Panama
Republic of PanamaRepública de Panama
presidential republicIndependence 3 November 1903 (from Colombia
Panama as the 2023 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 163 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama broke with Spain in 1821 and joined a union of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela - named the Republic of Gran Colombia. When the latter dissolved in 1830, Panama remained part of Colombia. With US backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903 and promptly signed a treaty with the US allowing for the construction of a canal and US sovereignty over a strip of land on either side of the structure (the Panama Canal Zone). The Panama Canal was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914.
In 1977, an agreement was signed for the complete transfer of the Canal from the US to Panama by the end of the century. Certain portions of the Zone and increasing responsibility over the Canal were turned over in the subsequent decades. With US help, dictator Manuel NORIEGA was deposed in 1989. The entire Panama Canal, the area supporting the Canal, and remaining US military bases were transferred to Panama by the end of 1999. An ambitious expansion project to more than double the Canal's capacity - by allowing for more Canal transits and larger ships - was carried out between 2007 and 2016.
Geography
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica
18 fieldsLand useshare of 75,420 sq km
Location
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica
Climate
- tropical maritime;
- hot, humid, cloudy;
- prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
Terrain
interior mostly steep, rugged mountains with dissected, upland plains; coastal plains with rolling hills
Population distribution
- population is concentrated towards the center of the country, particularly around the Canal, but a sizeable segment of the populace also lives in the far west around David;
- the eastern third of the country is sparsely inhabited
Geography - 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 and Society
38 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2023 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2023 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2010 est.)
Religions(2018 est.)
Languages
Spanish (official), indigenous languages (including Ngabere (or Guaymi), Buglere, Kuna, Embera, Wounaan, Naso (or Teribe), and Bri Bri), Panamanian English Creole (similar to Jamaican English Creole; a mixture of English and Spanish with elements of Ngabere; also known as Guari Guari and Colon Creole), English, Chinese (Yue and Hakka), Arabic, French Creole, other (Yiddish, Hebrew, Korean, Japanese); note - many Panamanians are bilingual; major-language sample(s): La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Demographic profile
Panama is a country of demographic and economic contrasts. It is in the midst of a demographic transition, characterized by steadily declining rates of fertility, mortality, and population growth, but disparities persist based on wealth, geography, and ethnicity. Panama has one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America and dedicates substantial funding to social programs, yet poverty and inequality remain prevalent.
The indigenous population accounts for a growing share of Panama's poor and extreme poor, while the non-indigenous rural poor have been more successful at rising out of poverty through rural-to-urban labor migration. The government's large expenditures on untargeted, indirect subsidies for water, electricity, and fuel have been ineffective, but its conditional cash transfer program has shown some promise in helping to decrease extreme poverty among the indigenous population.
Panama has expanded access to education and clean water, but the availability of sanitation and, to a lesser extent, electricity remains poor. The increase in secondary schooling - led by female enrollment - is spreading to rural and indigenous areas, which probably will help to alleviate poverty if educational quality and the availability of skilled jobs improve.
Inadequate access to sanitation contributes to a high incidence of diarrhea in Panama's children, which is one of the main causes of Panama's elevated chronic malnutrition rate, especially among indigenous communities.
Population distribution
- population is concentrated towards the center of the country, particularly around the Canal, but a sizeable segment of the populace also lives in the far west around David;
- the eastern third of the country is sparsely inhabited
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.87 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.02 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
- total:
- 15.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
- male:
- 16.5 deaths/1,000 live births
- female:
- 14 deaths/1,000 live births
Major infectious diseases
- degree of risk:
- intermediate (2023)
- food or waterborne diseases:
- bacterial diarrhea
- vectorborne diseases:
- dengue fever
Alcohol consumption per capita
- total:
- 6.54 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- beer:
- 5.29 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- wine:
- 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- spirits:
- 1.2 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- other alcohols:
- 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Environment
12 fieldsLand use(2018 est.)
Environment - current issues
- 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
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
- Marine Life Conservation
Climate
- tropical maritime;
- hot, humid, cloudy;
- prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
Urbanization
- urban population:
- 69.5% of total population (2023)
- rate of urbanization:
- 1.92% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Air pollutants
- particulate matter emissions:
- 11.78 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- carbon dioxide emissions:
- 10.71 megatons (2016 est.)
