   #copyright

Panama

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Central & South American
Countries; Countries

   SOS Children works in Panama. For more information see SOS Children in
   Panama
                   República de Panamá
   Republic of Panama

   Flag of Panama Coat of arms of Panama
   Flag           Coat of arms
   Motto: Latin: Pro Mundi Beneficio
   (English: "For the Benefit of the World")
   Anthem: Himno Istmeño
   Location of Panama
   Capital
   (and largest city)    Panama City
                         8°58′N 79°32′W
    Official languages   Spanish
   Government            constitutional democracy
    - President          Martín Torrijos
       Independence
    - from Spain         28 November 1821
    - from Colombia      3 November 1903
                            Area
    - Total              75,517 km² ( 118th)
                         29,157 sq mi
    - Water (%)          2.9
                         Population
    - July 2005 estimate 3,232,000 ( 133rd)
    - May 2000 census    2,839,177
    - Density            43/km² ( 156th)
                         111/sq mi
        GDP ( PPP)       2005 estimate
    - Total              $23.495 billion ( 105th)
    - Per capita         $7,283 ( 83rd)
        HDI  (2003)      0.804 (high) ( 56th)
         Currency        Balboa and US Dollar (USD) ( PAB)
         Time zone       ( UTC-5)
    - Summer ( DST)      ( UTC-5)
       Internet TLD      .pa
       Calling code      +507

   Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (Spanish: República de
   Panamá, IPA [re'puβlika ðe pana'ma]), is the southernmost and most
   developed country of Central America. A transcontinental country, its
   isthmus constitutes the southernmost part of a natural land bridge
   between the continents of North America and South America. It borders
   Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Atlantic
   Ocean to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south.

Etymology

   There are various stories about the etymology of Panama's name. Some
   say that it comes from an unspecified indigenous language from words
   meaning variously "an abundance of fish" or "an abundance of
   butterflies." Another humorous tale states that the name comes from the
   indigenous kuna word bannaba, meaning "farther that way," which is what
   the Kunas told explorers looking for gold.

History

   Much of Panama's domestic politics and international diplomacy in the
   20th century was tied to the Panama Canal and the foreign policy of the
   United States. At the turn of the 20th century, Theodore Roosevelt
   pursued United States diplomatic efforts to facilitate a deal with
   Colombia that would allow it to take over French canal operations
   started by Ferdinand de Lesseps. In November 1903 the United States
   supported a covert Separatist Junta consisting of a small number of
   wealthy Panamanian landowners and led by Dr. Manuel Amador Guerrero to
   secede from Colombia.

   On 3 November, 1903, Panama declared its independence from Colombia.
   The President of the Municipal Council, Demetrio H. Brid, highest
   authority at the time, became its de facto President, appointing on
   November 4 a Provisional Government to run the affairs of the new
   republic. The United States, as the first country to recognize the new
   Republic of Panama, sent troops to protect its economic interests. The
   1904 Constituent Assembly elected Dr. Manuel Amador Guerrero, a
   prominent member of the Conservative political party, as the first
   constitutional President of the Republic of Panama.

   In December 1903 representatives of the republic signed the Hay-Bunau
   Varilla Treaty which granted rights to the United States to build and
   administer indefinitely the Panama Canal, which was opened in 1914.
   This treaty became a contentious diplomatic issue between the two
   countries, reaching a boiling point on 9 January 1964: Martyr's Day.
   These issues were resolved with the signing of the Torrijos-Carter
   Treaties in 1977.

   The original intent of the founding fathers was to bring harmony
   between the two major political parties (Conservatives and Liberals).
   The Panamanian government went through periods of political instability
   and corruption, however, and at various times in its history, the
   mandate of an elected president terminated prematurely. In 1968, a coup
   toppled the government of the recently elected Arnulfo Arias Madrid.
   Gen. Omar Torrijos eventually became the leading power in the governing
   military junta, and later became an autocratic strong man until his
   death in an apparent airplane accident in 1981. After Torrijos's death,
   power was eventually concentrated in the hands of Gen. Manuel Noriega,
   a former head of Panama's secret police. Noriega was implicated in drug
   trafficking by the United States, resulting in difficult relations by
   the end of the 1980’s.

