DariEn, region, Panama, Panama Political Geography

Related Category: Panama Political Geography

DariEn[dAr´´Een´, Span. dAryAn´] Pronunciation Key, eastern part of Panama between the Gulf of DariEn on the east and the Gulf of San Miguel on the west. DariEn province, heavily forested and sparsely populated, is in the western part of the region. Formerly the name was frequently used to mean the entire isthmus of Panama. In 1513, Vasco NUnez de Balboa led an expedition across DariEn and became the first European to view the Pacific Ocean from the New World. Keats referred to this exploit in his poem "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer" but confused Balboa with HernAn CortEs.

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