Map of Panama | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | 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: extreme southern Central America, between Colombia and Costa Rica

Geographic coordinates

Map reference:

Area
Total: 78,200 km²
Land: 75,990 km²

Land boundaries: total 555 km, Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km

Coastline: 2,490 km
Territorial sea: 200 nm

Maritime claims

Climate:

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
Arable land: 6%
Permanent crops: 2%
Meadows and pastures: 15%
Forest and woodland: 54%
Other: 23%

Irrigated land: 320 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population
Growth rate: 1.98% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Panamanian(s)
Adjective: Panamanian

Ethnic groups:

Languages: Spanish (official), English 14%

Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.98% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 25.08 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 4.94 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.38 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: dense tropical forest in east and northwest
Current issues note:

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 17.2 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.56 years
Male: 71.99 years
Female: 77.27 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born/woman (1993 est.)

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: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 88%
Male: 88%
Female: 88%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Panama
Local long form: Republica de Panama
Local short form: Panama

Government type: centralized republic

Capital: Panama

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

Independence:

National holiday
Independence Day 3 November 1903 government alliance:
Party PA Mireya MOSCOSO DE GRUBER other parties:

Constitution: 11 October 1972; major reforms adopted April 1983

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, Cabinet

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia), 5 superior courts, 3 courts of appeal

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jaime FORD
In the us chancery: 2,862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: (202) 483-1407;; the status of the consulates general and consulates has not yet been determined
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Deane R. HINTON
From the us embassy: Avenida Balboa and Calle 38, Apartado 6,959, Panama City 5
From the us mailing address: Box E, APO AA 34,002
From the us telephone: (507) 27-1777
From the us fax: (507) 27-1713

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: GDP expanded by roughly 8% in 1992, following growth of 9.3% in 1991. The economy thus continues to recover from the crisis that preceded the ouster of Manuel NORIEGA, even though the government's structural adjustment program has been hampered by a lack of popular support and a passive administration. Public investment has been limited as the administration has kept the fiscal deficit below 3% of GDP. Unemployment and economic reform are the two major issues the government must face in 1993-94.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita: $2,400 (1992 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 10.5% of GDP (1992 est.), 27% of labor force (1992; crops - bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane; livestock; fishing; importer of food grain, vegetables

Industries: manufacturing and construction activities, petroleum refining, brewing, cement and other construction material, sugar milling

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 7.6% (1992 est.), accounts for about 9% of GDP

Labor force: 921,000 (1992 est.)
By occupation government and community services: 31.8%
By occupation agriculture hunting and fishing: 26.8%
By occupation commerce restaurants and hotels: 16.4%
By occupation manufacturing and mining: 9.4%
By occupation construction: 3.2%
By occupation transportation and communications: 6.2%
By occupation finance insurance and realestate: 4.3%
Note: shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor

Unemployment rate: 15% (1992 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $1.8 billion; expenditures $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $200 million (1992 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

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: $486 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
Commodoties: bananas 43%, shrimp 11%, sugar 4%, clothing 5%, coffee 2%
Partners: US 38%, Central America and Caribbean, EC (1992 est.)

Imports: $2.0 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
Commodoties: capital goods 21%, crude oil 11%, foodstuffs 9%, consumer goods, chemicals
Partners:

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

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
Production: 1,584,000 kW capacity; 4,360 billion kWh produced, 1,720 kWh per capita (1992)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: expenditures for the Panamanian Public Forces for internal security amounted to $104.7 million, 1.7% of GDP (1993 est.)

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: 112
Usable: 104
With permanentsurface runways: 39
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 2
With runways 1220-2439 m: 15

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 130 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine:

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: major cocaine transshipment point and drug money laundering center