Panama

Republic of PanamaRepublica de Panama

centralized republic

Panama as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 78 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

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CapitalPanama
Area78,200 km2
Locationextreme southern Central America, between Colombia and Costa Rica
1993

Every edition of Panama

Populationas each edition published it
2.58 million July 1993 est. · 2.43m in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.98% 1993 est. · 1.44% in 2025
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 25.6 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
74.56 years 1993 est. · 79.2 yrs in 2025
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.9 children per woman 1993 est. · 3.1 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
17.2 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 22 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$2,400 1992 est. · $36,400 in 2025
GDP real growth% a year
8% 1992 est. · 2.9% in 2025

Geography

Extreme southern Central America, between Colombia and Costa Rica

14 fields

Land useshare of 78,200 km2

arable land 6%permanent crops 2%meadows and pastures 15%forest and woodland 54%other 23%irrigated 320 km2 (1989 est.)
Area
78,200km2
land area: 75,990 km2comparative area: slightly smaller than South Carolina
Coastline
2,490km
territorial sea: 200 nm
Land boundaries
555km
total · Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km

Location

extreme southern Central America, between Colombia and Costa Rica

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Climate

  • tropical;
  • 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

Natural resources

copper, mahogany forests, shrimp

Environment

dense tropical forest in east and northwest

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

People

14 fields
Population
2,579,047
(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 1.98% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth
25.08Death
4.94Net migration
-0.38

Male · female(1993 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years74.56
71.99 · 77.27
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy88%
88% · 88%
MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1990)

Ethnic divisions

mestizo (mixed Indian and European ancestry) 70%West Indian 14%white 10%Indian 6%
Labor force
921,000
(1992 est.)note: shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor
More
by occupation: government and community services 31.8%, agriculture, hunting, and fishing 26.8%, commerce, restaurants, and hotels 16.4%, manufacturing and mining 9.4%, construction 3.2%, transportation and communications 6.2%, finance, insurance, and real estate 4.3%

Infant mortality rate

17.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.9 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Panamanian(s)
adjective:
Panamanian

Religions

Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%

Languages

Spanish (official), English 14% note: many Panamanians bilingual

Government

Centralized republic

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Names

conventional long form:
Republic of Panama
conventional short form:
Panama
local long form:
Republica de Panama
local short form:
Panama

Type

centralized republic

Capital

Panama

Administrative divisions

9 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 territory* (comarca);, Bocas del Toro, San Blas*, Veraguas, Independence: 3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November 1821)

Constitution

11 October 1972; major reforms adopted April 1983

National holiday

Independence Day, 3 November (1903)

Political parties and leaders

government alliance:
  • Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement (MOLIRENA), Alfredo RAMIREZ;
  • Authentic Liberal Party (PLA), Arnulfo ESCALONA;
  • Arnulfista Party (PA), Mireya MOSCOSO DE GRUBER
other parties:
  • Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Ricardo ARIAS Calderon;
  • Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), Gerardo GONZALEZ;
  • Agrarian Labor Party (PALA), Nestor Tomas GUERRA;
  • Liberal Party (PL), Roberto ALEMAN Zubieta;
  • Doctrinaire Panamenista Party (PPD), Jose Salvador MUNOZ;
  • Papa Egoro Movement, Ruben BLADES;
  • Renovacion Civilista, Manuel BURGOS;
  • Civic Renewal Party (PRC), Tomas HERRERA;
  • National Integration Movement (MINA), Arrigo GUARDIA;
  • National Unity Mission Party (MUN), Jose Manuel PAREDES;
  • Independent Democratic Union Party (UDI), leader NA;
  • Popular Nationalist Party (PNP), leader NA

Other political or pressure groups

  • National Council of Organized Workers (CONATO);
  • National Council of Private Enterprise (CONEP);
  • Panamanian Association of Business Executives (APEDE);
  • National Civic Crusade;
  • National Committee for the Right to Life;
  • Chamber of Commerce;
  • Panamanian Industrialists Society (SIP);
  • Workers Confederation of the Republic of Panama (CTRP)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Elections

President:
  • last held on 7 May 1989, annulled but later upheld (next to be held May 1994);
  • results - anti-NORIEGA coalition believed to have won about 75% of the total votes cast
Legislative Assembly:
  • last held on 27 January 1991 (next to be held NA May 1994);
  • results - percent of vote by party NA;
  • seats - (67 total)
progovernment parties:
PDC 28, MOLIRENA 15, PA 8, PLA 4
opposition parties:
PRD 10, PALA 1, PL 1; note - the PDC went into opposition after President Guillermo ENDARA ousted the PDC from the coalition government in April 1991

Executive branch

president, two vice presidents, Cabinet

Legislative branch

unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia), 5 superior courts, 3 courts of appeal

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government:
  • President Guillermo ENDARA (since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May 1989);
  • First Vice President Guillermo FORD Boyd (since 24 December 1992);
  • Second Vice President (vacant)

Member of

AG (associate), CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Jaime FORD
chancery:
2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 483-1407;

note: the status of the consulates general and consulates has not yet been determined

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:
Ambassador Deane R. HINTON
embassy:
Avenida Balboa and Calle 38, Apartado 6959, Panama City 5
mailing address:
Box E, APO AA 34002
telephone:
(507) 27-1777
FAX:
(507) 27-1713

Flag

divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white with a blue five-pointed star in the center (hoist side) and plain red, the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the center

Economy

GDP expanded by roughly 8% in 1992, following growth of 9.3% in 1991.

