The Emberá and the Wounaan form a cultural group residing in eastern Panama and adjacent areas of Colombia. "Chocó"—the common geographic misnomer for the Emberá and the Wounaan Indians—has been used to refer to both the lands and peoples of the Pacific lowlands of Colombia and Panama since the mid-sixteenth century. Many other names (e.g., Sambú, Nonama, Baudó) derive from words designating local rivers or other geographic features. Today, although the Indians recognize these terms, they identify themselves as "Emberá" and "Wounaan," both of which indicate the individual or the broader group.
The Emberá-Wounaan are renowned for their artistic ability, particularly their baskets and carved statues. Both tagua nuts (a seed from tropical palm trees) and cocobolo (a type of rosewood) are carved into statues depicting forest animals. They make fantastic gifts.