Cristóbal, Atlantic terminal port, north-central Panama, adjoining Colón city. Both Cristóbal and Colón were named for Cristóbal Colón (the Spanish form of the name of Christopher Columbus). Located on an isthmus (made of artificial fill) that connects Manzanillo Island with the mainland, Cristóbal was conceived in 1914 as a port of entry for supplies used in building the Panama Canal. Until 1979 it remained under the jurisdiction of the United States, as part of the former Canal Zone, while the then-larger city of Colón was Panamanian. Extensive modern docks and other maritime servicing facilities, together with commodious anchorages in Limón Bay protected by breakwaters, make Cristóbal one of the key ports in the Caribbean Sea. Pop. (2000) 37,426; (2010) 49,422.