19 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$2,400
(1992 est.)
Real growth rate
8%
(1992 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 7.6% (1992 est.); accounts for about 9% of GDP
Unemployment rate
15%
(1992 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$1.8 billionExpenditures
$1.9 billion
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $200 million (1992 est.)

Overview

GDP expanded by roughly 8% in 1992, following growth of 9.3% in 1991. The economy thus continues to recover from the crisis that preceded the ouster of Manuel NORIEGA, even though the government's structural adjustment program has been hampered by a lack of popular support and a passive administration.

Public investment has been limited as the administration has kept the fiscal deficit below 3% of GDP. Unemployment and economic reform are the two major issues the government must face in 1993-94.

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $6 billion (1992 est.)

Exports

$486 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)

commodities:
bananas 43%, shrimp 11%, sugar 4%, clothing 5%, coffee 2%
partners:
US 38%, Central America and Caribbean, EC (1992 est.)

Imports

$2.0 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)

commodities:
capital goods 21%, crude oil 11%, foodstuffs 9%, consumer goods, chemicals
partners:
US 36%, Japan, EC, Central America and Caribbean, Mexico, Venezuela (1992 est.)

External debt

$5.2 billion (year-end 1992 est.)

Electricity

1,584,000 kW capacity; 4,360 billion kWh produced, 1,720 kWh per capita (1992)

Industries

manufacturing and construction activities, petroleum refining, brewing, cement and other construction material, sugar milling

Agriculture

  • accounts for 10.5% of GDP (1992 est.), 27% of labor force (1992);
  • crops - bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane;
  • livestock;
  • fishing;
  • importer of food grain, vegetables

Illicit drugs

major cocaine transshipment point and drug money laundering center

Economic aid

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $516 million;
  • Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $582 million;
  • Communist countries (1970-89), $4 million

Currency

1 balboa (B) = 100 centesimos

Exchange rates

balboas (B) per US$1 - 1.000 (fixed rate)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 3,244 ships by type

passenger 22short-sea passenger 26passenger-cargo 3cargo 1,091refrigerated cargo 246container 196roll-on/roll-off cargo 63vehicle carrier 121livestock carrier 9multifunction large-load carrier 5oil tanker 403chemical tanker 180combination ore/oil 26liquefied gas 121specialized tanker 9bulk 688combination bulk 34barge carrier; note - all but 5 are foreign owned and operated; the top 4 foreign owners are Japan 36%, Greece 8%, Hong Kong 8%, and Taiwan 5%; (China owns at least 131 ships, Vietnam 3, Croatia 3, Cuba 4, Cyprus 6, and Russia 16) 13,244 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 51,353,963 GRT/82,138,537 DWT

Networkskm

Highways
8,530Railroads
238
Highways: ; 2,745 km paved, 3,270 km gravel or crushed stone, 2,515 km improved and unimproved earth · Railroads: ; 78 km 1.524-meter gauge, 160 km 0.914-meter gauge

Railroads

238 km total; 78 km 1.524-meter gauge, 160 km 0.914-meter gauge

Highways

8,530 km total; 2,745 km paved, 3,270 km gravel or crushed stone, 2,515 km improved and unimproved earth

Inland waterways

800 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama Canal

Pipelines

crude oil 130 km

Ports

Cristobal, Balboa, Bahia Las Minas

Airports

total:
112
usable:
104
with permanent-surface runways:
39
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
2
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
15

Telecommunications

  • domestic and international facilities well developed;
  • connection into Central American Microwave System;
  • 220,000 telephones;
  • broadcast stations - 91 AM, no FM, 23 TV;
  • 1 coaxial submarine cable;
  • satellite ground stations - 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT

Defense Forces

3 fields

Branches

  • the Panamanian Defense Forces (PDF) ceased to exist as a military institution shortly after the United States invaded Panama on 20 December 1989;
  • President ENDARA has restructured the forces, under the new name of Panamanian Public Forces (PPF) and worked to assert civilian control over them;
  • the PPF is divided into the National Police, Maritime Service, and National Air Service;
  • the Judicial Technical Police serve under the Attorney General;
  • the Council of Public Security and National Defense under Menalco SOLIS in the Office of the President is analogous to the US National Security Council;
  • the Institutional Protection Service under Carlos BARES is attached to the presidency

Manpower availability

  • males age 15-49 671,059;
  • fit for military service 461,471 (1993 est.);
  • no conscription

Defense expenditures

expenditures for the Panamanian Public Forces for internal security amounted to $104.7 million, 1.7% of GDP (1993 est.)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Panama.” The World Factbook 1993. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/panama/1993.

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