Panama
in Central America
North America

National active POI Bordering countries
Location Summary
Currency and Currency Code:
Balboa - PAB
Spoken languages:
Spanish, English
Local electricity:
120 V - 60 Hz (plugs: A, B)
Mobile phone / cellular frequencies (MHz):
850 MHz, 1900 MHz, 3G, 4G
ISO 2-Letter code:
PA
Internet top level domain:
.pa
Country phone prefix:
+507
Local Time (capital):
Timezone:
UTC/GMT offset: hours
Current travel safety evaluation for Panama in Central America

Safety Score: 3,0 of 5.0 based on data from 9 authorites. Meaning we advice caution when travelling to Panama.

Travel warnings are updated daily. Source: Travel Warning Panama. Last Update: 2024-08-13 08:21:03

Explore Panama

Panama with its capital Panama is located in North America (Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean). It covers some 75,421 square kilometers (slightly smaller than South Carolina) with 3,753,140 citizens. Spanish and English are the common languages used in Panama. As an interesting fact, is sharing borders with Colombia and Costa Rica.

Panamais a country in Central America with coastlines on both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, with Colombia (and South America) to the southeast and Costa Rica (and North America) to the northwest. The ease of travel and wide array of experiences are making Panama one of the most attractive emerging tourism destinations in the world. In just one week, visitors can enjoy two different oceans, experience the mountains and rainforest, learn about native cultures and take advantage of vibrant urban life. The capital, Panama City, is a modern, sophisticated metropolis that resembles Miami and has established commerce, arts, fashion and dining. Fodors, Frommers and National Geographic have all recently began publishing guides for Panama, only the second country in Central America, behind Costa Rica, to have such extensive travel coverage.

Popular Destinations in Panama

 

Santiago
 

San Miguelito
 

Panamá
 

La Chorrera
 

David
 

Colón

Administrative regions of Panama

About the country

Website: Panama Tourism

P.O. Box 4421
Zone 5
The Republic of Panama

Phone: +507 226 7000
Fax: +507 226 3483

The topography is interior mostly steep, rugged mountains with dissected, upland plains with coastal plains with rolling hills. The average density of population is about 50 per km². The climate in Panama can be described as tropical maritimehot, humid, cloudy, prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May). Potential natural disasters are occasional severe storms and forest fires in the Darien area.

To reach someone Panama dial +507 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 850 MHz, 1900 MHz, 3G, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".pa". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 120 V - 60 Hz (plugs: A, B). The sign for the locally used currency Balboa is PAB.

Divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white (hoist side) with a blue five-pointed star in the center and plain red; the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the center; the blue and red colors are those of the main political parties (Conservatives and Liberals respectively) and the white denotes peace between them; the blue star stands for the civic virtues of purity and honesty, the red star signifies authority and law.

Flag of Panama

Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama broke with Spain in 1821 and joined a union of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela - named the Republic of Gran Colombia. When the latter dissolved in 1830, Panama remained part of Colombia. With US backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903 and promptly signed a treaty with the US allowing for the construction of a canal and US sovereignty over a strip of land on either side of the structure (the Panama Canal Zone). The Panama Canal was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914. In 1977, an agreement was signed for the complete transfer of the Canal from the US to Panama by the end of the century. Certain portions of the Zone and increasing responsibility over the Canal were turned over in the subsequent decades. With US help, dictator Manuel NORIEGA was deposed in 1989. The entire Panama Canal, the area supporting the Canal, and remaining US military bases were transferred to Panama by the end of 1999. An ambitious expansion project to more than double the Canal's capacity - by allowing for more Canal transits and larger ships - was carried out between 2007 and 2016.

Geography

Area
Total (World Rank: 119) 75,420sq km
Land (World Rank: 117) 74,340sq km
Water (World Rank: 108) 1,080sq km
Forest (World Rank: 84) 20.70%
Comparative slightly smaller than South Carolina
Coastline
2490
Landborder
687
Elevation
Highest point (World Rank: 55) 3,475m
Agricultural land
Total (World Rank: 136) 30.50%
Arable (World Rank: 134) 7.30%
Permanent crops (World Rank: 80) 2.50%
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 84) 20.70%
Irrigated land (World Rank: 121) 321sq km
Map reference
Central America and the Caribbean
Environment
Issues
  • - air pollution in urban areas
  • - deforestation of tropical rain forest
  • - land degradation and soil erosion threatens siltation of Panama Canal
  • - mining threatens natural resources
  • - water pollution from agricultural runoff threatens fishery resources
Agreement party
  • - Biodiversity
  • - Climate Change
  • - Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
  • - Desertification
  • - Endangered Species
  • - Environmental Modification
  • - Hazardous Wastes
  • - Law of the Sea
  • - Marine Dumping
  • - Ozone Layer Protection
  • - Ship Pollution
  • - Tropical Timber 83
  • - Tropical Timber 94
  • - Wetlands
  • - Whaling
Agreement signed Marine Life Conservation
Hazzards occasional severe storms and forest fires in the Darien area
Location
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica
Climate
tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
Terrain
interior mostly steep, rugged mountains with dissected, upland plains; coastal plains with rolling hills

