Official Country Name: Republic of Panama
GEOGRAPHY
Location: Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica.
Area: Total: 78,200 sq km
Land: 75,990 sq km
Water: 2,210 sq km
Area - Comparative: Slightly smaller than South Carolina.
Climate: Tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy.
Natural resources: Copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower.
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; air pollution in urban areas; mining threatens natural resources.
PEOPLE
Population: 3,309,679 (July 2008 est.)
Life Expectancy at Birth: 75 years
Nationality: 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 are bilingual.
GOVERNMENT
Government Type: Constitutional democracy
Capital: Panama
Independence: November 3 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain November 28 1821) National holiday: November 3rd (Independence Day.)
MILITARY
No regular military forces; Panamanian Public Forces or PPF includes the Panamanian National Police (PNP), National Maritime Service (NMS), and National Air Service (NAS) (2008) on February 10 1990, the government of then President ENDARA abolished Panama’s military and reformed the security apparatus by creating the Panamanian Public Forces.
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