Panama

• tropical maritime;
• hot, humid, cloudy;
• prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)

• 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

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, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:

Marine Life Conservation

• 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

0-14 years:

29.6% (male 433,494; female 418,120)

15-64 years:

64.3% (male 939,550; female 914,646)

65 years and over:

6.1% (male 84,130; female 92,389) (2002 est.)

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 (2002 est.)

noun:

Panamanian(s)

adjective:

Panamanian

conventional long form:

Republic of Panama

conventional short form:

Panama

local short form:

Panama

local long form:

Republica de Panama

• 9 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 territory* (comarca);
• Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama, San Blas*, and Veraguas

• based on civil law system;
• judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice;
• accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

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)

note: government coalition - PA, MOLIRENA, Democratic Change, MORENA, PLN, PS

election results:

Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO Rodriguez elected president; percent of vote - Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO Rodriguez (PA) 44%, Martin TORRIJOS (PRD) 37%

• Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (nine judges appointed for 10-year terms);
• five superior courts;
• three courts of appeal

• Arnulfista Party or PA [Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO Rodriguez];
• 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];
• Popular Party or PP (formerly Christian Democratic Party or PDC) [Ruben AROSEMENA];
• Solidarity Party or PS [Samuel LEWIS Galindo]

• 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

chief of mission:

Ambassador Roberto ALFARO

FAX:

[1] (202) 483-8416

consulate(s) general:

Atlanta, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Tampa

telephone:

[1] (202) 483-1407

chancery:

2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission:

Ambassador Linda Ellen WATT

embassy:

Avenida Balboa and Calle 37, Apartado Postal 6959, Panama City 5

mailing address:

American Embassy Panama, Unit 0945, APO AA 34002

telephone:

[507] 207-7000

FAX:

[507] 227-1964

• 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

lowest 10%:

1%

highest 10%:

36% (1997) (1997)

• bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane, vegetables;
• livestock;
• shrimp

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

total:

355 km

broad gauge:

76 km 1.524-m gauge

narrow gauge:

279 km 0.914-m gauge (2001)

total:

11,592 km

paved:

4,079 km (including 30 km of expressways)

unpaved:

7,513 km (2000)

• 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"

• major cocaine transshipment point and primary money laundering center for narcotics revenue;
• money-laundering activity is especially heavy in the Colon Free Zone;
• offshore financial center;
• negligible signs of coca cultivation;
• monitoring of financial transactions is improving;
• official corruption remains a major problem