- Veragua
Veragua or Veraguas was the name of five territorial entities in Central America, beginning in the sixteenth century during the Spanish colonial period. It was based on an Indigenous name for the region.
*The
Gobernación de Veragua ("Columbian Veragua") (1502 -1537 ) included the Caribbean coast of present-dayNicaragua andCosta Rica and the coast ofPanama as far as theRío Belén , namely, the coastline explored byChristopher Columbus on his fourth voyage, in 1502. It was this area that Columbus (and his heirs) claimed as his private domain, but which the Crown did not recognize. Spanish governors of this territory wereDiego de Nicuesa andFelipe Gutiérrez y Toledo .*The
Duchy of Veragua , created in1537 from the Gobernación de Veragua in territory now belonging to Panama. The first duke wasLuis Colón y Toledo , grandson and heir of Columbus, who received the title after a long lawsuit with theCrown of Castile . In1556 he returned the territory to the Crown but retained the ducal title.*
Royal Veragua ("Veragua Real") (1537 -1540 ) included those territories of the Gobernación de Veragua not included in the Duchy of Veragua. These territories were in two parts, with the duchy separating them. In1540 the western part, together with territories fromCastilla de Oro , became the Province ofNuevo Cartago y Costa Rica within the Spanish Kingdom ofGuatemala . In 1565 the name was shortened to "Province of Costa Rica".*The
Province of Veragua , formed in1560 from territories formerly in the Duchy of Veragua. Its first governor was Francisco Vázquez. This territory, slightly expanded to the west and the south, became a dependency of the Intendencia of Panama, and in 1821, of the Republic ofColombia .*
Veraguas Province is today one of the provinces of the Republic of Panama. It is the continuation of the Colombian Province of Veragua.References
*This article is a free translation of the article at the Spanish Wikipedia, accessed
February 2 ,2007 .External links
*es icon [http://www.webpanama.net/historia/Veraguas.htm "Sinopsis histórica de la Provincia de Veraguas"]
*es icon [http://www.visitapanama.com/Veraguas.asp Provincia de Veraguas]
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