Isthmus of Panama

The Isthmus of Panama (Spanish: Istmo de Panamá)[1] is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, linking North and South America.

The isthmus is thought to have been finally formed around 3 million years ago (Ma),[2] separating the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and causing the creation of the Gulf Stream, as first suggested in 1910 by Henry Fairfield Osborn.

The separation of the oceans increased marine biodiversity on both sides, and the connection between the American continents allowed for the interchange of terrestrial life.

The formation of the isthmus fundamentally changed the system of inter-ocean circulation of warm and cold currents, which caused the northern polar ice cap to form.

The remains of a variety of paleolithic fauna that were found in the Canal Zone in 2007 include bear-dogs, miniature horses, rhinos, camels, early relatives of modern hippos, and at least one species of chalicothere.

Indigenous peoples in Panama have been connected to the wider regional networks of exchange and diffusion for as long as they have inhabited the isthmus, evident in the presence of Coclé gold work being found as far away as Chichin Itza in the Yucatan.

A regional slave trade in Indigenous peoples was carried out by the colonizing forces in the early 16th century across Central America from Panama to Nicaragua.

[13] During the Spanish colonization of Peru, the Isthmus developed into an important port of trade and became an administrative center for the conquests of both South and wider Central America.

The scheme was backed largely by investors of the Kingdom of Scotland in order to gain wealth and influence by establishing New Caledonia, a colony in the Darién Gap in the late 1690s.

The plan was for the colony, located on the Gulf of Darién, to establish and manage an overland route to connect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

Over time, massive amounts of sediment from North and South America filled the gaps between the newly forming islands.

There is isotopic and carbonate deposition rate evidence that deep water connections below 1,800 m (5,900 ft) were broken between the Atlantic and Pacific by between 12 and 9.2 Ma.

As the connecting bridge between two vast land masses, the Panamanian biosphere is filled with overlapping fauna and flora from both North and South America.

[24] The tropical climate also encourages a myriad of large and brightly colored species, insects, amphibians, birds, fish, and reptiles.