Colón, city in north central Panama, capital of Colón Province, a seaport on Manzanillo Island. It is the northern terminus of the Panama Railroad and the Panama Canal. The port facilities at the twin city of Cristóbal serve Colón and make it an important international transshipment center. The city is also a major commercial and tourist center. Major exports include mahogany and other tropical woods and fruits such as bananas, and coconuts. Colón was founded in 1850 by the builders of the Panama Railroad and named Aspinwall in honor of one of the builders; subsequently the name was changed to Colón (Spanish, “Columbus”), in honor of Christopher Columbus. Many of the inhabitants are descendants of West Indian canal laborers. Population (1996 estimate) 158,935.
