Statistical information Panama 1993

Panama in the World
top of pageBackground: 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.
top of pageLocation: extreme southern Central America, between Colombia and Costa Rica
Geographic coordinatesMap reference:
Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard
Time Zones of the World
AreaTotal: 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 claimsClimate:
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
ElevationNatural resources: copper, mahogany forests, shrimp
Land useArable land: 6%
Permanent crops: 2%
Meadows and pastures: 15%
Forest and woodland: 54%
Other: 23%
Irrigated land: 320 km² (1989 est.)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulationGrowth rate: 1.98% (1993 est.)
NationalityNoun: Panamanian(s)
Adjective: Panamanian
Ethnic groups:
mestizo (mixed Indian and European ancestry) 70%, West
Indian 14%, white 10%, Indian 6%
Languages: Spanish (official), English 14%
Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation 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 distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: dense tropical forest in east and northwest
Current issues 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
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 17.2 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal 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 rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 88%
Male: 88%
Female: 88%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Republic of Panama
Local long form: Republica de Panama
Local short form: 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 areasIndependence:
3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from
Spain 28 November 1821)
National holidayIndependence Day 3 November 1903 government alliance:Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement (MOLIRENA),
Alfredo RAMIREZ; Authentic Liberal Party (PLA), Arnulfo ESCALONA; Arnulfista
Party PA Mireya MOSCOSO DE GRUBER other parties:Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Ricardo ARIAS Calderon;
Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), Gerardo GONZALEZ; Agrarian Labor Party (PALA), Nestor Tomas GUERRA; Liberal Party (PL), Roberto ALEMAN Zubieta;
Doctrinaire Panamenista Party (PPD), Jose Salvador MUNOZ; Papa Egoro Movement,
Ruben BLADES; Renovacion Civilista, Manuel BURGOS; Civic Renewal Party (PRC),
Tomas HERRERA; National Integration Movement (MINA), Arrigo GUARDIA; National
Unity Mission Party (MUN), Jose Manuel PAREDES; Independent Democratic Union
Party (UDI), leader NA; Popular Nationalist Party (PNP), leader NA
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 participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 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 leadersInternational organization participation:
AG (associate), CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM,
ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representationIn 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 symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy 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 parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capita: $2,400 (1992 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture 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 unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $1.8 billion; expenditures $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $200 million (1992 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $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:US 36%, Japan, EC, Central America and Caribbean, Mexico,
Venezuela (1992 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: balboas (B) per US$1 - 1.000 (fixed rate)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 1,584,000 kW capacity; 4,360 billion kWh produced, 1,720 kWh per capita (1992)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent 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 forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 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
HeliportsPipelines: crude oil 130 km
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marine:
3,244 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 51,353,963
GRT/82,138,537 DWT; includes 22 passenger, 26 short-sea passenger, 3 passenger-cargo, 1,091 cargo, 246 refrigerated cargo, 196 container, 63 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 121 vehicle carrier, 9 livestock carrier, 5 multifunction large-load carrier, 403 oil tanker, 180 chemical tanker, 26 combination ore/oil, 121 liquefied gas, 9 specialized tanker, 688 bulk, 34 combination bulk, 1 barge carrier; note - all but 5 are foreign owned and operated; the top 4 foreign owners are Japan 36%, Greece 8%, Hong Kong 8%, and
Taiwan 5%; (China owns at least 131 ships, Vietnam 3, Croatia 3, Cuba 4,
Cyprus 6, and Russia 16)
Ports and terminalsPanama - Transnational issues 1993
top of pageDisputes international: none
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs: major cocaine transshipment point and drug money laundering center