Where do panamas come from? Detailed answer

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Where do panamas come from? Detailed answer

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Where do panamas come from?

From Ecuador.

In Europe and North America, this headdress first appeared at the beginning of the XNUMXth century; Hats were called "panamas" because they were exported through suppliers based in Panama.

In England, the panama was chosen by the royal family as the perfect summer hat and quickly became a must-have accessory for sporting events and outdoor social events. When Queen Victoria died in 1901, a black ribbon was added to the panama in her honor.

In both Americas, such hats were part of the standard workwear of the people who built the Panama Canal. In 1906, US President Theodore Roosevelt visited the building and had his picture taken in Panama. Panama's success was assured.

The origins of the hat are truly ancient: during excavations on the coast of Ecuador, archaeologists discovered ceramic figurines (4000 BC) in funny headdresses. Some scholars believe that the weaving skills required to make panama hats were adopted from the Polynesian aborigines, who are known to have produced linen fabrics. The first Spaniards were so shocked by the transparency of the material that they sincerely believed that they were looking at the skin of a vampire.

The history of modern hats dates back to the XNUMXth century. Today's panama hats are made from a textile fiber obtained from a ten-foot Panamanian palm - jipijapa or toquilla (scientific name - Carludovica palmata). They are produced mainly in the city of Cuenca, although the most beautiful examples come from the towns of Montecristi and Biblian.

The time required for the manufacture of a panama can vary quite significantly. Toquilla is harvested only five days a month, during the last quarter of the moon, when palm fiber contains the least amount of water and is easier and easier to spin. A skillful weaver can draw out a fiber as thick as a silk thread. A "commodity" hat can be made in a couple of hours, while a high-quality panama, or superfine, can sometimes take up to five months and sell for £1000.

In 1985, the Conran Foundation listed Panama as one of the "100 Greatest Designs of All Nations and Era" for exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Ecuador gets its name from the Spanish word for "equator". In addition to hats, this country is the world's leading exporter of bananas and balsa wood for aircraft modeling.

Author: John Lloyd, John Mitchinson

Random interesting fact from the Great Encyclopedia:

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Thermal insulation reduces the transfer of heat from one object to another, from one place to another. For example, thermal insulation helps keep houses warm in winter. In summer, on the contrary, it contributes to the establishment of coolness in buildings, not letting the heat in from the street.

Thermal insulation prevents heat loss from hot pipes and tanks, and does not let heat into refrigerators and cold warehouses. It is used in refrigerated vehicles. In this case, materials are used that conduct heat poorly. These materials are filled with very small particles of air or gas, which are good insulators.

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The driver is hindered not by a mobile phone in his hands, but by talking on it 08.06.2009

It is now illegal in many countries to use a cell phone while driving, but if the driver is equipped with a hands-free headset, the law does not object to talking. However, studies conducted at the University of Utah (USA) showed that the matter is not in the hands.

Experiments conducted both on a driving simulator and on real roads show that the hands can be free, but the brain is busy talking and distracted from the road. Talking on the phone significantly distracts attention and slows down the processing of visual information.

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