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, 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

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.041 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.027 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.876 male(s)/female

total population:

1.021 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

noun:

Panamanian(s)

adjective:

Panamanian

conventional long form:

Republic of Panama

conventional short form:

Panama

local long form:

Republica de Panama

local short form:

Panama

name:

Panama

geographic coordinates:

8 58 N, 79 32 W

time difference:

UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)

• 9 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 territory* (comarca);
• Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama, San Blas*(Kuna Yala), 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 Martin TORRIJOS Espino (since 1 September 2004);
• First Vice President Samuel LEWIS Navarro (since 1 September 2004);
• Second Vice President Ruben AROSEMENA Valdes (since 1 September 2004);
• note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government:

• President Martin TORRIJOS Espino (since 1 September 2004);
• First Vice President Samuel LEWIS Navarro (since 1 September 2004);
• Second Vice President Ruben AROSEMENA Valdes (since 1 September 2004)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president

elections:

• president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms (eligible for two more terms);
• election last held 2 May 2004 (next to be held on 3 May 2009);
• note - beginning in 2009, Panama will have only one vice president.

election results:

• Martin TORRIJOS Espino elected president;
• percent of vote - Martin TORRIJOS Espino 47.5%, Guillermo ENDARA Galimany 30.6%, Jose Miguel ALEMAN 17%, Ricardo MARTINELLI 4.9%

note: government coalition - PRD (Democratic Revolutionary Party), PP (Popular Party)

• unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (78 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms);
• note - in 2009, the number of seats will change to 71

elections:

last held 2 May 2004 (next to be held 3 May 2009)

election results:

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRD 41, PA 17, PS 9, MOLIRENA 4, CD 3, PLN 3, PP 1

note: legislators from outlying rural districts are chosen on a plurality basis while districts located in more populous towns and cities elect multiple legislators by means of a proportion-based formula

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

• Democratic Change or CD [Ricardo MARTINELLI];
• Democratic Revolutionary Party or PRD [Hugo GUIRAUD];
• Liberal Party or PLN [Joaquin F. Franco VASQUEZ];
• Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement or MOLIRENA [Gisela CHUNG];
• Panamenista Party or PA [Juan Carlos VARELA] (formerly the Arnulfista Party);
• Patriotic Union Party or PUP [Jose Raul MULINO and Anibal GALINDO];
• Popular Party or PP [Rene ORILLAC] (formerly Christian Democratic Party or PDC);
• Solidarity Party or PS

• Chamber of Commerce;
• National Civic Crusade;
• National Council of Organized Workers or CONATO;
• National Council of Private Enterprise or CONEP;
• National Union of Construction and Similar Workers (SUNTRACS);
• 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 Federico HUMBERT Arias

chancery:

2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 483-1407

FAX:

[1] (202) 483-8416

consulate(s) general:

Atlanta, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa

chief of mission:

Ambassador William A. EATON

embassy:

Avenida Balboa and Calle 37, Apartado Postal 0816-02561, Zona 5, 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

agriculture:

20.8%

industry:

18%

services:

61.2% (1995 est.)

lowest 10%:

0.7%

highest 10%:

43% (2003)

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

general assessment:

domestic and international facilities well developed

domestic:

NA

international:

• country code - 507;
• 1 coaxial submarine cable;
• satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean);
• connected to the Central American Microwave System

total:

355 km

standard gauge:

77 km 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge:

278 km 0.914-m gauge (2006)

total:

11,643 km

paved:

4,028 km

unpaved:

7,615 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