People

Population
Total (World Rank: 130) 3,753,140
Deathrate (World Rank: 193) 0.49%
Birthrate (World Rank: 98) 1.79%
Growthrate (World Rank: 87) 1.27%
Migration rate (World Rank: 73) -0.02%
Fertility rate (World Rank: 89) 2.30%
Median age
Male (World Rank: 121) 28.80
Female (World Rank: 117) 29.60
Age structure
0 14 male (World Rank: 122) 505,711
0 14 female (World Rank: 122) 484,980
15 24 male (World Rank: 124) 324,897
15 24 female (World Rank: 123) 312,729
25 54 male (World Rank: 131) 766,747
25 54 female (World Rank: 128) 747,472
55 64 male (World Rank: 130) 147,069
55 64 female (World Rank: 130) 149,706
65 x male (World Rank: 118) 144,086
65 x female (World Rank: 123) 169,745
Health
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 135) 0.99%
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 52) 79years
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 56) 82years
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 58) 76years
Physicians per 1000 (World Rank: 88) 1.59
Hospital bed per 1000 (World Rank: 95) 2.20
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 135) 75.00%
Obesity adult (World Rank: 72) 22.70%
Drinking water access (World Rank: 113) 94.70%

Energy

Electricity
Production (World Rank: 101) 9,724,000,000kWh
Consumption (World Rank: 100) 8,202,000,000kWh
Export (World Rank: 78) 139,000,000kWh
Import (World Rank: 109) 17,000,000kWh
Source fossil (World Rank: 174) 35.80%
Source nuclear (World Rank: 36) 53.90%
Source renew (World Rank: 62) 11.60%
Refined products
Consumption (World Rank: 68) 144,000bbl / day
Export (World Rank: 122) 66bbl / day
Import (World Rank: 48) 131,000bbl / day
Natural gas
Consumption (World Rank: 165) 4m³
Carbon footprint
17000000

Nation

Budget
Education (World Rank: 129) 3% of GDP
Health (World Rank: 56) 8% of GDP
Surplus (World Rank: 82) -2% of GDP
National symbol
harpy eagle
National colours
white
Adjective
Panamanian
Noun
Panamanian(s)
Background
Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama broke with Spain in 1821 and joined a union of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela - named the Republic of Gran Colombia. When the latter dissolved in 1830, Panama remained part of Colombia. With US backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903 and promptly signed a treaty with the US allowing for the construction of a canal and US sovereignty over a strip of land on either side of the structure (the Panama Canal Zone). The Panama Canal was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914. In 1977, an agreement was signed for the complete transfer of the Canal from the US to Panama by the end of the century. Certain portions of the Zone and increasing responsibility over the Canal were turned over in the subsequent decades. With US help, dictator Manuel NORIEGA was deposed in 1989. The entire Panama Canal, the area supporting the Canal, and remaining US military bases were transferred to Panama by the end of 1999. An ambitious expansion project to more than double the Canal's capacity - by allowing for more Canal transits and larger ships - was carried out between 2007 and 2016.
Flag description
divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white (hoist side) with a blue five-pointed star in the center and plain red; the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the center; the blue and red colors are those of the main political parties (Conservatives and Liberals respectively) and the white denotes peace between them; the blue star stands for the civic virtues of purity and honesty, the red star signifies authority and law

Economy

Gdp
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 85) 92,810,000,000USD
Real growth rate (World Rank: 43) 4.90%
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 79) 23,000USD
Source agriculture (World Rank: 162) 2.50%
Source industry (World Rank: 175) 15.50%
Source service (World Rank: 34) 76.70%
Labourforce
Total (World Rank: 129) 1,610,000
In poverty (World Rank: 87) 23.00%
Products
Industries
  • - brewing
  • - cement
  • - construction
  • - other construction materials
  • - sugar milling
Agriculture
  • - bananas
  • - coffee
  • - corn
  • - livestock
  • - rice
  • - shrimp
  • - sugarcane
  • - vegetables
Exports
  • - fish
  • - fruit
  • - iron
  • - nuts
  • - steel waste
  • - wood
Imports
  • - fuels
  • - iron
  • - machinery
  • - pharmaceuticals
  • - steel rods
  • - vehicles

Communication

Phone
Landline total (World Rank: 90) 641,688
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 107) 17.00
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 9) 188.00
Assessment 0
Internet
Users (World Rank: 112) 2,000,830
Population (World Rank: 110) 54.00%

Transport

Air
Airports paved (World Rank: 42) 57.00
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 54) 60.00
Heliports (World Rank: 51) 3.00
Rail
Total length (World Rank: 129) 77.00
Road
Total length (World Rank: 125) 15,137
Paved length (World Rank: 92) 6,351
Unpaved length (World Rank: 90) 8,786
Water
Total length (World Rank: 73) 800
Popular places in this country

This is a list of famous places in this country in alphabetical order.