Darién Gap

The Darién Gap [1][2] is a geographic region that connects the American continents. In Spanish, it is called Tampón de Darién [taˈpon del daˈɾjen], lit. 'Darién plug'.[3] It has a reputation as one of the most inhospitable regions in the world.[4]

The Darién Gap is in southern Panama's Darién Province and the northern portion of Colombia's Chocó Department. The area is mostly rainforests and mountains. There also is a watershed.

The area is very remote, terrain is difficult, and the environment is extreme.[5] It is very difficult to travel through the Darién Gap. Nevertheless, as the only land bridge between North and South America, the Darién Gap has historically served as a major route for both humans and wildlife.

Geography

The geography of the Darién Gap is very varied. The Colombian side is dominated primarily by the river delta of the Atrato River. This creates a flat marshland at least 80 km (50 mi) wide. The name of the Tanela River, which flows toward Atrato, was Hispanicized to Darién by 16th-century European conquistadors.

The Serranía del Baudó mountain range extends along Colombia's Pacific coast and into Panama. The Panamanian side is very different: It is a mountainous rainforest. Its terrain reaches from 60 m (197 ft) above sea level in the valley floors to 1,845 m (6,053 ft) at the tallest peak, Cerro Tacarcuna, in the Serranía del Darién.

People

Most people living in the Darién Gap are indigenous people. Two major tribes are the Embera-Wounaan and Guna. In 1995, a population of just 8.000 people was reported, distributed among five tribes.[6]

The only larger settlement in the region is La Palma, the capital of Darién Province. It has a population of about 4,200 residents. Other population centers include Yaviza and El Real, both on the Panamanian side.

Economy

Because the region is so isolated, and the geography is harsh, the Darién Gap is largely undeveloped. Economic activities are usually small-scale farming, raising cattle, and lumber.[4]

There is a lot of crime in the area, usually human trafficking or trafficking drugs.[7]

Infrastructure

There is no road, not even a primitive one, across the Darién. In fact, Colombia and Panama are the only countries in the Americas that share a land border but lack even a basic road linking them.

The "Gap" interrupts the Pan-American Highway, which breaks at Yaviza, Panama and resumes at Turbo, Colombia roughly 106 km (66 mi) away. Infrastructure development has been difficult because of logistical challenges, financial costs, and environmental concerns. Attempts failed in the 1970s and 1990s.[6]

As of 2024, there is no active plan to build a road through the Gap, although there is discussion of reestablishing a ferry service and building a rail link.

Travel

Because of the harsh conditions, traveling within the Darien Gap is usually done by boat. Boats are usually small, or they are traditional watercraft such as pirogues.

The only other option is hiking. It is difficult and dangerous. Natural threats include deadly wildlife, tropical diseases, and frequent heavy rains and flash floods. There is no law enforcement, and violent crimes are common. There is no medical support, and even minor injuries may become fatal.[8]

Major migration route

Even though traveling there is dangerous, the Darién Gap is one of the main migration routes across the Americas. Many migrants from Haiti or Venezuela use it to get to the Mexico–United States border.[9][10] In 2022, there were 250,000 crossings, compared to only 24,000 in 2019.[11] In 2023, the number of migrants who had passed through the Gap more than doubled to 520,000.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Darién". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
  2. ↑ "Darién". Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
  3. ↑ "El infierno de cruzar el Tapón del Darién, la región más intransitable y peligrosa de América Latina (que corta en dos la ruta Panamericana)". 31 January 2018. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023 – via www.bbc.com.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Youkee, Mat. "The Darien Gap's Fearsome Reputation Has Been Centuries in the Making". Americas Quarterly. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
  5. ↑ McKinnon, Sara (2024-03-13). "What is the Darien Gap? And why are more migrants risking this Latin American route to get to the US?". The Conversation. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Ward, Logan (20 August 1995). "Colombia-Panama Plan to Build Rain Forest Road Draws Fire : Latin America: Controversial project would span the 60-mile Darien Gap, the only missing segment in the 16,000-mile Pan-American Highway linking Alaska to Chile. Environmentalists and native peoples object". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2 October 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021. Plans were suspended, however, because of pressure from the Sierra Club and other environmental groups.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Staff (2024-01-03). "Record half million people crossed the treacherous Darién Gap in 2023". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
  8. ↑ Taylor, Luke (November 21, 2023). "Rapists and kidnappers increasingly targeting migrants crossing Darién Gap". The Guardian.
  9. ↑ Fernández, Belén (27 October 2022). "The Darién Gap: A deadly extension of the US border". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023.
  10. ↑ Turkewitz, Julie (7 October 2022). "In Record Numbers, Venezuelans Risk a Deadly Trek to Reach the U.S. Border". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  11. ↑ Graham, Thomas (2024-04-18). "Panama's presidential frontrunner vows to 'close' Darién Gap". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-04-22.

Further reading (most recent first)

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