| The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07. |
| |
| San Blas Islands |
| |
| |
(sän bläs) (KEY) , formerly Mulatas (m lä´täs) (KEY) , archipelago off the northeast coast of Panama. It consists of 332 coral islands. The inhabitants are almost pure-blooded aborigines of Carib origin; fishing and coconut gathering are the chief occupations. Protected by a treaty with the government of Panama, the indigenous people did not consent to scientific observation of their culture and visits of tourists until the late 1940s. |
| |
| | | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright © 2007 Columbia University Press. |
|
|
