![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/pages\/San-Blas-3.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
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Where it is<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/pages\/San-Blas-4.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
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- The San Blas islands lie off the north coast of Panama in the Caribbean Sea.<\/li>\n
- There are 365 islands and most of them are uninhabited<\/li>\n
- The islands are low-lying and protected by coral reefs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Basic Facts<\/h2>\n
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- The indigenous people are called the\u00a0Guna<\/strong> (formerly Kuna) and live on the\u00a0 main islands<\/li>\n
- The Guna communities on the San Blas\u00a0 and the Caribbean coast form an\u00a0 indigenous province in northeast\u00a0 Panama which is known as Guna Yala<\/strong><\/li>\n
- They have their own Assembly<\/strong> and\u00a0 autonomy over their own affairs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Weather<\/h2>\n
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- The San Blas Islands lie outside\u00a0the Atlantic hurricane zone<\/li>\n
- The weather is mainly hot and\u00a0humid<\/li>\n
- There is a short dry season from\u00a0 about January to April and a\u00a0longer rainy season from May to\u00a0 December<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Culture<\/h2>\n
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- The Guna have preserved much of their traditional\u00a0 lifestyle, and have a rich culture of legends, music\u00a0 and dance.<\/li>\n
- They speak their own language but Spanish is also\u00a0 spoken.<\/li>\n
- Guna women create unique appliqu\u00e9<\/strong> cloth panels\u00a0 called Molas<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Tourism<\/strong> is a main source of income as\u00a0 tourists come to enjoy the beautiful sandy
beaches, clear tropical waters and coral reefs<\/li>\n- The islands are also popular with sailors as\u00a0 they are outside the hurricane zone<\/li>\n
- The Guna practice subsistence agriculture<\/strong>\u00a0 (coconuts, bananas) and catch fish and
lobsters<\/li>\n- They use traditional dugout canoes to sail\u00a0 between the islands<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Flora and Fauna<\/h2>\n
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- The San Blas reef system is considered to\u00a0 be one of the 10 best preserved in the
world<\/li>\n - The reefs are home to many types of\u00a0 colourful fish and marine mammals such
as porpoises<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nMain environmental challenges<\/h2>\n
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- Rising sea levels<\/li>\n
- Coral reef damage due to:
– ocean acidification
– mining by local people to create more land,
which also causes coastal erosion<\/li>\n - Pollution: no facilities for recycling plastics,\u00a0 batteries and other non-biodegradable waste<\/li>\n
- Lack of fresh water supplies<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Useful links<\/h2>\n
- Tourism<\/strong> is a main source of income as\u00a0 tourists come to enjoy the beautiful sandy
- The Guna communities on the San Blas\u00a0 and the Caribbean coast form an\u00a0 indigenous province in northeast\u00a0 Panama which is known as Guna Yala<\/strong><\/li>\n
- The indigenous people are called the\u00a0Guna<\/strong> (formerly Kuna) and live on the\u00a0 main islands<\/li>\n