Coclé is a province of Panama. The province is in central Panama on the southern coast along the Pacific Ocean. The provincial capital is the city of Penonomé.
History
This province was created in 1855 with the name of Department of Coclé, during the presidency of Justo de Arosemena. Its name was changed to province on 20 October 1985.
Location
The Coclé province borders the Colón province to the north, the Panamá Oeste province to the east, the Pacific Ocean and the Herrera province to the south and the Veraguas province to the west.
Geography
The Coclé province has an area of .
The Cordillera Central ("Central Mountain range) is in the northern part of the province and divides the province in two drainage basins; to the north, the rivers flow to the Caribbean Sea but to the south of the mountain range the rivers flow to the Pacific Ocean.
In the southern part of the province there is a large plain that gets to the Pacific coast.
Protected areas
In the northeast of the province is the Parque Nacional General de División Omar Torrijos Herrera, a national park.
Demographics
The people of the province are known as Coclesanos (women:Coclesanas).
The Coclé province had a population, in 2010, of 233,708, for a population density of inhabitants/km2.
Evolution of the population in Coclé province
Administrative divisions
The Coclé province is divided in six districts, which are divided into 44 corregimientos.
Economy
Coclé is primarily an agricultural area, with sugar and tomatoes as major crops. The province has a number of well-known beaches, such as Santa Clara, Farallon and Rio Hato, and tourist activity has increased in recent years.