Palm tree island beach, San Blas Islands, Panama
© Enrico Martino/Sime/eStock
A threatened paradise
Native to the Panama mainland, the Guna people fled to these coastal islands over 150 years ago to escape disease. Ever since, they've tended to keep a distance from Panamanian society, even staging a revolt back in 1925. Spread over 49 of an estimated 365 islands in the San Blas Islands, Guna society is threatened as climate change inches the oceans ever higher. Some projections put the San Blas underwater by the end of this century, and many Guna have returned to mainland locations like Panama City—often distinguished by their colorful clothes still worn with pride.
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