The Smithsonian Institute has a strong relationship with Panama. In fact, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute conducts all its activities in this Central American country, and they have contributed to the implementation of strategies that support research and care of nature in Panama. One of the best known is the collaboration in the creation of the Biomuseo located in the Amador Causeway.

In order to understand more about this relationship, we first have to talk about the Smithsonian Institution history.

The Smithsonian Institution was established with funds from James Smithson, a British scientist who wanted to found “at Washington, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” U.S congress authorized the creating of this institute on July 1st 1836, but it took another ten years of debate before the Smithsonian was finally founded. Years later, the Smithsonian became a representative of American innovation.

A curious fact is that James Smithson never visited the United States, which is why many people wonder why he decided to give all his inheritance to promote research in a country he didn’t even know. Some people argue that he was inspired by the United States’ democracy. However, Smithson never wrote about it or discussed his reason.

Nowadays, The Smithsonian Institute is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and a National Zoo. They have an important impact in the present and the future of the world by preserving heritage, discovering new knowledge, and sharing their resources.

Smithsonian Institute in Panama

The presence of the Smithsonian in Panama started with the construction of the Panama Canal (1903-1914) with the purpose to apply a “science diplomacy” that could impact positively both the country and the Smithsonian Institute.

It is important to mention that this idea came from the Smithsonian scientists and naturalists in the United States. They urged U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt to support a biological expedition to take an inventory of the future Canal Zone’s flora and fauna before the canal would forever alter the landscape. In fact, according to the Smithsonian Institute website, this research is known as one of the world’s first environmental impact studies.

With this decision, the Smithsonian acknowledged the importance of Panama’s biodiversity. The rise of the Isthmus of Panama, which concluded about 3 million years ago, impacted the entire globe: On land, it helped animals and plants migrate between North and South America across the newly formed land bridge. Furthermore, when the ocean got divided in two (Atlantic and Pacific), two different marine ecosystems were created. In fact, scientists of the Smithsonian Institute mention that the closure of the Isthmus changed the global climate and perhaps influenced an ice age and the evolution of humans in Africa.

For all of these reasons, they selected Panama as the place to found the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, in order to promote knowledge about the past, present and future of tropical ecosystems and their relevance to human well-being.

The Smithsonian in Panama is a global platform for research on tropical forest and marine ecosystems. Today the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute employs permanent scientists and hosts thousands of visiting scientists each year: undergraduate students and interns, postdoctoral researchers, and permanent research associates.

It is important to mention that their research also reaches public policy-makers, therefore their work impacts directly on the Panamanian government, making its development more and more oriented towards a green economy and another great option to move, invest and live.

We hope you like this article, and as always, feel free to contact Outlier Legal if you need help, assistance or information about Real Estate, Business, and Immigration for Panama and Costa Rica!