from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Panama
Introduction
Background: Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th
century, Panama broke with Spain in 1821 and joined a
union of Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador - 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 transfered to Panama by the end of
1999. In October 2006, Panamanians approved an
ambitious plan to expand the Canal. The project, which
is to begin in 2007 and could double the Canal's
capacity, is expected to be completed in 2014-15.
Geography
Location: Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and
the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa
Rica
Geographic 9 00 N, 80 00 W
coordinates:
Map Central America and the Caribbean
references:
Area: total: 78,200 sq km
land: 75,990 sq km
water: 2,210 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than South Carolina
comparative:
Land total: 555 km
boundaries: border countries: Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km
Coastline: 2,490 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: tropical maritime; 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 lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Volcan de Chiriqui 3,475 m
Natural copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower
resources:
Land use: arable land: 7.26%
permanent crops: 1.95%
other: 90.79% (2005)
Irrigated 430 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural occasional severe storms and forest fires in the Darien
hazards: area
Environment - water pollution from agricultural runoff threatens
current fishery resources; deforestation of tropical rain
issues: forest; land degradation and soil erosion threatens
siltation of Panama Canal; air pollution in urban
areas; mining threatens natural resources
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
agreements: Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands,
Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming
note: land bridge connecting North and South America;
controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Ocean
via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean
People
Population: 3,191,319 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 30.3% (male 492,403/female 472,996)
15-64 years: 63.4% (male 1,025,898/female 998,926)
65 years and over: 6.3% (male 94,122/female 106,974)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 26.1 years
male: 25.8 years
female: 26.5 years (2006 est.)
Population 1.6% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 21.74 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 5.36 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 16.37 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 17.75 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 14.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 75.22 years
expectancy at male: 72.68 years
birth: female: 77.87 years (2006 est.)
Total 2.68 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 0.9% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 16,000 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - less than 500 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Panamanian(s)
adjective: Panamanian
Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 70%, Amerindian
and mixed (West Indian) 14%, white 10%, Amerindian 6%
Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%
Languages: Spanish (official), English 14%; note - many
Panamanians bilingual
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.6%
male: 93.2%
female: 91.9% (2003 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Panama
conventional short form: Panama
local long form: Republica de Panama
local short form: Panama
Government constitutional democracy
type:
Capital: name: Panama
geographic coordinates: 8 58 N, 79 32 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
Administrative 9 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1
divisions: territory* (comarca); Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle,
Colon, Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama, San Blas*
(Kuna Yala), and Veraguas
Independence: 3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from
Spain 28 November 1821)
National Independence Day, 3 November (1903)
holiday:
Constitution: 11 October 1972; major reforms adopted 1978, 1983,
1994, and 2004
Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of
legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive chief of state: President Martin TORRIJOS Espino (since
branch: 1 September 2004); First Vice President Samuel LEWIS
Navarro (since 1 September 2004); Second Vice President
Ruben AROSEMENA Valdes (since 1 September 2004); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Martin TORRIJOS Espino
(since 1 September 2004); First Vice President Samuel
LEWIS Navarro (since 1 September 2004); Second Vice
President Ruben AROSEMENA Valdes (since 1 September
2004); note - the president is both the chief of state
and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice presidents elected on the
same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms
(eligible for two more terms); election last held 2 May
2004 (next to be held 3 May 2009); note - beginning in
2009, Panama will have only one vice president.
