📖 About David

David, the capital of Chiriquí Province in western Panama, stands as the country's third-largest city with an estimated district population exceeding 182,000 as of 2025, growing from a city population of approximately 82,907 confirmed in 2013. Founded in 1602 by orders of Governor Juan Lopez de Sequeira and his lieutenant Francisco de Gama, David was one of three Spanish settlements established in the region that year, and remarkably the only one to survive repeated attacks from indigenous groups resisting colonization. The city is named after the biblical King David and received formal recognition from the colonial government in 1736 when it was officially named "La Ermita San Jose de David." David's strategic importance grew through the centuries: it became a town in 1831, was chosen as the capital of the newly created Chiriquí Province on May 26, 1849, and received full city status in 1860 under new territorial division laws.

As the largest city in Panama outside the Panama City metropolitan area, David serves as the commercial, business, transportation, education, and healthcare hub for all of western Panama. The city is situated in the midst of the country's "breadbasket" agricultural region, where provinces like Chiriquí function as the backbone of the local economy through intensive farming, cattle raising, and coffee production. David's economy reflects this agricultural foundation while also embracing modern industry: the city is one of the most industrialized in Panama, serving as a center for manufacturing, heavy industry, food processing, distilling, and tanning, alongside high technology standards and communications. Most national banks maintain offices in David, including international institutions such as HSBC, making it the region's chief financial center. The city is relatively affluent with a firmly established middle class and very low unemployment and poverty indices, offering developed infrastructure comparable to larger cities but with a much lower cost of living than Panama City.

David functions primarily as a gateway to the spectacular Chiriquí Highlands rather than as a major tourist destination in itself, with visitors using the city as a strategic base from which to explore the region's natural wonders. The cool mountain air, rugged mist-shrouded hills, Alpine cloud forests, and boulder-strewn rivers of the highlands create a delightful landscape centered on Volcán Barú, Panama's highest peak at 3,478 meters. The postcard-pretty mountain town of Boquete, located about 45 minutes from David at an elevation of 1,200 meters, draws visitors for its outdoor adventures, boundless hiking trails, and world-famous coffee plantations that produce premium Geisha coffee—a variety that has set record auction prices. The region's perfect climate for coffee production, with high altitudes, rich volcanic soil, and cool breezes from both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, has made Chiriquí the premier coffee-growing area in Panama, providing employment for over 70,000 people and earning international acclaim for quality.

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💼 Economy & Culture

David's economy functions as the commercial and financial engine for all of western Panama, anchored by its position in the heart of the country's breadbasket agricultural region. Agriculture and cattle raising form the foundation, with the Chiriquí highlands producing vegetables, dairy, flowers, and Panama's most prestigious export: Geisha coffee, a premium variety grown at high altitudes in volcanic soil that has achieved record prices at international auctions and provides employment for over 70,000 people across the industry. The city serves as a hub for processing and distributing agricultural products, with industries including food processing, distilling, and tanning transforming raw materials from surrounding farms and ranches. Beyond agriculture, David has emerged as one of Panama's most industrialized cities, hosting manufacturing facilities, heavy industry, and high-tech communications infrastructure. The city's role as the region's chief financial center is evidenced by the presence of offices for most national banks, including international institutions such as HSBC, providing sophisticated financial services to businesses throughout western Panama. The relatively affluent population, characterized by a firmly established middle class and very low unemployment and poverty indices, enjoys developed infrastructure comparable to Panama City but with significantly lower cost of living, making David attractive for both business and residential investment.

Culturally, David embodies a blend of Spanish colonial heritage and modern Panamanian identity, centered on the historic Barrio Bolivar where colonial-era buildings preserve the city's 400+ year history dating back to its 1602 founding as one of only three Spanish settlements in the region to survive indigenous resistance. The Cathedral of Saint Joseph, over 120 years old, stands as a landmark of this heritage, while Parque Cervantes provides a central gathering space with its illuminated fountain sculpture, shade trees, and grassy areas where residents socialize and celebrate community events. David's strategic position as gateway to the Chiriquí Highlands has shaped a culture that balances urban sophistication with connection to the natural environment, as residents and visitors alike venture into the surrounding cloud forests, coffee plantations, and volcanic peaks that define the region's character. The annual David International Fair boosts the regional economy and culture, attracting participants from across Panama and Central America. While the city itself maintains a more practical, business-focused character compared to tourist-oriented mountain towns like Boquete, David's shopping centers (Federal Mall, Chiriquí Mall), restaurants serving local Panamanian cuisine, and role as an education and healthcare hub make it the essential urban center for western Panama's diverse communities, from coffee farmers in the highlands to fishing communities along the Pacific coast.

📜 History

The history of David begins in 1602 when Spanish Governor Juan Lopez de Sequeira, who controlled Veraguas between 1602 and 1606, ordered the establishment of three settlements in the region. Working with his political brother-in-law, Lieutenant Francisco de Gama, Sequeira founded David as part of Spain's colonial expansion into western Panama. Of the three settlements founded that year, David alone survived repeated attacks from indigenous groups resisting Spanish colonization, demonstrating the resilience of the early colonists and the strategic importance of the location. Named after the biblical King David, the settlement struggled for more than a century before receiving formal recognition from the colonial government in 1736, when it was officially designated "La Ermita San Jose de David" (The Hermitage of Saint Joseph of David). This recognition marked the beginning of David's gradual ascent from a precarious frontier outpost to an important regional center.

The 19th century brought transformative changes to David's status and importance. Until 1831, David remained a parish within the larger colonial administrative structure, but in that year it received the title of town and became the capital of Canton de Alanje, signaling its growing significance. The most pivotal moment came on May 26, 1849, when the Chiriquí Province was officially created and David was chosen as its capital, a position it has retained for over 175 years. This designation reflected both the city's strategic location in western Panama and its role as the natural center for the agricultural richness of the surrounding region. In 1860, a new law on territorial division elevated David to full city status, completing its evolution from struggling Spanish settlement to provincial capital. Throughout the 20th century, David expanded as Panama's third-largest city, developing into the commercial, business, transportation, education, and healthcare hub for all of western Panama. The city's growth accelerated with improvements in transportation connecting it to Panama City and the development of agricultural export industries, particularly the coffee sector that has brought international fame to Chiriquí's high-altitude Geisha variety. Today, David honors its Spanish colonial heritage through preserved buildings in the historic Barrio Bolivar while embracing modernity as one of Panama's most industrialized cities, serving as the essential gateway to the spectacular Chiriquí Highlands and the economic powerhouse of western Panama.