|RNational holiday:|N Independence Day. November 3.
|RNature and climate:|N A narrow land tongue between Central and South America. Two mountainchains run in east-western direction and most land is covered by rainforests.
Average temperature 26°C throughout the year.
Percipitation varies between 1000 mm by the Pacific coast to 5000 mm by the Caribbean coast.
|RPeople:|N 70% Mestizo, 14% Indians, 10% white and 6% East Indians.
|REconomy:|N The most important source of income is the Panama Canal and the fee USA pays for the canalzone.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing occupies 26% of the labour force. The most important crops are bananas, rice, sugarcanes, coffee and corn.
The main natural resources are copper, mahogany forests and fish.
Manufacturing has been developed in the last decades and occupies 10% of the labour force. Oil refining is the single most important industry.
Commerce and tourism occupies 16% of the labour force and government services 28%.
Panama is an important port for the illegal drug traffic between South and North America.
|RHistory:|N The coast of Panama was first sighted and visited by Columbus in 1502. Vasco Nunez de Balboa returned in 1510 and in 1513 he crossed the isthmus and thus "discovered" the Pacific Ocean.
In 1519 Panama City was founded. The area became a part of the Spanish colony New Granada but was ravaged by several British expeditions in the 16th and 17th centuries.
In 1819 Panama became a part of the independent republic Colombia. After an uprising with US help Panama declared itself an independent country in 1903.
Since independence several dictators have reigned on a military base.
In 1988 the general Manuel Noriega was accused in the USA on narcotic charges and in 1989 he seized powers. When he the same year annulled the elections US troops intervened, seized him, and installed the winner of the elections as president.
But the government is ineffective and political unrest is usual.
