Chitré facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chitré
Corregimiento
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County and city
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City of Chitre
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 Chitré
Location in Panama
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| Country |  Panama |
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| Province | Herrera Province | ||
| Founded | 1848 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Land | 12.4 km2 (4.8 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 24 m (79 ft) | ||
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 9,092 | ||
| • Density | 735.5/km2 (1,905/sq mi) | ||
| Population density calculated based on land area. | |||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) | ||
| Climate | Aw | ||
Chitré is a lively city in Panama. It's the capital of the Herrera Province. In 2010, about 9,092 people lived in the city itself, but the larger area around it had about 80,000 residents. Chitré is also the main town of the Chitré District.
The city is located about 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from the Gulf of Parita. This gulf is part of the Azuero Peninsula. The name Chitré comes from an old native tribe called Chitra. The city of Chitré is divided into five smaller areas called corregimientos: San Juan Bautista, Llano Bonito, Monagrillo, La Arena, and Chitré.
Contents
History of Chitré
Chitré was officially started on October 19, 1848. It began as a "parochial district," which is like a local church area. The government of Panama decided to make Chitré a separate district. This new district included the towns of Chitré, Monagrillo, and La Arena. Some of the people who helped found Chitré were Ventura Solís, Matías Rodríguez, and José Ríos, among others.
In 1915, when the Herrera Province was created, Chitré was chosen to be its capital city. Later, in 1941, the Herrera Province and the Los Santos Province were joined together. During that time, Chitré became the capital for both provinces. However, they were separated again later, and Chitré went back to being the capital of just Herrera Province, which it still is today.
On October 19, 1948, Chitré celebrated its 100th birthday with a big party. To remember this special day, a street was renamed Avenida Centenario (Centennial Avenue).
Geography and Nature
The area around Chitré used to be a tropical dry forest. Today, much of that forest has been cleared.
Chitré has a beach nearby called Agallito. This beach is a great place for nature lovers. When the tide is low, you can see many types of crabs. Thousands of different bird species also come to eat there. This makes Agallito perfect for birdwatching and taking amazing photos. A famous bird expert, Francisco Delgado, who discovered the Painted Parakeet of Azuero, lives in Chitré.
The Herrera Province shares its borders with other provinces. To the north, it borders Cocle, and to the south, it borders Los Santos. The Santa Maria River forms the border with Cocle, and the La Villa River borders Los Santos. Herrera is part of the Azuero Peninsula, which also includes Los Santos and parts of Veraguas.
Some of the other important towns in Herrera are Parita, Ocu, and Santa Maria. Herrera is well-known for its handmade crafts, especially clay pottery. You can find these beautiful items in many towns, like La Arena.
Economy and Travel
Chitré is a modern city with many things you'd find in bigger places like Panama City. It has hotels, restaurants with different kinds of food, banks, and shopping malls. You can also find internet access and good phone systems. Chitré is one of Panama's most developed cities. It's also very important for industry, providing fuels, meats, and clothes to the country and other parts of the continent.
Chitré has become a major shopping hub for the central provinces of Panama. Most stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants, hotels, and car rental places accept credit cards like Visa and MasterCard.
The city also has more affordable shops and markets, mostly in the downtown area. There are also factories that provide services, heavy goods, and things for tourists. A new hotel and residential complex called Cubitá Boutique Resort & Spa was built, showing the city's growth.
Getting around Chitré and to other places is easy. The city has a large bus station with buses going to towns like Las Tablas, Santiago, and Panama City. Chitré also has a small airport, Chitré Alonso Valderrama Airport, which offers flights to Panama City.
Culture and Celebrations
People from Chitré are known for being friendly and cheerful. They love to celebrate and welcome everyone, even if they are not from the city. Cooperation and kindness are very common among the people of Chitré. This makes the city a peaceful and safe place, especially for people who want to live away from busy, noisy cities.
The carnival celebrations in Chitré are famous around the world. They are some of the most popular in Panama and happen every year in February. Many people from other countries and other parts of Panama come to enjoy them. Other important celebrations include Holy Week, Corpus Christi, and the feast day of St. John the Baptist, who is the city's patron saint.
Baseball is a very important sport in Chitré. Every summer, the province's baseball championships are held at Rico Cedeno Stadium in Chitré. The Herrera Province team has won many national championships, making them one of the most successful teams in Panama. Their last big win was in 2007, when they won three championships in a row from 2005 to 2007.
Education in Chitré
For a long time, Chitré didn't have its own elementary school building. Classes were taught in rented houses. In 1928, the Chitré School was built with money from the government and local people. This school was later renamed Republic of Bolivia School. In 1934, the famous Tomás Herrera School building was constructed.
Chitré also has excellent secondary schools. The José Daniel Crespo School was for a long time the only high school serving Chitré and nearby Villa de Los Santos. It is considered one of the best public high schools in Panama. The Padre Segundo Familiar Cano School, now called Monagrillo Secondary School, was founded in 1970 and is also known for its high quality education.
There are also many private schools in Chitré, such as the Colegio Agustiniano, a Catholic school, and Soyuz Bilingual School. For higher education, the University of Panama has a campus in Chitré. Other universities like the Latin University of Panama and Columbus University also have locations there.
Notable People from Chitré
Many talented people come from Chitré, including:
- Sheila E. Lichacz, an international artist and diplomat.
- Enrique Geenzier, a poet, politician, and diplomat.
- Emilio Regueira, a musician and leader of the band Los Rabanes.
- Félix Danilo Gómez (Flex), a popular musician.
- Juan Ramón Solís, a football (soccer) player.
- Sandra Sandoval, a famous singer.
- Samy Sandoval, a well-known accordion player.
- Sheldry Sáez, who was Miss Panama Universe in 2011.
- Olmedo Sáenz, a former professional baseball player in Major League Baseball.
