Panama

Location

• Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica
• strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge that connects North and South America; controls the Panama Canal, which links the North Atlantic Ocean with the North Pacific Ocean via the Caribbean Sea 

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Panamá	408,168	Capital
San Miguelito	321,501
Juan Díaz	100,636
David	81,957
Arraiján	76,815
Colón	76,643
Las Cumbres	69,102
La Chorrera	61,232
Pedregal	51,641
Tocumen	50,844

Size

• 30,193 square miles
• 78,200 square kilometers
• slightly smaller than South Carolina

History

Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama broke with Spain in 1821 and joined a union of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela that was named the Republic of Gran Colombia. When the union 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 known as the Panama Canal Zone on either side of the structure. The US Army Corps of Engineers built the Panama Canal 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, Panamanian dictator Manuel NORIEGA was deposed in 1989. The entire Panama Canal, the area supporting the Canal, and remaining US military bases were transferred to Panama by the end of 1999. An ambitious expansion project to more than double the Canal's capacity by allowing for more Canal transits and larger ships was carried out between 2007 and 2016.

Climate

tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)

Terrain

interior mostly steep, rugged mountains with dissected, upland plains; coastal plains with rolling hills

Languages

Spanish (official), Indigenous languages (including Ngabere (Guaymi), Buglere, Kuna, Embera, Wounaan, Naso (Teribe), and Bri Bri), Panamanian English Creole (a mixture of English and Spanish with elements of Ngabere, also known as Guari Guari and Colon Creole), English, Chinese (Yue and Hakka), Arabic, French Creole, other (Yiddish, Hebrew, Korean, Japanese)major-language sample(s): La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions

Evangelical 55%, Roman Catholic 33.4%, none 10.1%, unspecified 1.5% (2023 est.)

Government

presidential republic

• Constitution: history: several previous; latest effective 11 October 1972amendment process: proposed by the National Assembly, by the Cabinet, or by the Supreme Court of Justice; passage requires approval by one of two procedures: 1) absolute majority vote of the Assembly membership in each of three readings and by absolute majority vote of the next elected Assembly in a single reading without textual modifications; 2) absolute majority vote of the Assembly membership in each of three readings, followed by absolute majority vote of the next elected Assembly in each of three readings with textual modifications, and approval in a referendum
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: civil law system; Supreme Court of Justice reviews legislative acts
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President José Raúl MULINO Quintero (since 1 July 2024)head of government: President José Raúl MULINO Quintero (since 1 July 2024)cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the presidentelection/appointment process: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by simple-majority popular vote for a 5-year term; president eligible for a single non-consecutive term)most recent election date: 5 May 2024election results: 2024: José Raúl MULINO Quintero elected president; percent of vote - José Raúl MULINO Quintero (RM) 34.2%, Ricardo Alberto LOMBANA González (MOCA) 24.6%, Martín Erasto TORRIJOS Espino (PP) 16%, Alberto ROUX Moses (CD) 11.4%, Zulay RODRÍGUEZ Lu (independent) 6.6%, José Gabriel CARRIZO Jaén (PRD) 5.9%, other 1.3%2019: Laurentino "Nito" CORTIZO Cohen elected president; percent of vote - Laurentino CORTIZO Cohen (PRD) 33.3%, Romulo ROUX (CD) 31%, Ricardo LOMBANA (independent) 18.8%, Jose BLANDON (Panameñista Party) 10.8%, Ana Matilde GOMEZ Ruiloba (independent) 4.8%, other 1.3%expected date of next election: May 2029note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 9 magistrates and 9 alternates and divided into civil, criminal, administrative, and general business chambers)judge selection and term of office: magistrates appointed by the president for staggered 10-year termssubordinate courts: appellate courts or Tribunal Superior; Labor Supreme Courts; Court of Audit; circuit courts or Tribunal Circuital (2 each in 9 of the 10 provinces); municipal courts; electoral, family, maritime, and adolescent courts
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional)legislative structure: unicameralnumber of seats: 71 (all directly elected)electoral system: mixed systemscope of elections: full renewalterm in office: 5 yearsmost recent election date: 5/5/2024parties elected and seats per party: Realizing Goals (RM) (14); Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) (13); Democratic Change (CD) (8); Panamenista Party (8); Independents (20); Other (8)percentage of women in chamber: 21.7%expected date of next election: May 2029

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• upper middle-income Central American economy; increasing Chinese trade; US dollar user; canal expansion fueling broader infrastructure investment; services sector dominates economy; historic money-laundering and illegal drug hub
• Budget: revenues: $7.57 billion (2021 est.)expenditures: $12.046 billion (2021 est.)note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower
• Industries: construction, brewing, cement and other construction materials, sugar milling
• Agricultural Products: sugarcane, rice, bananas, oranges, oil palm fruit, chicken, plantains, maize, milk, pineapples (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 29.4% (2022 est.)arable land: 7.6% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 1.4% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 20.3% (2022 est.)forest: 56.5% (2022 est.)other: 14.1% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: crude petroleum, ships, refined petroleum, nitrogen compounds, cars (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: USA 15%, Colombia 13%, China 13%, Ecuador 13%, Japan 11% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: copper ore, ships, refined petroleum, bananas, fish (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: China 25%, Japan 10%, USA 6%, Thailand 5%, Costa Rica 5% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports