Panamá

So why Panama you may ask. Well, Panama is a thin piece of land, about 800 Km long and 80 Km wide, connecting North and South America. Because of it’s geographical location it is the home of a recorded 940 bird species. And the jungle, don’t forget the jungle, rich, lush, beautiful, unspoiled and only a stone throw from the city. There are huge forts from the days of the Spaniards carrying Peruvian gold from the Pacific to the Atlantic. In Panama you can ride 20 sets of rapids in a single afternoon, or surf waves 5 meters high. There are 12 national parks, 1518 islands, pristine beaches stretching as far as your eye can see with not one human in sight. And the fishing is excellent; more deep-sea fishing records have been broken off the Pacific coast of Panama than anywhere else in the world. Last but not least the Panama Canal. It still remains one of the engineering marvels of the world. To see a tremendously huge ship crossing one of the locks with only a few inches to spare on each side is an experience in itself. Panama, where else can you have breakfast on the Pacific and lunch on the Atlantic?

"We've got everything God needed to make paradise. Great farming, beaches, mountains, wildlife you wouldn't believe, put a stick in the ground you get a fruit tree, people so beautiful you could cry."
John le Carre from his novel The Taylor of Panama.

Here are some facts about Panama:

Location:

Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica
Geographic coordinates: 9 00 N, 80 00 W
 

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
Total: 78,200 sq km
Water: 2,210 sq km
Land: 75,990 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than South Carolina
 

Land boundaries:

Total: 555 km
Border countries: Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km

Coastline: 2,490 km
 

Maritime claims:

Contiguous zone: 24 NM
Exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Territorial sea: 12 NM
 

Climate:

Tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
 

Terrain:

Interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills Elevation extremes:
Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Volcan de Chiriqui 3,475 m
 

Natural resources:

Copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower
Land use: Arable land: 7%
Permanent crops: 2%
Other: 91% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
320 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
occasional severe storms and forest fires in the Darien area
 

Environment - current issues:

Water pollution from agricultural runoff threatens fishery resources; deforestation of tropical rain forest; land degradation and soil erosion threatens siltation of Panama Canal; air pollution in urban areas; mining threatens natural resources
Environment - international agreements:
Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
 

Geography - note:

Strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean

People

Population:

2,882,329 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.6% (male 433,494; female 418,120)
15-64 years: 64.3% (male 939,550; female 914,646)
65 years and over: 6.1% (male 84,130; female 92,389) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.26% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 18.6 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 4.96 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 19.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.89 years
female: 78.74 years (2002 est.)
male: 73.14 years
Total fertility rate: 2.22 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.54% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 24,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,200 (1999 est.)
 

Nationality:

Noun: Panamanian(s)
Adjective: Panamanian
Ethnic groups:
Mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 70%,
Amerindian and mixed (West Indian) 14%,
White 10%,
Amerindian 6%
 

Religions:

Roman Catholic 85%,
Protestant 15%
 

Languages:

Spanish (official)
English 14%
note: many Panamanians bilingual
 

Literacy:

Definition: Age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 90.8%
Male: 91.4%
Female: 90.2% (1995 est.)
 

Economy - overview:

Panama's economy is based primarily on a well-developed services sector that accounts for three-fourths of GDP. Services include the Panama Canal, banking, the Colon Free Zone, insurance, container ports, flagship registry, and tourism. A slump in Colon Free Zone and agricultural exports, the global slowdown, and the withdrawal of US military forces held back economic growth in 2000-01. The government plans public works programs, tax reforms, and new regional trade agreements in order to stimulate growth.

Source: CIA World Fact Book ( http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/ )
In general, information available as of 1 January 2002
was used in the preparation of The World Factbook 2002.