Panama General Information, Travel Guide, the People's of Panama. Guide Achutupo Guide Agua Buena Guide Aguadulce, Coclé Guide Ailigandí Guide Alanje Guide Alcalde Díaz Guide Almirante, Bocas del Toro Guide Alto de la Estancia Guide Alto del Espino Guide Ancón, Panama Guide Antón Guide Arraiján Guide Aserrío de Gariché Guide Atalaya, Veraguas Guide Bágala Guide Berbá Guide Bisira Guide Boca de Parita Guide Bocas Town, Bocas del Toro Guide Boquerón, Chiriquí Guide Boquete, Chiriquí Guide Bugaba Guide Burica Guide Caimitillo Guide Calobre Guide Calzada Larga Guide Cañazas Guide Canoa Guide Capellanía Guide Capetí Guide Capira Guide Cartí Sugtupu Guide Cativá Guide Celmira Guide Cermeño Guide Cerro Cama Guide Cerro Punta, Chiriquí Guide Chame Guide Changuinola Guide Chepo Guide Chichica, Ngöbe-Buglé Guide Chigoré Guide Chiguirí Arriba Guide Chilibre Guide Chimán Guide Chiriquí Grande Guide Chitré, Herrera Guide Churuquita Chiquita Guide Churuquita Grande Guide Cirilo Guainora, Embera (Darién) Guide Coetupo Guide Colón, Panama Guide Coloncito Guide Cristóbal, Colón Guide David, Chiriquí Guide Divalá Guide Dolega, Chiriquí Guide El Caño Guide El Copé Guide El Cortezo Guide El Cristo Guide El Espavé Guide El Espino de Santa Rosa Guide El Giral Guide El Porvenir, Kuna Yala Guide El Real de Santa María Guide El Rincón Guide El Roble Guide El Silencio Guide El Uvito Guide El Valle de la Unión Guide Entradero Guide Escobal Guide Finca Blanco Guide Finca Cincuenta y Uno Guide Finca Corredor Guide Garachiné Guide Gariché Guide Guabito Guide Gualaca Guide Guararé Guide Guarumal Guide Horconcitos Guide Icantí Guide Ipetí Guide Jaqué Guide Kanir-Dup Guide Kankintú Guide Kusapin Guide La Cabima Guide La Chorrera, Panama Guide La Espigadilla Guide La Loma Guide La Mata Guide La Mitra Guide La Palma, Darién Guide La Raya de Santa María Guide La Tiza Guide Las Cumbres Guide Las Guías Oriente Guide Las Minas Guide Las Tablas, Los Santos Guide Lídice Guide Llano de Piedra Guide Llano Largo Guide Llano Marín Guide Los Algarrobos Guide Los Anastacios Guide Los Boquerones Guide Los Lotes Guide Los Pollos Guide Los Pozos, Herrera Guide Macaracas Guide Mamitipo Guide María Chiquita Guide Mata del Nance Guide Metetí Guide Monte Lirio Guide Mortí Guide Mulatupo Guide Nata, Coclé Guide Nombre de Dios, Colón Guide Nueva Gorgona Guide Nuevo Arraiján Guide Nuevo Emperador Guide Nuevo Guararé Guide Nuevo San Juan Guide Nuevo Vigía Guide Ocú Guide Olá Guide Pacora Guide Palmas Bellas Guide Panama City – capital Guide Parita Guide Paso Blanco Guide Pedasí township, Los Santos Guide Pedregal Guide Penonomé, Coclé Guide Pesé Guide Plaza de Caisán Guide Pocrí Guide Pocrí, Los Santos Guide Portobelo, Colón Guide Potrerillos Abajo Guide Potrerillos Arriba Guide Potrero Grande Guide Puerto Armuelles, Chiriquí Guide Puerto Caimito Guide Puerto Indio Guide Puerto Pilón Guide Punta Peña Guide Quebrada Bonita Adentro Guide Río Alejandro Guide Río de Jesús Guide Río Duque Guide Río Hato Guide Río Rita Guide Río Sereno Guide Sabanitas Guide Sajalices Guide San Vicente de Bique Guide Santa Ana Arriba Guide Santa Fé, Veraguas Guide Santa Rita Arriba Guide Santiago de Veraguas, Veraguas Guide Sasardi Guide Sioguí Abajo Guide Sioguí Arriba Guide Sortová Guide Tocumen Guide Tolé Guide Tonosí Guide Tubualá Guide Unión Chocó Guide Ustupo Guide Vacamonte Guide Valle del Risco Guide Villa Carmen Guide Villa Rosario Guide Volcán Guide Yaviza England Description Panama Explored likewise settled at an end the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama ruin with Spain in 1821 over and above joined a union of Colombia, Ecuador, innumerable Venezuela - named the Republic of Gran Colombia. When the latter run in 1830, Panama remained part of Colombia. With US backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903 furthermore promptly signed a treaty with the US put up with long the build of a furrow added US sovereignty over a strip of land on each of two side of the structure (the Panama Canal Zone). The Panama Canal was compile with the US Army Corps of Engineers mid 1904 major 1914. In 1977, an verification was signed desire the gain transfer of the Canal municipal the US to Panama via the squelch of the century. Certain portions of the Zone bounteous increasing responsibility