Guide to Panama

Name: Republic of Panama
Location: Central America. To the east lies Colombia and west Costa Rica. It forms a natural isthmian bridge, 80km in its narrowest, that joins the Atlantic Ocean in the north with the Pacific ocean in the South.
Population: 3.2 million (UN, 2005)
Capital: Panama City
Area: 75,517 sq km (29,157 sq miles)
Major languages: Spanish, English
Major religion: Christianity
Life expectancy: 72 years (men), 77 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 balboa = 100 cents & US $
Main exports: Bananas, fish, shrimp, petroleum products
GNI per capita: US $4,450 (World Bank, 2005)
Internet domain: .pa
International dialling code: +507
Climate: Hot and humid - 100% tropical. The rainy season stretches from May to November and the dry season from December to April.
Temperatures: 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius)
Time Zone: GMT/UTC -5

Highlights
Panama City is a modern city, spread round the Bahía de Panamá. The rubble and ruins of Panamá Viejo lies to the east, the city’s original location sacked by the pirate Henry Morgan. The city lies at the Pacific end of the Panama Canal a feat of engineering which raises ocean-going liners 26 metres to Lago Gatún on the 67.5 km voyage between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

To the east is Portobelo, the site of flamboyant 16th and 17th century markets, where fortified warehouses filled with Peruvian gold and silver were guarded against pirate raids. Quiet, beautiful beaches await the visitor today. Further east, the 365-island Archipiélago de San Blás of crystalline waters and palms continues its autonomous existence under the guidance of the Kuna nation. The islands can be visited and hotels, lodges and simple cabinas are opening to cater for the growing tourist interest.

On the Pacific side the Península Azuero is dotted with old colonial towns, beaches perfect for surfing, and nature reserves of wetland birds, nesting turtles and quiet solitude.

Darién in the east is the most inhospitable part of Panama where all roads, including the Pan-American Highway, eventually just peter out.

11 October 2007