Map of Panama | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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Background: 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. On 7 September 1977 an agreement was signed for the complete transfer of the Canal from the US to Panama by 1999. Certain portions of the Zone and increasing responsibility over the Canal were turned over in the intervening years. With US help dictator Manuel NORIEGA was deposed in 1989.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries:

Coastline: 2,490 km

Maritime claims: Territorial sea:200 nm

Climate: tropical; 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

Natural resources: copper, mahogany forests, shrimp

Land use: 6% arable land; 2% permanent crops; 15% meadows and pastures; 54% forest and woodland; 23% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

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


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Population: 2,373,053 (July 1989), growth rate 2.1% (1989)

Nationality: noun - Panamanian(s; adjective - Panamanian

Ethnic groups: 70% mestizo (mixed Indian and European ancestry), 14% West Indian, 10% white, 6% Indian

Languages: Spanish (official; 14% speak English as native tongue; many Panamanians bilingual

Religions: over 93% Roman Catholic, 6% Protestant

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 26 births/1000 population (1989)

Death rate: 5 deaths/1000 population (1989)

Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1000 population (1989)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: dense tropical forest in east and northwest

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1000 live births (1989)

Life expectancy at birth: 71 years male, 75 years female (1989)

Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (1989)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 90%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Panama

Government type: centralized republic

Capital: Panama

Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 territory* (comarca; Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama, San Blas*, Veraguas

Dependent areas

Independence: 3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November 1821)

National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November (1903)

Constitution: 11 October 1972; with major reforms adopted in April 1983

Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal and compulsory over age 18

Executive branch

Legislative branch: Defense Forces of the Republic of Panama (formerly known as the National Guard) includes military ground forces (still designated National Guard), Panamanian Air Force, National Navy, Panama Canal Defense Force, police force, traffic police/highway patrol, National Department of Investigation, Department of Immigration

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IDB - Inter-American Development Bank, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ITU, IWC - International Whaling Commission, IWC - International Wheat Council, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Juan B. SOSA; Chancery at 2,862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 483-1407; there are Panamanian Consulates General in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Portland (Maine), San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Tampa, and Consulates in Dayton (Ohio), Ft. Lauderdale, Lansing (Michigan), Orlando, and Pittsburgh; US - Ambassador Arthur H. DAVIS; Embassy at Avenida Balboa and Calle 38, Apartado 6,959, Panama City 5 (mailing address is Box E, APO Miami 34,002; telephone Õ507å 27-1777

Flag description: divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white with a blue five-pointed star in the center (hoist side) and plain red, the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the center

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The economy is in a deepening recession, with GDP dropping an estimated 15-20% in 1988. Declines of 20-50% have occurred in the construction, manufacturing, tourism, fishing, retail sales, and government sectors. Political instability and the erosion of business confidence are the principal causes of the collapse. The recession was aggravated by a liquidity crisis in the banking sector after President Delvalle was ousted by Defense Chief Noriega on 26 February 1988, precipitating a depositor run on the banks. US economic sanctions, including elimination of sugar quotas and a trade embargo, also contributed to Panama's economic decay in 1988. Unemployment is at the 23% level, and underemployment may affect over a third of the work force.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: cash crops - bananas, sugarcane, coffee; food crops - rice, corn, beans

Industries: manufacturing and construction activities, petroleum refining, brewing, cement and other construction material, sugar mills, paper products

Industrial production growth rate: - 23% (1988 est.)

Labor force: 770,472 (1987; 27.9% government and community services; 26.2% agriculture, hunting, and fishing; 16% commerce, restaurants, and hotels; 10.5% manufacturing and mining; 5.3% construction; 5.3% transportation and communications; 4.2% finance, insurance, and real estate; 2.4% Canal Zone; shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor

Unemployment rate: 23% (1988 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $600 million; expenditures $800 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1988 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $298 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.)
Commodities: bananas 28%, shrimp 17%, coffee 5%, sugar, clothing
Partners: US 66%, Central America and Caribbean, EC (1988 est.)

Imports: $700.5 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.)
Commodities: capital goods, petroleum products, consumer goods, foodstuffs, chemicals
Partners: US 43%, Central America and Caribbean, Mexico, Japan, EC, Venezuela (1988 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $5.7 billion (December 1988 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: balboas (B) per US$1 - 1.000 (fixed rate)


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Electricity access

Electricity production

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $104.6 million, 4% of central government budget (1987)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 134 total, 124 usable; 42 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil, 130 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 800 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama Canal

Merchant marine: 3,159 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 44,137,562 GRT/69,661,886 DWT; includes 29 passenger, 20 short-sea passenger, 4 passenger-cargo, 1,071 cargo, 149 refrigerated cargo, 183 container, 69 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 142 vehicle carrier, 7 livestock carrier, 7 multifunction heavy-lift carrier, 329 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 188 chemical tanker, 30 combination ore/oil, 84 liquefied gas, 6 specialized tanker, 774 bulk, 67 combination bulk; note - all are foreign owned and operated (China owns at least 123 ships, Yugoslavia 16, Cuba 11, Vietnam 8)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs