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National Geographic : 1904 Feb
Contents
THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA ately following. This road has been abandoned for many years, as has the ancient road from Portobello to Panama. The greater portion of the territory of the Republic is of small elevation, with many large marshes along the sea coast. Even the mountainous portions east and southeast of the railroad, form ing the Darien country, are not high, probably in no case exceeding an eleva tion of 2,800 feet. The arable land on either side of the Isthmus is mostly ground of low elevation. THE CLIMATE The climate of the Isthmus is thor oughly tropical in character, but it is by no means entitled to the bad name which is so frequently given to it. In speaking of this climate, all business and social activity in the Republic of Panama is so centered in the vicinity of the rail road line, which is also practically the proposed canal route, that observations as to climatic or other conditions apply strictly to this vicinity, although they are practically the same for other parts of the Republic. At Panama the Isthmus is scarcely more than forty miles wide. The prox imity of the two oceans necessarily af fects the climate in a marked manner. The continental divide at this location is low, rising to an elevation but little more than three hundred feet above mean sea level. Winds therefore blow across the entire Isthmus almost unob structed. Under the tropical sun the evaporation from the two oceans is rapid, and the consequence is an atmos phere highly charged with aqueous vapor at nearly all times. The high temperature of the tropical climate is therefore accentuated with great humid ity, which is enervating to a marked degree to those who have been bred in a temperate climate. The temperature at Colon, on the Car ibbean side of the Isthmus, not often rises above 90° Fahr., although it occa- sionally reaches 980 or even a little higher, as in December, 1885 (980.2), and January and March, 1886 (980.2), the latter year being an unusually hot one. The mean of the maximum monthly temperature that yearwas 95°. 2 Fahr. The usual maximum monthly temperature ranges from about 85° Fahr. to about 91° or 92 Fahr. The minimum monthly temperature usually ranges from about 60° Fahr. to about 750 Fahr., the mean minimum monthly temperature being but little under 700 Fahr. The mean temperature through out the year is not far from 800 Fahr. The interior points of the Isthmus, such as Gamboa and Obispo, about half way across the Isthmus on the railroad line, generally experience maximum temper atures perhaps two or three degrees higher than at Colon, and minimum tem peratures perhaps three or four degrees lower than at that point. On the Pa cific side the temperature may run a degree or two higher than at Colon. For all ordinary purposes it may be stated that there is no sensible difference in temperature on the two sides of the Isthmus,nor in other climatic conditions except the rainfall, which differs sensi bly. On the high ground at Culebra, where the canal and railroad lines cut the continental divide, and where the elevation is from two hundred to three hundred feet above sea level, the air is cooler and dryer than at either sea coast. These figures show that the rul ing temperatures on the Isthmus are not so high as those shown by the hottest weather of a New York or Washington summer; but the temperatures, such as they are on the Isthmus, continue with out material abatement. The low latitude of the Isthmus of Panama, the farthest point north lying in latitude 9°, brings the sun at the zenith twice during the year, once at noon on April 13 on its journey north ward, and the second time at noon on August 29 on its return southward 63
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