- methane emissions:
- 5.97 megatons (2020 est.)
Total water withdrawal
- municipal:
- 760 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
- industrial:
- 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
- agricultural:
- 450 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Government
Presidential republic; President Laurentino "Nito" CORTIZO Cohen (since 1 July 2019); President Laurentino "Nito" CORTIZO Cohen (since 1 July 2019)
22 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional, 71 seats, elected 5 May 2019one dot, one seat
Composition: men 55, women 16, percent of women 22.5%
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Panama
- conventional short form:
- Panama
- local long form:
- República de Panama
- local short form:
- Panama
- etymology:
- named after the capital city which was itself named after a former indigenous fishing village
Capital
- name:
- Panama City
- geographic coordinates:
- 8 58 N, 79 32 W
- time difference:
- UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- etymology:
- according to tradition, the name derives from a former fishing area near the present capital - an indigenous village and its adjacent beach - that were called "panama" meaning "an abundance of fish"
Administrative divisions
- 10 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 4 indigenous regions* (comarcas);
- Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Embera-Wounaan*, Guna Yala*, Herrera, Los Santos, Naso Tjer Di*, Ngabe-Bugle*, Panama, Panama Oeste, Veraguas
Constitution
- history:
- several previous; latest effective 11 October 1972
- amendments:
- proposed by the National Assembly, by the Cabinet, or by the Supreme Court of Justice;
- passage requires approval by one of two procedures: 1) absolute majority vote of the Assembly membership in each of three readings and by absolute majority vote of the next elected Assembly in a single reading without textual modifications;
- 2) absolute majority vote of the Assembly membership in each of three readings, followed by absolute majority vote of the next elected Assembly in each of three readings with textual modifications, and approval in a referendum;
- amended several times, last in 2004
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
- citizenship by birth:
- yes
- citizenship by descent only:
- yes
- dual citizenship recognized:
- no
- residency requirement for naturalization:
- 5 years
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Laurentino "Nito" CORTIZO Cohen (since 1 July 2019);
- Vice President Jose Gabriel CARRIZO Jaen (since 1 July 2019);
- note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
- head of government:
- President Laurentino "Nito" CORTIZO Cohen (since 1 July 2019); Vice President Jose Gabriel CARRIZO Jaen (since 1 July 2019)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the president
- elections/appointments:
- president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term;
- president eligible for a single non-consecutive term);
- election last held on 5 May 2019 (next to be held in 2024)
- election results:
- ;
- 2019: Laurentino "Nito" CORTIZO Cohen elected president;
- percent of vote - Laurentino CORTIZO Cohen (PRD) 33.3%, Romulo ROUX (CD) 31%, Ricardo LOMBANA (independent) 18.8%, Jose BLANDON (Panamenista Party) 10.8%, Ana Matilde GOMEZ Ruiloba (independent) 4.8%, other 1.3%
- 2014: Juan Carlos VARELA elected president;
- percent of vote - Juan Carlos VARELA (PP) 39.1%, Jose Domingo ARIAS (CD) 31.4%, Juan Carlos NAVARRO (PRD) 28.2%, other 1.3%
Legislative branch
- description:
- unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (71 seats; 45 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies - populous towns and cities - by open list proportional representation vote and 26 directly elected in single-seat constituencies - outlying rural districts - by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)
- elections:
- last held on 5 May 2019 (next to be held in May 2024)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - PRD 35, CD 18, Panamenista 8, MOLIRENA 5, independent 5;
- composition - men 55, women 16, percent of women 22.5%
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 9 magistrates and 9 alternates and divided into civil, criminal, administrative, and general business chambers)
- judge selection and term of office:
- magistrates appointed by the president for staggered 10-year terms
- subordinate courts:
- appellate courts or Tribunal Superior;
- Labor Supreme Courts;
- Court of Audit;
- circuit courts or Tribunal Circuital (2 each in 9 of the 10 provinces);
- municipal courts;
- electoral, family, maritime, and adolescent courts
Political parties and leaders
- Alliance Party or PA [Jose MUNOZ Molina]
- Alternative Independent Socialist Party or PAIS [Jose ALVAREZ]
