The cities of Panama (Republic of Panama) and Curitiba (Brazil) have been chosen as an American Capital of Culture 2003, by an International jury.

Next year Panama City will mark a century of independence for the Republic of Panama, with a number of events and activities organised by the National Committee of the Centenary, a body created by her Excellency Mireya Moscoso, President of the Republic of Panama.

Also in 2003, Curitiba will mark its 150th anniversary of the proclamation of this city as the capital of the Brazilian state of Parana.

Panama City was the first European settlement on the Pacific coast of the Americas, founded in 1519. Nowadays it has some 750,000 inhabitants and in amongst a variety of urban landscapes, centuries-old buildings can be found between those that are ultramodern. Something that is a little uncommon in modern cities is that it is also in an area of tropical forest, which contributes to the conservation of the basin of the Panama Canal - the principal aquatic route of the American hemisphere, inaugurated in 1914. In 1997, the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO inscribed the old part of the city of Panama, together with the "Salón Bolívar," onto the Heritage List. The inscription is based on the preservation of the original tracing of the old city.

The Brazilian city of Curitiba was founded in the 17th Century. In 2003, they will be celebrate 150 years of it being designated as the capital of the Brazilian state of Parana, which was created in 1853. Nowadays Curitiba has a population of approximately 1.6 million inhabitants and is known internationally for the quality of life that it provides for the people that live there.

The city possesses a unique system of parks and public gardens, with an excellent ratio of green areas in relation to its inhabitants, an integrated public transport system, a complete range of cultural and educational facilities, as well as the development of programs of a marked ecological character.


From 2003, two cities will be designated annually from those countries within the coverage of the American Capital of Culture. These cities, necessarily, will have to belong to countries linguistically or geographically different, as is the case for Panama and Curitiba.

The first American Capital of Culture in history was Merida (Mexico), for the Year 2000. They were followed by Iquique (Chile) for 2001, and Maceió (Brazil) for 2002.

The initiative for the American Capital of Culture is promoted by the Organization of the American Capital of Culture, created in 1997. The offer, which goes to all countries that are members of the Organization of American States (OAS), has the support of diverse international organisations, and includes the Latin-American Parliament and the European Parliament. Additionally, the American Capital of Culture has recently been integrated into the European Net of Cultural Capitals, as observers.

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