| Background: |
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. On 7 September 1977, an agreement was signed for the
complete transfer of the Canal from the US to Panama by the
end of 1999. Certain portions of the Zone and increasing
responsibility over the Canal were turned over in the
intervening years. 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
turned over to Panama by or on 31 December 1999. |
| Location: |
Middle America,
bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific
Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
9 00 N, 80 00 W |
| Map
references: |
Central America
and the Caribbean |
| Area: |
total:
78,200 sq km
land: 75,990 sq km
water: 2,210 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller
than South Carolina |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
555 km
border countries: Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica
330 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
contiguous
zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 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
extremes: |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan de Chiriqui 3,475 m |
| Natural
resources: |
copper, mahogany
forests, shrimp, hydropower |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
7%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 20%
forests and woodland: 44%
other: 27% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
320 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Environment
- current issues: |
water pollution
from agricultural runoff threatens fishery resources;
deforestation of tropical rain forest; land degradation and
soil erosion threatens siltation of Panama Canal |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life
Conservation |
| Geography
- note: |
strategic
location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge
connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal
that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North
Pacific Ocean |
| Population: |
2,845,647 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
30.13% (male 436,661; female 420,625)
15-64 years: 63.86% (male 920,787; female
896,520)
65 years and over: 6.01% (male 81,682; female
89,372) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.3% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
19.06
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
4.95 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-1.1 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
20.18
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 75.68 years
male: 72.94 years
female: 78.53 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
2.27 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
1.54% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
24,000 (1999
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
1,200 (1999 est.) |
| 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: 90.8%
male: 91.4%
female: 90.2% (1995 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Republic of Panama
conventional short form: Panama
local long form: Republica de Panama
local short form: Panama |
| Government
type: |
constitutional
democracy |
| Administrative
divisions: |
9 provinces (provincias,
singular - provincia) and one territory* (comarca); Bocas
del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Herrera, Los
Santos, Panama, San Blas*, and Veraguas |
| Independence: |
3 November 1903
(from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November
1821) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day,
3 November (1903) |
| Constitution: |
11 October 1972;
major reforms adopted 1978, 1983 and 1994 |
| 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
branch: |
chief of
state: President Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO Rodriguez
(since 1 September 1999); First Vice President Arturo Ulises
VALLARINO (since 1 September 1999); Second Vice President
Dominador "Kaiser" Baldonero BAZAN Jimenez (since
1 September 1999); note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government
head of government: President Mireya Elisa
MOSCOSO Rodriguez (since 1 September 1999); First Vice
President Arturo Ulises VALLARINO (since 1 September 1999);
Second Vice President Dominador "Kaiser" Baldonero
BAZAN Jimenez (since 1 September 1999); 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; election last held 2 May 1999 (next to be held NA May
2004)
election results: Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO
Rodriguez elected president; percent of vote - Mireya Elisa
MOSCOSO Rodriguez (PA) 44%, Martin TORRIJOS (PRD) 37%
note: government coalition - PA, MOLIRENA,
Democratic Change, MORENA, PLN, PS |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (71 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held 2 May 1999 (next to be
held NA May 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - PRD 34, PA 18, PDC 5, PS 4, MOLIRENA
3, PLN 3, Democratic Change 2, PRC 1, MORENA 1
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
branch: |
Supreme Court of
Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (nine judges appointed
for 10-year terms); five superior courts; three courts of
appeal |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Arnulfista Party
or PA [Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO Rodriguez]; Christian Democratic
Party or PDC [Ruben AROSEMENA]; Civic Renewal Party or PRC [Serguei
DE LA ROSA]; Democratic Change [Ricardo MARTINELLI];
Democratic Revolutionary Party or PRD [Martin TORRIJOS];
National Liberal Party or PLN [Raul ARANGO Gasteazopo];
National Renovation Movement or MORENA [Pedro VALLARINO
Cox]; Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement or MOLIRENA
[Ramon MORALES]; Solidarity Party or PS [Samuel LEWIS
Galindo] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Chamber of
Commerce; National Civic Crusade; National Council of
Organized Workers or CONATO; National Union of Construction
and Similar Workers (SUNTRACS); National Council of Private
Enterprise or CONEP; Panamanian Association of Business
Executives or APEDE; Panamanian Industrialists Society or
SIP; Workers Confederation of the Republic of Panama or CTRP |
| International
organization participation: |
CCC, ECLAC, FAO,
G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW,
PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Alfredo BOYD
chancery: 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington,
DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-1407
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Houston, Miami,
New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Tampa |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Simon FERRO
embassy: Avenida Balboa and Calle 37, Apartado
6959, Panama City 5
mailing address: American Embassy Panama, Unit
0945, APO AA 34002
telephone: [507] 207-7000
FAX: [507] 227-1964 |
| Flag
description: |
divided into
four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants 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
- overview: |
Panama's economy
is based primarily on a well-developed services sector that
accounts for three-fourths of GDP. Services include the
Panama Canal, banking, the Colon Free Zone, insurance,
container ports, flagship registry, and tourism. A slump in
Colon Free Zone and agricultural exports, high oil prices,
and the withdrawal of US military forces held back economic
growth in 2000. The government plans public works programs,
tax reforms, and new regional trade agreements in order to
stimulate growth in 2001. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $16.6 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
2.5% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $6,000 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
7%
industry: 16.5%
services: 76.5% (1999 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
37% (1999 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
1.2%
highest 10%: 35.7% (1997) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
1.8% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
1.1 million (2000
est.)
