama took control of the hill again after the 1977 Panama Canal Treaty. One of the first things Panama did was to raise a large Panamanian flag on the hill's summit. This showed that the hill was now fully part of Panama.
See also
In Spanish: Cerro Ancón para niños
- Protected areas of Panama