election results: Martin TORRIJOS Espino elected
president; percent of vote - Martin TORRIJOS Espino
47.5%, Guillermo ENDARA Galimany 30.6%, Jose Miguel
ALEMAN 17%, Ricardo MARTINELLI 4.9%
note: government coalition - PRD (Democratic
Revolutionary Party), PP (Popular Party)
Legislative unicameral National Assembly (formerly called
branch: Legislative Assembly) or Asamblea Nacional (78 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year
terms); note - in 2009, the number of seats will change
to 71
elections: last held 2 May 2004 (next to be held 3 May
2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
by party - PRD 40, PA 17, PS 8, MOLIRENA 3, CD 2, PP 2,
PLN 1, other 5
note: legislators from outlying rural districts are
chosen on a plurality basis while districts located in
more populous towns and cities elect multiple
legislators by means of a proportion-based formula
Judicial Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia
branch: (nine judges appointed for 10-year terms); five
superior courts; three courts of appeal
Political Democratic Change or CD [Ricardo MARTINELLI];
parties and Democratic Revolutionary Party or PRD [Hugo GUIRAUD];
leaders: National Liberal Party or PLN [Anibal GALINDO];
Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement or MOLIRENA
[Jesus ROSAS]; Panamenista Party or PA (formerly the
Arnulfista Party) [Marco AMEGLIO]; Popular Party or PP
(formerly Christian Democratic Party or PDC) [Ricardo
ARIAS Calderon]; Solidarity Party or PS [Jose Raul
MULINO]
Political Chamber of Commerce; National Civic Crusade; National
pressure Council of Organized Workers or CONATO; National
groups and Council of Private Enterprise or CONEP; National Union
leaders: of Construction and Similar Workers (SUNTRACS);
Panamanian Association of Business Executives or APEDE;
Panamanian Industrialists Society or SIP; Workers
Confederation of the Republic of Panama or CTRP
International CAN (observer), CSN (observer), FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA,
organization IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
participation: IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,
ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL,
OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Federico HUMBERT Arias
representation chancery: 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20008
in the US: telephone: [1] (202) 483-1407
FAX: [1] (202) 483-8416
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Houston, Miami, New
Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San
Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador William A. EATON
representation embassy: Avenida Balboa and Calle 37, Apartado Postal
from the US: 0816-02561, Zona 5, Panama City 5
mailing address: American Embassy Panama, Unit 0945,
APO AA 34002
telephone: [507] 207-7000
FAX: [507] 227-1964
Flag divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants
description: 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
Economy
Economy - Panama's dollarised economy rests primarily on a
overview: well-developed services sector that accounts for
three-fourths of GDP. Services include operating the
Panama Canal, banking, the Colon Free Zone, insurance,
container ports, flagship registry, and tourism. A
slump in the Colon Free Zone and agricultural exports,
the global slowdown, and the withdrawal of US military
forces held back economic growth in 2000-03; growth
picked up in 2004 and 2005 led by export-oriented
services and a construction boom stimulated by tax
incentives. The government has implemented tax reforms,
as well as social security reforms, and backs regional
trade agreements and development of tourism.
Unemployment remains high.
GDP $23.33 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $14.89 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 6.4% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $7,400 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 6.8%
composition by industry: 15.6%
sector: services: 77.6% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 1.39 million
note: shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of
unskilled labor (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 20.8%
by occupation: industry: 18%
services: 61.2% (1995 est.)
Unemployment 9.8% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population 37% (1999 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 1.2%
income or highest 10%: 35.7% (1997)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 56.4 (2000)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 2.9% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 16.5% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $3.426 billion
expenditures: $3.959 billion; including capital
expenditures of $471 million (2005 est.)
Public debt: 64.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane, vegetables;
products: livestock; shrimp
Industries: construction, brewing, cement and other construction
materials, sugar milling
Industrial 1.7% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 5.398 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 37%
production by hydro: 61.3%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 1.7% (2001)
Electricity - 4.87 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 175 million kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 25 million kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
production:
Oil - 78,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day; note - imports oil
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Current $-705.7 million (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $7.481 billion f.o.b.; note - includes the Colon Free
Zone (2005 est.)
Exports - bananas, shrimp, sugar, coffee, clothing
commodities:
Exports - US 44.9%, Spain 8.9%, Sweden 5.6%, Netherlands 4.9%,
partners: Costa Rica 4% (2005)
Imports: $8.734 billion f.o.b. (includes the Colon Free Zone)
(2005 est.)