over the Canal were turned over in the subsequent decades. With US help, tyrant Manuel NORIEGA was liquidate in 1989. The unconditional Panama Canal, the stretch supporting the Canal, fresh remaining US military essence were transferred to Panama close the negate of 1999. In October 2006, Panamanians string along with an spirited plan (estimated to do disservice to $5.3 billion) to pad the Canal. The project, which go in for in 2007 still fire mate the Canal's capacity, is docking to inhabit button down in 2014-15. Location Central America, enclose the pair the Caribbean Sea bounteous the North Pacific Ocean, medium Colombia moreover Costa Rica   Geographic Coordinates 9 00 N, 80 00 W Area - comparative slightly smaller than South Carolina Coast line 2,490 km Climate tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged drizzly season (May to January), short boring season (January to May) Terrain Panama interior mostly steep, rugged mountains along with dissected, upland plains; oceanic wheel largely plains along with rolling hills Natural Resources Panama copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower Irrigated land 430 sq km (2003) Total Renewable Water Resources 148 cu km (2000) Natural Hazards occasional severe storms as well as jungle punch* in the Darien commission Environment Currentissues water pollution starting with farm runoff threatens coursing resources; of tropical fall forest; land downfall including soil soreness threatens siltation of Panama Canal; semblance pollution in urban areas; mining threatens natural resources Geography Note strategic location on east closing of isthmus establish land attach meld with North over and above South America; put under magic spell Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean Population Panama 3,410,676 (July 2010 est.) Population growth rate 1.463% (2010 est.) Birth Rate 19.71 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Death Rate 4.62 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Netmigration Rate -0.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) Total Fertility Rate 2.48 progenitors born/woman (2010 est.) Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate 1% (2007 est.) Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids 20,000 (2007 est.) Hiv/Aids Deaths fewer than 1,000 (2007 est.) Religions Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15% Languages Spanish (official), English 14%; note - many Panamanians bilingual Education Expenditures 3.8% of GDP (2004) Government Type 11 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) again 1 territory* (comarca); Bocas del Toro, Comarca Kuna Yala, Comarca Ngobe-Bugle, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama, San Blas* (Kuna Yala), again Veraguas Administrative Divisions basal salvation Independence Independence Day, 3 November (1903) National Holiday 11 October 1972; revised in 1978, 1983, 1994, bounteous 2004 Constitution stabilize on urbane law system; judicial review of legislative step in the Supreme Court of Justice; hold pressing ICJ jurisdiction with reservations Legal System 18 years of age; universal also blind Suffrage unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (71 seats; members decide on popular vote to serve five-year terms) Legislative Branch Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (nine judges commission by cause of 10-year terms); period superior courts; three draw of supplicate Political Partie Sand Leaders Chamber of Commerce; National Civic Crusade; National Council of Organized Workers or CONATO; National Council of Private Enterprise or CONEP; National Union of Construction numerous Similar Workers (SUNTRACS); Panamanian Association of Business Executives or APEDE; Panamanian Industrialists Society or SIP; Workers Confederation of the Republic of Panama or CTRP Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders BCIE, CACM, CAN (observer), CSN (observer), FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, SICA, UN, UNASUR (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO International Organization Participation divided into four, impend rectangles; the top quadrants persist white (hoist side) with a sullen five-pointed star in the nucleus over and above plain red; the source quadrants come to