- Democratic Change or CD [Romulo ROUX]
- Democratic Revolutionary Party or PRD [Benicio ROBINSON]
- Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement or MOLIRENA [Francisco "Pancho" ALEMAN]
- Panamenista Party [Jose Isabel BLANDON Figueroa] (formerly the Arnulfista Party)
- Popular Party or PP [Daniel Javier BREA Clavel] (formerly Christian Democratic Party or PDC)
- Realizing Goals Party or RM [Ricardo Alberto MARTINELLI Berrocal]
International organization participation
BCIE, CAN (observer), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, SICA, UN, UNASUR (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Ramón Eduardo MARTÍNEZ DE LA GUARDIA (since 16 September 2022)
- chancery:
- 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 483-1407
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 483-8413
- email address and website:
- [email protected]; https://www.embassyofpanama.org/
- consulate(s) general:
- Houston, Miami, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Tampa, Washington DC
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Mari Carmen APONTE (since 21 November 2022)
- embassy:
- Building 783, Demetrio Basilio Lakas Avenue, Clayton
- mailing address:
- 9100 Panama City PL, Washington, DC 20521-9100
- telephone:
- [507] 317-5000
- FAX:
- [507] 317-5568
- email address and website:
- [email protected]; https://pa.usembassy.gov/
Flag description
- 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;
- the blue and red colors are those of the main political parties (Conservatives and Liberals respectively) and the white denotes peace between them;
- the blue star stands for the civic virtues of purity and honesty, the red star signifies authority and law
National anthem
- name:
- "Himno Istmeno" (Isthmus Hymn)
- lyrics/music:
- Jeronimo DE LA OSSA/Santos A. JORGE
note: adopted 1925
National heritage
- total World Heritage Sites:
- 5 (2 cultural, 3 natural)
- selected World Heritage Site locales:
- Caribbean Fortifications (c);
- Darien National Park (n);
- Talamanca Range-La Amistad National Park (n);
- Panamá Viejo and Historic District of Panamá (c);
- Coiba National Park (n)
Economy
35 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2017 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP · (2017 est.)
Budget(2020 est.)
Economic overview
- upper middle-income Central American economy;
- increasing Chinese trade;
- US dollar user;
- canal expansion fueling broader infrastructure investment;
- services sector dominates economy;
- historic money-laundering and illegal drug hub
Credit ratings
- Fitch rating:
- BBB (2011)
- Moody's rating:
- Baa1 (2019)
Standard & Poors rating: BBB (2020)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Agricultural products
sugar cane, bananas, rice, poultry, milk, plantains, pineapples, maize, beef, pork
Labor force
1.966 million (2021 est.) note: shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor
Average household expenditures
- on food:
- 15.7% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
- on alcohol and tobacco:
- 1.7% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
Current account balance
-$1.412 billion (2021 est.) · $1.097 billion (2020 est.) · -$3.329 billion (2019 est.)
Exports
$27.237 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars; $20.179 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars; $28.622 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars note: includes the Colon Free Zone
Exports - commodities
refined petroleum, copper, bananas, ships, coal tar oil, packaged medicines (2019)
Imports
$24.627 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars; $17.502 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars; $27.599 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars note: includes the Colon Free Zone
Imports - commodities
ships, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, tanker ships, packaged medicines (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$9.614 billion (31 December 2020 est.) · $3.423 billion (31 December 2019 est.) · $2.121 billion (31 December 2018 est.)
Exchange rates
balboas (PAB) per US dollar - 1 (2021 est.) · 1 (2020 est.) · 1 (2019 est.) · 1 (2018 est.) · 1 (2017 est.)
Energy
11 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2020–21)
Installed generating capacity, 4.106 million kW(2020 est.)
Coal
- production:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- consumption:
- 1.118 million metric tons (2020 est.)
- exports:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- imports:
- 1.15 million metric tons (2020 est.)
- proven reserves:
- 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
- total petroleum production:
- 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
- refined petroleum consumption:
- 143,700 bbl/day (2019 est.)
