Traveling Tales  Rainforest by Steve Spangler  City Street by Steve Spangler  Volcano Baru by Steve Spangler |
A small spark makes a great fire.
- Panamanian Proverb |
Stories | |
| |
Country Overview | |
Panama is located in Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica. Climate is tropical, hot, humid and cloudy, with a prolonged rainy season from May to January. Government type is a constitutional democracy with capital at Panama City. President Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO Rodriguez has acted as chief of state since September 1999. Population is 2.9 million with a 1.9% rate of natural increase. Language is officially Spanish, with 88 percent of the population literate. Other languages spoken include Japanese, Hebrew, Eastern Yiddish, Arabic and Chinese. Economy is based primarily on a well-developed services sector (including the Panama Canal) that accounts for three-fourths of GDP. Per capita income is USD6,000 per year with a 13% unemployment rate and 37% of the population living below the poverty line. Maps: Political Map - Physical Map |