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UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Created by the United Nations in 1945, it is tasked to perform a number of important functions. One of these is to identify UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and to publicize and otherwise support these sites. We are going to be looking at some of the five identified Sites located in Panama.

UNESCO selects locations to be designated as World Heritage Sites based on either their cultural or natural significance, or both. Panama has a total of 5 recognized sites. It has been blessed with not only natural points of interest, but with cultural and historical ones as well.

Besides designating the sites, UNESCO supports them in several ways. The designation itself has great publicity value as the selection process is recognized as having integrity. Worldwide there are only 890 designated sites, so making the list has some significance. UNESCO also provides funds for conservation as appropriate.

The initial Panamanian World Heritage Site was Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo, which received recognition in 1980. Portobelo and San Lorenzo were both forts established by the Spanish to strengthen their defenses. During this period, the 17th and 18th centuries, there were a number of attacks and counterattacks.

During this time there were a number of attacks. The Welsh pirate or privateer Henry Morgan seemed to have it in for this country as he was responsible for many raids. Control of the area went back and forth several times. The fortifications have been mostly destroyed, but portions of the ruins have been cleaned up for viewing. There are enough pieces of structure and armaments such as cannon remaining to give a good picture of the military technology and even tactics of the day.

The next addition was Archaeological Site of Panama Viejo and Historic District of Panama, which made it in 1997. Panama Viejo was established in 1519. It was the first European settlement on the Pacific Ocean. Henry Morgan, a pirate or privateer depending on who is telling the story, sacked the city in 1671. The Spanish rebuilt it as a fortified city on a peninsula to make it more difficult to assault. That location, sometimes called Casco Viejo de Panama, is now part of the current city of Panama, referred to as the Historic District of Panama. Together these two locations comprise the World Heritage Site.

After this, the city was rebuilt in a safer location, where it remains today. The Historic District of Panama, also known as Casco Viejo de Panama, is where the city was rebuilt. It is central to the much larger city that it has become.

The presence of these World Heritage Sites is strong evidence that the Canal is by far not the only object of interest in this relatively small country. It is easy to see why tourism is such a major part of the local economy. Panama certainly appears to be a great place to visit.