   To remove Gen. Manuel Noriega, on December 20, 1989, the United States
   invaded Panama in a large military operation involving 25,000 United
   States troops (see US invasion of Panama). Allegedly, the death of an
   unarmed U.S. soldier in plain clothes in Panama at a Panamanian Defence
   Forces roadblock was one of the precipitating causes for the invasion
   along with drug trafficking charges and Noriega's refusal to hand over
   power after being defeated in elections. However, according to the
   Panamanian government at the time, the officer's vehicle attempted to
   drive through the roadblock, which was located near a sensitive
   military location. A few hours after the invasion, in a ceremony that
   took place inside a U.S. military base in the former Panama Canal Zone,
   Guillermo Endara, the winning candidate in the May 1989 elections, was
   sworn in as the new president of Panama. The invasion occurred 10 years
   before the Panama Canal administration was to be turned over to
   Panamanian control, according to the timetable set up by the
   Torrijos-Carter Treaties. After the invasion, Noriega sought asylum in
   the Vatican diplomatic mission represented by Monsignor Jose S. Laboa.
   To induce Noriega's surrender, US forces played loud music outside the
   embassy. After a few days, Noriega surrendered to the American
   military, and was taken to Florida to be formally arrested and charged
   by U.S. federal authorities. He will be eligible for parole in 2007.

   Under the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, the United States returned all
   canal-related lands to Panama on December 31, 1999, but reserves the
   right to military intervention in the interest of its national
   security. Panama also gained control of canal-related buildings and
   infrastructure as well as full administration of the canal.

Politics

   Politics of Panama takes place in a framework of a presidential
   representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Panama is
   both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform
   multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government.
   Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National
   Assembly. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the
   legislature.

Administrative divisions

   The nine provinces and three provincial-level comarcas of Panama.
   Enlarge
   The nine provinces and three provincial-level comarcas of Panama.

   Panama's political divisions are 9 provinces, 75 districts or
   municipalities, 5 indigenous

          + Chiriquí
          + Bocas del Toro
          + Coclé
          + Colón
          + Darién
          + Herrera
          + Los Santos
          + Panamá
          + Veraguas

     Provincial-level comarcas

     + Emberá
     + Kuna Yala
     + Ngöbe-Buglé

Geography

   Ancon Hill in Panama.
   Enlarge
   Ancon Hill in Panama.
   Traditional Afro-Panamanian building.
   Enlarge
   Traditional Afro-Panamanian building.

   Panama is located in Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea
   and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica. Its
   location on the eastern end of the isthmus forming a landbridge
   connecting Central and South America is strategic. By 1999, Panama
   controlled the Panama Canal that links the North Atlantic Ocean via the
   Caribbean Sea with the North Pacific Ocean.

   A nearly impenetrable jungle forms the Darien Gap between Panama and
   Colombia. It creates a break in the Pan-American Highway, which
   otherwise forms a complete road from Alaska to Chile.

Economy

   Panama's economy is service-based, heavily weighted toward banking,
   commerce, and tourism, due to its key geographic location. The handover
   of the canal and military installations by the US has given rise to new
   construction projects. The Martín Torrijos administration has
   undertaken controversial structural reforms, such as a fiscal reform
   and a very difficult Social Security Reform. Furthermore, a Referendum
   regarding the building of a third set of locks for the Panama Canal was
   approved overwhelmingly (though with low voter turnout) on 22 October
   2006. The official estimate of the building of the third set of locks
   is US$5.25 Billion.

   The Panamanian currency is the balboa, fixed at parity with the United
   States dollar.

   Fastest Growing GDP Rate in Latin America

   No other country had export and import levels as high as Panama. Its
   exports of 64 percent of GDP were much higher than the number two in
   that category, the Dominican Republic (48 percent), while its imports
   of 61 percent were much higher than Honduras at 51 percent.

   Globalism

   The high levels of Panamanian trade are in large part due to the Colon
   Free Trade Zone, the largest free trade zone in the Western Hemisphere.
   Last year the zone accounted for 92 percent of Panama's exports and 65
   percent of its imports, according to an analysis of figures from the
   Colon zone management and estimates of Panama's trade by the United
   Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
   (ECLAC).

