Being a neighbor of the United States of America is extremely difficult. The state located south of the United States and for a long time has been trying to regain the Panama Canal in full measure. The grandiose project, brought to life by thousands and thousands of workers, has become the national symbol of the country. This is also confirmed by the fact that it is his image that shows the coat of arms of Panama.
Coat of arms as a reflection of the country's history
Panama is located in Central America, occupies territories located at the junction of continents. The original Indian population was practically destroyed by the Spanish colonialists, and the territories received the status of colonies of Spain, then Great Colombia.
And only in 1903 the country gained independence, which gave it the opportunity to start developing the main national symbols. A new period of history was tied around the Panama Canal, first its design, then the great construction, and then the division of spheres of influence. Therefore, on the shield, divided into fields, you can see the following stylized elements: Panama Canal; Golden Horn; a symbolic image of a harpy; crossing weapons; agricultural tools.
The shield is surrounded by images of the national flag of Panama, the entire composition is crowned with a stylized bird of prey, over whose head a semicircle of 10 gold stars.
Element symbology
The central place on the coat of arms is occupied by the Panama Canal. The implementation of the construction, this grandiose project, brought the owners fabulous profits. Both the Americans and the Panamanians were well aware of this, therefore, repeated attempts were made to resolve the issue peacefully and militarily. Now the Panama Canal belongs entirely to the country after which it is named, and the stylized image on the main symbol emphasizes its importance for the economy and politics.
The weapon is evidence that the Panamanians more than once had to take it in their hands to defend their borders. The tools of labor are a hint that the country's population strives for peace and creative work. The golden horn on the coat of arms of Panama, as well as on similar emblems of other countries, symbolizes the wealth of the state. But another symbol, a stylized image of a harpy, is individual, characteristic only of this Central American state.
The harpy received the well-deserved status of the national symbol of the country, it is one of the most powerful predators of the planet (among the birds). Although it lives not only in Panama, but also much to the south, it was the Panamanians who decided to depict her on their coat of arms. It is symbolic that a harpy constantly lives in the botanical garden of the capital, playing the role of a living symbol.