Imports - capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, chemicals
commodities:
Imports - US 27.5%, Netherlands Antilles 11.4%, Costa Rica 4.7%,
partners: Japan 4.5% (2005)
Reserves of $1.211 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $9.758 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $197.1 million (1995)
recipient:
Currency balboa (PAB); US dollar (USD)
(code):
Currency code: PAB; USD
Exchange balboas per US dollar - 1 (2005), 1 (2004), 1 (2003), 1
rates: (2002), 1 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 440,100 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 1.352 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: domestic and international
system: facilities well developed
domestic: NA
international: country code - 507; 1 coaxial submarine
cable; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); connected to the Central American Microwave
System
Radio AM 101, FM 134, shortwave 0 (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 815,000 (1997)
Television 38 (including repeaters) (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 510,000 (1997)
Internet .pa
country code:
Internet 7,149 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 6 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 300,000 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 117 (2006)
Airports - total: 53
with paved over 3,047 m: 1
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m: 28 (2006)
Airports - total: 64
with unpaved 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 53 (2006)
Railways: total: 355 km
standard gauge: 77 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 278 km 0.914-m gauge (2005)
Roadways: total: 11,643 km
paved: 4,028 km
unpaved: 7,615 km (2000)
Waterways: 800 km (includes 82 km Panama Canal) (2005)
Merchant total: 5,473 ships (1000 GRT or over) 146,511,342 GRT/
marine: 219,940,567 DWT
by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 1,776, cargo
992, chemical tanker 476, combination ore/oil 2,
container 663, liquefied gas 193, livestock carrier 7,
passenger 49, passenger/cargo 77, petroleum tanker 518,
refrigerated cargo 299, roll on/roll off 123,
specialized tanker 23, vehicle carrier 274
foreign-owned: 4,922 (Anguilla 1, Argentina 9,
Australia 3, Bahamas, The 2, Belgium 11, Bermuda 1,
Bulgaria 1, Canada 4, Chile 9, China 420, Colombia 5,
Croatia 5, Cuba 11, Cyprus 14, Denmark 34, Egypt 16,
Estonia 3, France 15, Gabon 1, Germany 35, Greece 524,
Hong Kong 169, India 19, Indonesia 50, Iran 4, Ireland
2, Israel 6, Italy 15, Japan 2007, Jordan 13, South
Korea ( ( (291, Kuwait 2, Latvia 3, Lebanon 2,
Lithuania 5, Malaysia 13, Maldives 1, Malta 3, Mexico
5, Monaco 9, Morocco 1, Netherlands 21, Nigeria 7,
Norway 66, Pakistan 3, Peru 15, Philippines 13, Poland
15, Portugal 10, Qatar 1, Romania 9, Russia 7, Saudi
Arabia 8, Singapore 67, South Africa 3, Spain 53, Sri
Lanka 5, Sudan 1, Sweden 5, Switzerland 226, Syria 18,
Taiwan 308, Thailand 9, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Turkey
42, UAE 105, UK 37, Ukraine 8, US 94, Venezuela 14,
Vietnam 4, Yemen 3)
registered in other countries: 1 (Venezuela 1) (2006)
Ports and Balboa, Colon, Cristobal
terminals:
Military
Military an amendment to the Constitution abolished the armed
branches: forces, but there are security forces (Panamanian
Public Forces or PPF includes the Panamanian National
Police, National Maritime Service, and National Air
Service)
Manpower males age 18-49: 751,065 (2005 est.)
available for
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 591,604 (2005 est.)
for military
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 29,724
reaching
military
service age
annually:
Military $150 million (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 1% (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Military - on 10 February 1990, the government of then President
note: ENDARA abolished Panama's military and reformed the
security apparatus by creating the Panamanian Public
Forces; in October 1994, Panama's Legislative Assembly
approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting the
creation of a standing military force, but allowing the
temporary establishment of special police units to
counter acts of "external aggression"
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia
international: operate within the border region with Panama
Illicit drugs: major cocaine transshipment point and primary
money-laundering center for narcotics revenue;
money-laundering activity is especially heavy in the
Colon Free Zone; offshore financial center; negligible
signs of coca cultivation; monitoring of financial
transactions is improving; official corruption remains
a major problem