- crude oil and lease condensate exports:
- 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
- crude oil and lease condensate imports:
- 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
- crude oil estimated reserves:
- 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
- production:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
- consumption:
- 552.744 million cubic meters (2019 est.)
- exports:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
- imports:
- 552.744 million cubic meters (2019 est.)
- proven reserves:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
25.263 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from coal and metallurgical coke:
- 1.905 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from petroleum and other liquids:
- 22.281 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from consumed natural gas:
- 1.077 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Communications
7 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2020–21 est.)
Telecommunication systems
- general assessment:
- Panama has seen a steady increase in revenue from the telecom sector in recent years;
- mobile services and broadband remain the key growth sectors, with mobile connections accounting for 90% of all connections, and over half of telecom sector revenue;
- the mobile market has effective competition;
- internet services have grown in recent years as consumers responded to government fixed-line projects, improved mobile broadband connectivity and mobile applications (2021)
- domestic:
- fixed-line is 18 per 100 and subscribership of mobile-cellular telephone is 138 per 100 (2021)
- international:
- country code - 507;
- landing points for the PAN-AM, ARCOS, SAC, AURORA, PCCS, PAC, and the MAYA-1 submarine cable systems that together provide links to the US and parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America;
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean);
- connected to the Central American Microwave System (2019)
Broadcast media
- multiple privately owned TV networks and a government-owned educational TV station;
- multi-channel cable and satellite TV subscription services are available;
- more than 100 commercial radio stations (2019)
Transportation
11 fieldsMerchant marine, 8,025 ships by type(2022)
Networkskm
National air transport system
- number of registered air carriers:
- 4 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 122
- annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:
- 12,939,350 (2018)
- annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:
- 47.63 million (2018) mt-km
Airports - with paved runways
57
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature;
paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
60
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length;
airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
Ports and terminals
- major seaport(s):
- Balboa, Colon, Cristobal
- container port(s) (TEUs):
- Balboa (3,561,432), Colon (4,915,975) (2021)
Military and Security
5 fieldsPersonnel strengthsone square, 100 people · (2023)
Military and security forces
no regular military forces; the paramilitary Panamanian Public Forces are under the Ministry of Public Security and include the Panama National Police ( La Policía Nacional de Panamá , PNP), National Aeronaval Service (Servicio Nacional Aeronaval, SENAN), and National Border Service (Servicio Nacional de Fronteras, SENAFRONT) (2023)
note: the PNP includes a special forces directorate with counterterrorism and counternarcotics units; SENAFRONT has three regionally based border security brigades, plus a specialized brigade comprised of special forces, counternarcotics, maritime, and rapid reaction units
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
Panama's security forces are lightly armed; Canada, Italy and the US have provided equipment to the security forces in recent years (2023)
Military - note
the Panama National Police is principally responsible for internal law enforcement and public order, while the National Border Service handles border security; the Aeronaval Service is responsible for carrying out naval and air operations that include some internal security responsibilities;
key areas of focus are countering narcotics trafficking and securing the border, particularly along the southern border with Colombia where the National Border Service (SENAFRONT) maintains a significant presence
Panama created a paramilitary National Guard (Guardia Nacional de Panamá) in the 1950s from the former National Police (established 1904); the National Guard subsequently evolved into more of a military force with some police responsibilities; it seized power in a coup in 1968 and military officers ran the country until 1989;
in 1983, the National Guard was renamed the Panama Defense Force (PDF); the PDF was disbanded after the 1989 US invasion and the current national police forces were formed in 1990; the armed forces were officially abolished under the 1994 Constitution (2023)
Transnational Issues
3 fieldsDisputes - international
- Panama-Colombia :
- organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia operate within the remote border region with Panama
- Panama-Costa Rica :
- none identified
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 147,424 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum or have received alternative legal stay) (2023)
Illicit drugs
- not a major consumer or producer of illicit drugs;
- a prime sea and land passage for drugs, primarily cocaine, from South America to North America and Europe;
- drug traffickers also use millions of shipping containers to smuggle drugs to North America and Europe through the Panama
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Panama.” The World Factbook 2023. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/panama/2023.