   Panama also did well in tourism receipts and foreign direct investment
   as a percent of GDP (the fourth-highest in Latin America in both
   categories) and Internet penetration (eight-highest rate in Latin
   America).

   Inflation

   Panama, long a bastion of low inflation, will get the honour of having
   the region's lowest inflation in 2007, according to the IMF. The rate
   is predicted at 2.3 percent, compared to 2.8 percent estimated for
   2006.

   Real Estate

   Panama City has has seen a race between two rival projects aimed at
   becoming the tallest building in Latin America. The 104-story
   residential and hotel building, Ice Tower, is slated to be completed in
   2010.

   Spain-based Olloqui Group is constructing a 93-floor building, Palacio
   de la Bahía, located on the Bay of Panama. It is expected to be
   finished in 2009. The two projects were originally smaller, but
   subsequently started adding floors to obtain status at the tallest
   building in the region.

   Grupo Mall, another Spanish developer, is building a multitower centre
   of apartments, hotel and commercial mall. The project is scheduled for
   partial completion in 2009

   The real estate boom isn't limited to Panama City, as there are also
   developments in different parts of the country.

   Apart from the existing demand, future developments will also be helped
   by such factors as the planned expansion of the Panama Canal, a
   possible refinery by U.S. oil giant Oxy and a new container port near
   the Pacific entrance of the canal.'

Demographics

   Colon, Panama.
   Enlarge
   Colon, Panama.
   Skyline of Panama City.
   Enlarge
   Skyline of Panama City.
   Panama city at night
   Enlarge
   Panama city at night

   The culture, customs, and language of the Panamanians are predominantly
   Caribbean Spanish. Ethnically, the majority of the population is
   mestizo or mixed Spanish, Chinese , Amerindian, and African descent.
   Spanish is the official and dominant language; English is a common
   second language spoken by the West Indians and by many in business and
   professional fields. More than half the population lives in the Panama
   City– Colón metropolitan corridor.

   The overwhelming majority of Panamanians are Roman Catholic, accounting
   for almost 80% of the population. Although the Constitution recognises
   Catholicism as the religion of the great majority, Panama has no
   official religion. Minority religions in Panama include Protestantism
   (12%), Islam (4.4%), the Bahá'í Faith (1.2%), Buddhism (at least 1%),
   Judaism (0.4%), and Hinduism (0.3%). The Jewish community in Panama,
   with over 10,000 members, is by far the biggest in the region
   (including Central America, Colombia and the Caribbean). Jewish
   immigration began in the late 19th Century, and at present there are
   three synagogues in Panama City, as well as three Jewish schools.
   Within Latin America, Panama has one of the largest Jewish communities
   in proportion to its population, surpassed by Uruguay and Argentina.
   Panama's communities of Muslims, East Asians, and South Asians, are
   also among the largest.

   Panama City hosts one of only seven Bahá'í Houses of Worship in the
   world. Completed in 1972, it is perched on a high cliff overlooking the
   canal, and is constructed of local stone laid in a pattern reminiscent
   of Native American fabric designs.

   Panama, because of its historical reliance on commerce, is above all a
   melting pot. This is shown, for instance, by its considerable
   population of Chinese origin. (See main article at Chinatowns in Latin
   America—Panama). Many Chinese immigrated to Panama to help build the
   Panama Railroad. A term for "corner store" in Panamanian Spanish is el
   chino, reflecting the fact that many corner stores are owned and run by
   Chinese immigrants. (Other countries have similar social patterns, for
   instance, the "Arab" corner store of France.)

   There are seven indigenous peoples in Panama:
     * Emberá
     * Wounaan
     * Ngöbe
     * Buglé
     * Kuna
     * Naso (Teribe)
     * Bribri

   The country is also the smallest in Spanish-speaking Latin America in
   terms of population, with Uruguay as the second smallest (by almost
   400,000). However, since Panama has a higher birth rate, it is likely
   that in the coming years its population will surpass Uruguay's.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
