Panama

Geography

Location: Middle America, between Colombia and Costa Rica

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

Area:
total area 78,200 sq km
land area 75,990 sq km
comparative area slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries: total 555 km, Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km

Coastline: 2,490 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea 200 nm

International disputes: none

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

Land use:
arable land 6%
permanent crops 2%
meadows and pastures 15%
forest and woodland 54%
other 23%

Irrigated land: 320 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues water pollution from agricultural runoff threatens fishery resources; deforestation of tropical rain forest; land degradation
natural hazards NA
international agreements party to - Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation

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

Population: 2.63 million (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.94% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 24.61 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 4.87 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 16.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population 74.88 years
male 72.28 years
female 77.62 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.85 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Nationality:
noun Panamanian(s)
adjective Panamanian

Ethnic divisions: mestizo (mixed Indian and European ancestry) 70%, West Indian 14%, white 10%, Indian 6%

Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%

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

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population 88%
male 88%
female 88%

Labor force: 921,000 (1992 est.)
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%
note shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor

Government

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

Digraph: PM

Type: constitutional republic

Capital: Panama

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

Independence: 3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November 1821)

National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November (1903)

Constitution: 11 October 1972; major reforms adopted April 1983

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
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); election last held on 7 May 1989, annulled but later upheld; results - anti-NORIEGA coalition believed to have won about 75% of the total votes cast
note a presidential election was held 8 May 1994 (next election to held on 9 May 1999) with inauguration of the successful candidates to take place on 1 September 1994; results - President Ernesto PEREZ BALLADARES Gonzales, First Vice President Tomas Altamirano DUQUE, and Second Vice President Felipe VIRZI were elected; percent of vote for president - BALLADARES 33%, DE GRUBER 29%, BLADES 17%
cabinet Cabinet; appointed by the president

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional) elections held on 27 January 1991; 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; an election of members of the National Assembly was held on 8 May 1994 (next election to be held on 9 May 1999) and they will take their seats on 1 September 1994; results - percent of vote and seats won by party NA

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

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), Raul OSSA; 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; Civic Renewal Party (PRC), Tomas HERRERA; National Integration Movement (MINA), Arrigo GUARDIA; National Unity Mission Party (MUN), Jose Manuel PAREDES; Solidarity Party (CPS), Samuel LEWIS GALINDO
note following the elections of 8 May 1994 the following realignment of political parties took place
governing coalition Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), Gerardo GONZALEZ; Liberal Republican Party (PLR), Rodolfo CHIARI; Labor Party (PALA), Carlos Lopez GUEVARA; Solidarity Party (PS),Samuel LEWIS GALINDO
other parties Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement (MOLIRENA), Alfredo RAMIREZ; Authentic Liberal Party (PLA), Arnulfo ESCOLONA; Arnulfista Party (PA), Mireya Moscoso DE GRUBER; Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Raul OSSA; Liberal Party (PL), Roberto ALEMAN Zubieta; Papa Egoro Movement, Ruben BLADES; Civic Renewal Party (PRC), Tomas HERRERA; National Unity Mission Party (MUN), Jose Manuel PAREDES

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; Chamber of Commerce; Panamanian Industrialists Society (SIP); Workers Confederation of the Republic of Panama (CTRP)

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 Boyd (to be replaced by Ambassador Ricardo Alberto ARIAS on 1 September 1994)
chancery 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone (202) 483-1407
consulate(s) general Atlanta, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa,

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission (vacant)
embassy Avenida Balboa and Calle 38, Apartado 6959, Panama City 5
mailing address American Embassy Panama, Unit 0945; APO AA 34002
telephone (507) 27-1777
FAX (507) 27-1964

Flag: 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

Economy

Overview: GDP expanded by roughly 5.9% in 1993, following growth of 8% in 1992; banking and financial services led the way in 1993. 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 2% of GDP. Unemployment and economic reform are the two major issues the new government must face in 1994-95.

National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $11.6 billion (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate: 5.9% (1993 est.)

National product per capita: $4,500 (1993 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate: 12.5% (1993 est.)

Budget:
revenues $1.8 billion
expenditures $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $200 million (1992 est.)

Exports: $545 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities bananas 43%, shrimp 11%, sugar 4%, clothing 5%, coffee 2%
partners US 38%, EC, Central America and Caribbean

Imports: $2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities capital goods 21%, crude oil 11%, foodstuffs 9%, consumer goods, chemicals
partners US 35%, EC, Central America and Caribbean, Japan

External debt: $6.1 billion (year-end 1993 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate 7% (1993 est.); accounts for about 9% of GDP

Electricity:
capacity 1,584,000 kW
production 4.36 trillion kWh
consumption per capita 720 kWh (1992)

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

Agriculture: accounts for 10% 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:
recipient 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

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

Highways:
total 8,530 km
paved 2,745 km
unpaved gravel, crushed stone 3,270 km; improved, unimproved earth 2,515 km

Inland waterways: 800 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama Canal

Pipelines: crude oil 130 km

Ports: Cristobal, Balboa, Colon

Merchant marine: 3,405 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 56,011,824 GRT/89,516,566 DWT, barge carrier 1, bulk 717, cargo 1,110, chemical tanker 181, combination bulk 31, combination ore/oil 24, container 215, liquefied gas 127, livestock carrier 9, multifunction large-load carrier 5, oil tanker 437, passenger 22, passenger-cargo 3, refrigerated cargo 287, roll-on/roll-off cargo 67, short-sea passenger 30, specialized tanker 10, vehicle carrier 129
note all but 30 are foreign owned and operated; the top 4 foreign owners are Japan 34%, Greece 8%, Hong Kong 7%, and Taiwan 5%; other foreign owners include China at least 144 ships, Vietnam 3, Croatia 6, Cuba 4, Cyprus 4, and Russia 41

Airports:
total 118
usable 109
with permanent-surface runways 38
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

Branches: Panamanian Public Forces (PPF) includes the National Police, Maritime Service, National Air Service, Institutional Protective Service; Judicial Technical Police operate under the control of Panama's judicial branch

Manpower availability: males age 15-49 686,479; fit for military service 471,780

Defense expenditures: expenditures for the Panamanian security forces amounted to $138.5 million, 1.0% of GDP (1993 est.)