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$Unique_ID{COW02793}
$Pretitle{246}
$Title{Panama
General Information}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Embassy of Panama, Washington DC}
$Affiliation{Embassy of Panama, Washington DC}
$Subject{panama
canal
city
spanish
pacific
isthmus
country
national
degrees
republic}
$Date{1991}
$Log{Table 1.*0279301.tab
Table 2.*0279302.tab
}
Country: Panama
Book: Introduction to Panama
Author: Embassy of Panama, Washington DC
Affiliation: Embassy of Panama, Washington DC
Date: 1991
General Information
Capital: Panama City
Currency: Balboa
Population: 2.3 million
Independence Day: November 3
National hero: Tomas Herrera
National flower: Holy Ghost orchid
Geographical Position
The Republic of Panama is located at the southeast extreme of the Central
American isthmus that links North and South America.
Its latitude is included between 7 degrees 12'09.4' and 09 degrees
37' 57.7" latitude North and its longitudes between 77 degrees 09'24" and
83 degrees 03'07" Greenwich Longitude West.
The Isthmus of Panama, which lies on an east-west axis is bounded on the
west by Costa Rica, on the east by Colombia, and faces the Caribbean Sea to
the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south.
Geography
The country covers a total area of 77,082 square kilometers, is
approximately 650 kilometers in length and varies in width from approximately
50 kilometers to 190 kilometers.
The isthmus has quite a marked configuration. The highlands and mountain
ranges lie mostly in the northwestern part of the country, the extinct Volcano
Bury in the Province of Corridor reaches the highest elevation in the country
at 3,475 meters above sea level. The eastern region consists mainly of vast
expanses of jungle and tropical forests. The central section is mostly
flat, while the low lands are found mostly in the South.
Two main mountain chains form the backbone of the Isthmus, enclosing
many fertile valleys and plains. Panama's coastline extends 2,857
kilometers, of which 1,160 border on the Caribbean Sea and 1,697 kilometers
on the Pacific Ocean. Panamanian coasts are indented and scattered with
islands. The most interesting islands belong to the Son Blas Archipelago in
the Caribbean. These 365 islands range in size from small ones to large ones
inhabited by hundreds of Indians.
Taboga Island in Panama Bay and the Pearl Islands are the nucleus of the
Pacific Ocean.
There are two main river systems, with more than 500 rivers, of which 350
flow into the Pacific and the others into the Atlantic.
Location
Traveling south from the U.S. and Mexico to reach Panama you would pass
through Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and
Costa Rica. On Panama's other border is Colombia in South America.
Climate
Panama's climate is pleasantly tropical, and temperatures are practically
uniform the year round, from 73 degrees to 81 degrees in coastal areas. Nights
are generally cool. In the highlands temperatures range from 52 degrees to
65 degrees at night.
There are two seasons - rainy and dry. Rainy season from April to
December usually means a shower a day. Seldom is an entire day rainy. Panama
averages 65 inches of rain annually in the Pacific area and 120 inches in the
Atlantic side. During the dry season (called "summer") the trade wind blow
steadily.
Fauna
With two oceans washing its shores, Panama is rich in marine life.
Lobsters, shrimp, clams and the following fish are plentiful: marlin (Panama
is the black marlin capital of the world), sailfish, sawfish, porpoises,
dolphin, tuna, bonito, wahoo, snook, corvina, mackerel, snapper, bass, trout,
tarpon, shark, barracuda, etc. The jungle abounds with monkeys, tapirs, puma,
jaguar, peccary, deer, wild pig, ocelots, agouti paca, armadillos, anteaters,
sloths, and other animals native to the American tropics.
There are over 850 native bird species, plus the numerous migrants from
the north and south, making Panama a tourist haven for birds and a
bird-watcher's paradise. The quetzal can be seen in Chiriqui Province.
Flora
All Panama is a garden where the flowering trees, especially from April
to June, are a splendid sight. Among these are the golden shower, the lavander
lagaestroma, the pink and yellow acacia, the red poinciana and the purple
jacaranda. In addition a great variety of tropical flowers is always in bloom.
During the months of December to July bougainvillea in many shades can be
seen, while the purple and some reds flower all year round. Hundreds of orchid
species abound. Lush leafy plants of many colors are also typical of Panama.
Natural Resources
Panama is rich in mineral resources, although only gold and manganese
have been utilized. Copper will be mined in the near future due to the finding
of large deposits. Limestone is used in the manufacture of Portland Cement
and native clay supplies the brick, pottery and tile industries. The forests
are a source of fine hardwood. The abundance of fish in the surrounding
oceans gives Panama her name from an old Indian dialect.
Religion
The predominant religion is Roman Catholic. However, there is no
prohibition against the practice of any religion, and churches of other
denominations are to be found in the country.
Population
The population of Panama is approximately 2.3 million inhabitants
which grows at a 3.5% rate, and the demographic density is 26.0 inhabitants
per square kilometer.
No provision is made in the census for counting the population by racial
groupings, but it is estimated that almost 3/4 of the Panamanian people are
of blended Spanish and Indian ancestry, or "mestizo". There are a few Negroes,
whose ancestors were originally brought as slaves from Africa in the 16th
Century, who live in the Perlas Islands. But most Negroes in the country are
descended from workers who came from the West Indies during the building of
the Panama Railroad and the Canal, and they are rapidly being assimilated into
the general population. There are also some East Indians and Chinese. But the
important thing is that all these ethnic groups live together harmoniously,
and work together for Panama's growth and development. There is no racial
discrimination in Panama.
Language
The official language is Spanish. In the principal cities many people
speak or understand English. Minority groups speak Italian, French, Greek,
German, Chinese Hindustani, etc.
[See Table 1.: Principal Cities]
The Capital of the Republic is the city of Panama, on the Pacific Coast,
in Panama Bay. It is considered the political, administrative, educational and
commercial city where most of the urban population is concentrated.
Currency
Panama's currency is the silver Balboa, named after the discoverer of the
South Sea. It is on a par with the United States dollar and is divided into
50, 25, 10, 5 and 1-cent coins. There is no national paper currency, but the
United States dollar circulates throughout the country.
Flag
The Panamanian flag is divided into four quarters. The upper one next to
the staff is white with a blue star in its center; the other one is red; the
lower one next to the staff is blue and the fourth, white with a red star in
the center.
Political Organization
The Republic of Panama is divided for administrative purposes into nine
provinces and an Indian Territory (San Blas), inhabited by indigenous Indians.
The Provinces are divided into 66 districts or municipalities, and
further subdivided into 505 regional electoral units known as corregimientos,
which constitute the political bases of the state.
The provinces (the names of the respective capitals are shown in
parenthesis) are: Bocas del Toro (Bocas del Toro); Cocle (Penonome); Colon
(Colon); Chiriqui (David); Darien (La Palma); Herrera (Chitre); Los Santos
(Las Tablas); Panama (Panama); Veraguas (Santiago).
Government System
Panama is a