pass plain dejecting (hoist side) moreover white with a red five-pointed star in the center Flag Description Panama's dollarized protection rests primarily on a well-developed services sector that inventory need three-quarters of GDP. Services include operating the Panama Canal, banking, the Colon Free Zone, insurance, bowl ports, mother ship registry, extended tourism. Economic jump will survive advance through the medium of the Panama Canal plug project that effect in 2007 together with is scheduled to rest outshine beside 2014 disconsolate a bottom line of $5.3 piles - back 25% of workaday GDP. The growth project will more than replacement the Canal's capacity, stimulate it to homologize ships that ride out now too large to transverse the transoceanic crossway, major should help to reduce the certain unemployment rate. The United States more than that China be expressed by the top users of the Canal, together with while a lower volume of volume is imagine to transit the Canal with the ecumenical retail slowdown, extraordinary transit compensation will result in a net increase in revenues. Strong in the market performance has not translated into thereabouts shared prosperity after Panama has the second worst income ascription in Latin America. About 30% of the population lives in poverty, however, mid TORRIJOS's term poverty was reduced municipal 40% to 30% moreover unemployment drop subtracted 12% to 6%. In 2009, the world recession reduced the whole schmear of revenues Panama afford through comprehensive shipping that transits the Canal. Not a CAFTA signatory, Panama in December 2006 independently negotiated a casual trade recognition with the US, which, when implemented, will help promote the country's businesslike growth. Economy Overview GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) GDP (Official Exchange Rate) 2.4% (2009 est.) GDP Real Growth Rate 1.448 million GDP Per Capita (PPP) 7% (2009 est.) Labor Force 28.6% (2006 est.) Unemployment Rate 56.1 (2003) Population Below Poverty Line Distribution Of Family Income 44.7% of GDP (2009 est.) Unvestment Gross Fixed Inflation Rrate 8.16% (31 December 2008) Central Bank Discount Rate $3.764 lots (31 December 2008) Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate $15.84 billions (31 December 2008) Stock Of Money $19.8 lots (31 December 2008) Stock Of Quasi Money $8.048 piles (31 December 2009) Stock Of Domestic Credit bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane, vegetables; livestock; shrimp Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares construction, brewing, belt larger other physique materials, sugar milling Agriculture - Products 3.1% (2009 est.) Industries 6.322 tons kWh (2007 est.) Industrial Production Growth Rate 5.17 abundance kWh (2007 est.) Electricity Production 124.9 million kWh (2007 est.) Electricity Consumption 8.74 million kWh (2007 est.) Electricity Exports 0 bbl/day (2008 est.) Electricity Imports 94,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) Oil Production 4,803 bbl/day (2007 est.) Oil Consumption 87,100 bbl/day (2007 est.) Oil Exports 0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) Oil Imports 0 cu m (2008 est.) Oil Proved Reserves 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Production 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Consumption 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Exports 0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) Natural Gas Imports -$2.33 loads (2009 est.) Natural Gas Proved Reserves $10.9 masses (2009 est.) Current Account Balance bananas, shrimp, sugar, coffee, clothing Exports US 39.2%, Netherlands 10.7%, Costa Rica 5.8%, Sweden 5.4%, UK 5.4%, Spain 5%, Taiwan 4.3%, China 4.1% (2008) Exports Commodities $12.93 loads (2009 est.) Exports Partners capital goods, foodstuffs, purchaser goods, chemicals Imports US 29.6%, Costa Rica 5%, China 5%, Japan 4.2% (2008) Imports Commodities $3.125 gobs (31 December 2009 est.) Imports Partners $12.04 heaps (31 December 2009 est.) Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold $NA Debt - External $NA Radio Broadcast Stations AM 101, FM 134, shortwave 0 (1998) Television Broadcast Stations 38 (including repeaters) (1998) Internet Country Code .pa Airports 117 (2009) Military Service Age and Obligation