Herrera Province

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Herrera is a province in Panamá. Named after General Tomás Herrera, the province was founded on January 18, 1915 after a division of the Los Santos province. The capital city of Herrera is Chitré, which is located near the province's coastline. Herrera is bordered on the north by the provinces Veraguas and Coclé, on the south by Los Santos, on the east by Golfo de Parita and Los Santos, and on the west by Veraguas.

1 The founding of Chitré and Herrera
2 Economy
3 Culture
4 Sports
5 Carnival
6 Districts

[edit] The founding of Chitré and Herrera

After gaining independence from Spain in 1821, the isthmus of Panama was divided into two provinces, Panamá and Veraguas. The province Panamá consisted of the towns Portobelo, Chorrera, Natá, Los Santos and Yavisa. At the time, the location now occupied by the city of Chitré was inhabited by a small population of indigenous persons and was governed from Natá. It later came under the control of the Los Santos government.

Chitré was founded on October 19, 1848 by General Tomás Herrera, who was the governor of the province Azuero at the time. In 1860, Azuero was eliminated and Herrera was created by the constitutional assembly. Chitré, however, was included in the province of Los Santos. It was not until 1915 under the administration of Dr. Belisario Porras that Chitré became a part of Herrera and was made the province's capital.

[edit] Economy

Of Panama's nine provinces, Herrera ranks third in sugarcane production. Other commercial mainstays in Herrera include retail, equipment repair, banking, and domestic service. Prominent industries include dairy, cattle, commercial fishing, alcohol, ceramics, clay products, mosaics, and cement.

[edit] Culture

The famous Festival del Manito Ocueño has its origin in the town Ocú in Herrera. Also, the pottery work in the province is extensive, consisting mainly of high-quality reproductions of precolombian artifacts. Herrera's pottery is the best-known in the country. Panama's most famous alcoholic drink, "seco" (translation: dry), is produced in Herrera. Varela Hermanos, a company based in Pesé, sells seco under the trade name Seco Herrerano.

[edit] Sports

Herrera's baseball team has won fourteen national championships, more than any other team in the country, including the 2005 title.

[edit] Carnival

The best-known carnivals are celebrated in Chitré, Parita and Ocú. Chitré's carnival is one of the most popular in Panama, but those in Ocú have risen in prominence in recent years.