Santa Clara is a ''corregimiento'' (subdistrict) in Renacimiento District,

Chiriquí Province Chiriquí () is a province of Panama located on the western coast; it is the second most developed province in the country, after the Panamá Province. Its capital is the city of David. It has a total area of 6,490.9 km², with a population ...

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

. It has a land area of and had a population of 2,642 as of 2010, giving it a population density of . The corregimiento was created by Law 41 of April 30, 2003. The area includes a transient population of Ngöbe and other indigenous people who labor in the fields. It is located approximately northwest of Volcán. Rio Sereno, the governmental seat of the Renacimiento district, and the Costa Rican border are about 6 kilometers to the west. Its primary source of income is

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. S ...

, supplemented by other crops. It is home to Cafe Duran (whose coffee is widely distributed in Panama), Finca Hartman, Cafe Balboa and Cafe Flor de Chiriquí, and some APAASAC producers of organic, shade grown coffee. The rich volcanic soil also produces

plantain Plantain may refer to: Plants and fruits * Cooking banana, banana cultivars in the genus ''Musa'' whose fruits are generally used in cooking ** True plantains, a group of cultivars of the genus ''Musa'' * ''Plantaginaceae'', a family of flowerin ...

s, various types of beans, oranges, avocados and more.

Climate and natural resources

Santa Clara receives ample rainfall, estimated at per year. The rainy season extends from April through mid-January. At an altitude of , the area is cooler than coastal Panama. Temperatures range from . The

Mesoamerican Biological Corridor The Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC) is a region that consists of Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and some southern states of Mexico. The area acts as a natural land bridge from South America to North ...

(in Spanish ''Corridor Biológico Mesoamericano'') passes nearby. As a result, the area attracts a wide variety of migrating birds. The Chiriquí Highlands, in which Santa Clara is located, forms part of the Talamanca Mountain Range.

Government

Santa Clara has a representative in the regional government of Renacimiento located in Río Serreno.

Infrastructure

Santa Clara has electrical service which reaches most houses. The water system is near universal as well; major improvements were made in 2010. Trash service is provided through the regional government, but this started only in 2010. Prior to this, locals burned or buried their trash, including plastic and glass. The area is served by a winding road that goes to the communities of Río Sereno in the west and Volcán to the east.

Health

The community has a health center staffed once a week by nurses. Every other month doctors hold a clinic. There is a larger clinic in Rio Sereno. The nearest hospital is in

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

, more than an hour away by ambulance. There is no helicopter service. Locals report some early teen pregnancy and some churches have sponsored sex education talks organized by

Peace Corps The Peace Corps is an independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to provide international development assistance. It was established in March 1961 by an executive order of President John F. ...

volunteers.

Transport

Santa Clara is served by taxis from Río Sereno, private vehicles and buses. Buses leave Sereno for David about every 45–50 minutes, with exceptions due to a variety of reasons. Buses are of the type called 'Coasters', seating about 24 people but at often filled with standing passengers. Fares to David as of 2010 are $3.90 and take 2 hours, to Volcan $1.90, taking 45 minutes. Both trips involve travel on the very windy, hilly road between Santa Clara and Volcán.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Santa Clara, Chiriqui Corregimientos of Chiriquí Province es:Santa Clara (Chiriquí)