note: shortage of skilled labor, but an
oversupply of unskilled labor |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture
20.8%, industry 18%, services 61.2% (1995 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
13% (2000 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$2.8 billion
expenditures: $2.9 billion, including capital
expenditures of $471 million (2000 est.) |
| Industries: |
construction,
petroleum refining, brewing, cement and other construction
materials, sugar milling |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
2% (2000 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
4.413 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
27.78%
hydro: 71.65%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.57% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
4.049 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
95 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
40 million kWh
(1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
bananas, rice,
corn, coffee, sugarcane, vegetables; livestock; shrimp |
| Exports: |
$5.7 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
bananas, shrimp,
sugar, coffee, clothing |
| Exports
- partners: |
US 42%, Germany
11%, Costa Rica 5%, Benelux 4%, Italy 4% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$6.9 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
capital goods,
crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, chemicals |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 39%, Colon
Free Zone 14%, Japan 8%, Ecuador 6%, Mexico 5% (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$7.56 billion
(2000 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$197.1 million
(1995) |
| Currency: |
balboa (PAB); US
dollar (USD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
balboas per US
dollar - 1.000 (fixed rate) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
396,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
17,000 (1997) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: domestic and international facilities
well developed
domestic: NA
international: 1 coaxial submarine cable;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean);
connected to the Central American Microwave System |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 101, FM 134,
shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
38 (including
repeaters) (1998) |
| Televisions: |
510,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.pa |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
6 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
45,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
355 km
broad gauge: 76 km 1.524-m gauge
narrow gauge: 279 km 0.914-m gauge |
| Highways: |
total:
11,592 km
paved: 4,079 km (including 30 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 7,513 km (2000) |
| Waterways: |
882 km
note: 800 km navigable by shallow draft
vessels; 82 km Panama Canal |
| Pipelines: |
crude oil 130 km
(2001) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Balboa, Cristobal,
Coco Solo, Manzanillo (part of Colon area), Vacamonte |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
4,711 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 111,515,984 GRT/169,655,363
DWT
ships by type: bulk 1,381, cargo 925, chemical
tanker 314, combination bulk 71, combination ore/oil 18,
container 525, liquefied gas 193, livestock carrier 5,
multi-functional large-load carrier 12, passenger 41,
passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 544, railcar carrier 2,
refrigerated cargo 297, roll on/roll off 106, short-sea
passenger 36, specialized tanker 29, vehicle carrier 208
note: includes some foreign-owned ships
registered here as a flag of convenience: Argentina 11,
Australia 1, Austria 1, Bermuda 21, Belgium 4, The Bahamas
7, Brazil 2, Canada 4, China 154, Chile 4, Cayman Islands 1,
Colombia 6, Cuba 7, Cyprus 4, Denmark 12, Egypt 8, Ireland
2, Equatorial Guinea 1, Finland 1, France 4, Germany 17,
Greece 248, Hong Kong 158, Honduras 2, Croatia 3, Indonesia
40, India 11, Iran 1, Israel 3, Italy 7, Japan 1,007, Jordan
2, South Korea 223, Latvia 4, Lithuania 1, Liberia 2, Monaco
43, Malta 1, Mexico 5, Malaysia 6, Netherlands 6, Norway 36,
Netherlands Antilles 1, Peru 5, Pakistan 1, Portugal 5,
Philippines 10, Russia 6, Saudi Arabia 6, Seychelles 2,
South Africa 5, Singapore 73, Spain 35, Sweden 4, Syria 11,
Switzerland 53, UAE 11, Thailand 15, Taiwan 170, UK 18, US
79, Venezuela 18, Samoa 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports: |
107 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
42
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 22 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
65
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 52 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
an amendment to
the Constitution abolished the armed forces, but there are
security forces (Panamanian Public Forces or PPF includes
the Panamanian National Police, National Maritime Service,
and National Air Service) |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 775,966 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 530,916 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$128 million
(FY99) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.3% (FY99) |
| Military
- note: |
on 10 February
1990, the government of then President 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" |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
| Illicit
drugs: |
major cocaine
transshipment point and major drug money-laundering center;
no recent signs of coca cultivation; monitoring of financial
transactions is improving; official corruption remains a
major problem; Panama was cited by the Financial Action Task
Force (FATF) an international organization that includes the
US Government, for its lack of cooperation in the fight
against international money laundering |
|
