Panama'''Panama''' (Spanish language|Spanish: '''Panamá''') is the southernmost country of Central America. It constitutes the last part of a natural land bridge between the North American and South American continents. It borders Costa Rica to the west and Colombia to the east. {| border=1 align=right cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=300 style="margin: 0 0 1em 1em; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" |+<big><big>'''República de Panamá '''</big></big> |- | style="background:#efefef;" align="center" colspan=2 | {| border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" |- | align="center" width="140px" | Image:Panama flag large.png|125px| | align="center" width="140px" | Image:Escudo_armas_Panama.PNG|110px |- | align="center" width="140px" | (Flag of Panama|In Detail) | align="center" width="140px" | (Full size) |} |- | align=center style="vertical-align: top;" colspan=2 | ''National motto: n/a'' |- | align=center colspan=2 style="background: #ffffff;" | image:LocationPanama.png |- | '''Official language''' | Spanish language|Spanish |- | '''Capital''' | Panama City |- | '''President of Panama|President''' | Martín Torrijos |- | '''Area'''  - Total  - % water | List of countries by area|Ranked 115th 78,200 square kilometre|km² 2.9% |- | '''Population'''  - Total  - Population density|Density | List of countries by population|Ranked 131st 3,000,463 (July 2004 est.) 37/km² |- | '''Independence'''  - Declared | From Colombia November 3, 1903 |- | '''Currency''' | Balboa (currency)|Balboa |- | '''Time zone''' | Coordinated Universal Time|UTC -5 |- | '''National anthem''' | ''Himno Istmeño'' |- | '''Top-level domain|Internet TLD''' | .pa |- | '''List of country calling codes|Calling Code''' | 507 |} == History == ''Main article: History of Panama'' Indeed much of Panama's domestic politics and international diplomacy in the 20th century were tied to the Panama Canal. At the turn of the 20th century, Theodore Roosevelt's vision of an interoceanic seaway encouraged United States diplomatic efforts to facilitate a deal that would allow it to take over French canal operations started by Ferdinand de Lesseps. In November 1903, United States political and naval maneuverings helped a small number of Panamanian rebels to secede from Colombia in an almost bloodless revolution. In Panama City, on November 3, the rebels, headed by Manuel Amador Guerrero, declared Panama an independent Republic, which was shortly recognized as such by the United States. Just over two weeks later, a representative of the fledgling republic signed the Hay-Bunau Varilla Treaty by which Panama granted rights to the United States to build and administer the Panama Canal. This treaty was a contentious diplomatic issue between the United States and Panama until the signing of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties in 1977. The Panamanian government went through periods of political instability and corruption and at various times in its history, the mandate of an elected president terminated prematurely. In 1968, Gen. Omar Torrijos took over the reigns of government and was the virtual strongman of Panama until his death in an airplane accident in 1981. After Torrijos's death, power eventually became concentrated in the hands of Gen. Manuel Noriega. Relations with the United States government soured by the end of the 1980s. In December 1989, the United States invaded Panama. The death of a U.S. soldier in Panama at a Panamanian Defense Forces roadblock was one of the reasons given by George Bush for the invasion, dubbed Operation Just Cause. However, according to the Panamanian government at the time, the officer's vehicle attempted to drive through the roadblock which was located near a sensitive military location. For further discussion of the reasons for the invasion given by the United States and countervailing interpretations, see the article Operation Just Cause. The invasion occurred just days before the Panama Canal administration was to be turned over to Panamanian control, according to the timetable set up by the Torrijos-Carter Treaties. After the invasion, Noriega sought asylum in the Vatican diplomatic mission, but after a few days turned himself in to the American military. Noriega was immediately taken to Florida where he was formally charged and arrested by United States federal authorities. Charges of corruption and cronyism are still levelled against the government by opposition parties and press. Under the Torrijos-Carter Treaty, on December 31, 1999, the United States returned all canal-related lands to Panama. Panama also gained control of canal-related buildings and infrastructure as well as full administration of the canal. == Politics == {{Politics of Panama}} ''Main article: Politics of Panama'' Panama is a republic with three branches of government: executive and legislative branches elected by direct vote for 5-year terms, and an independently appointed judiciary. The executive branch includes a president and two vice presidents. The legislative branch consists of a 72-member unicameral Legislative Assembly of Panama|Legislative Assembly. The judicial branch is organized under a nine-member Supreme Court and includes all tribunals and municipal courts. An autonomous Electoral Tribunal supervises voter registration, the election process, and the activities of political parties. Everyone over the age of 18 is required to vote, although those who fail to do so are not penalized. General elections were held on May 2, 2004; the presidential contest was won by Martín Torrijos, son of the former strongman Omar Torrijos. Torrijos assumed the presidency on September 1, 2004. The former president had been Mireya Moscoso. == Provinces == ''Main article: Provinces of Panama'' Panama is divided into 9 provinces (''provincias'') and 5 indigenous territories (''comarcas indígenas''), marked by a *: {| align=center |- | *Bocas del Toro Province|Bocas del Toro *Chiriquí *Coclé *Colon Province|Colón *Darién Province|Darién | *Emberá* *Herrera Province|Herrera *Kuna de Madugandí* *Kuna de Wargandí* *Kuna Yala* | *Los Santos *Ngöbe-Buglé* *Panamá Province|Panamá *Veraguas |} == Geography == Image:Panamamap.png|thumb|Map of Panama - Click to enlarge - province names are in red, comarca names in green ''Main article: Geography of Panama'' Panama is located in Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica. Its location on the eastern end of the isthmus forming a landbridge connecting Central America|Central and South America is strategic. By 1999, Panama controlled the Panama Canal that links the North Atlantic Ocean via the Caribbean Sea with the North Pacific Ocean. == Economy == ''Main article: Economy of Panama'' Because of its key geographic location, Panama's economy is service-based, heavily weighted toward banking, commerce, and tourism. The handover of the canal and military installations by the US has given rise to new construction projects. The Mireya Moscoso|Moscoso administration inherited an economy that is much more structurally sound and liberalized than the one inherited by its predecessor. == Demographics == ''Main article: Demographics of Panama'' The culture, customs, and language of the Panamanians are predominantly Caribbean Spanish. Ethnically, the majority of the population is mestizo or mixed Spanish, Indian, Chinese, and West Indian. Spanish is the official and dominant language; English is a common second language spoken by the West Indians and by many in business and the professions. More than half the population lives in the Panama City–Colón, Panama|Colón metropolitan corridor. The majority of Panamanians are Roman Catholic, accounting for over 80% of the population. Catholicism is also the official religion of Panama. Pentecostalism|Evangelical Christians are now estimated to be around 10% of the population. Other major religions in Panama are Islam (5%), the Bahá'í Faith (1%), Judaism (0.4%), and Hinduism (0.3%). The Jewish community, with over 10,000 members, is by far the biggest community in the region (including Central America, Colombia and the Caribbean). Jewish immigration began in the late 19th Century, and at present there are three synagogues in Panama City, as well as two Jewish schools. Within Latin America, Panama has one of the largest Jewish communities in proportion to its population, surpassed by Uruguay and Argentina. Panama, because of its historical reliance on commerce, is above all a melting pot. This is shown, for instance, by its considerable population of Chinese (mostly Taiwanese) origin, which number around 150,000, or about 5% of the population. The country is also the smallest in Latin America in terms of population, with Uruguay as the second-smallest (by almost 400,000). However, since Panama has a faster birth rate, it is likely that in the coming years its population will surpass Uruguay's. == Culture == ''Main article: Culture of Panama'' *Music of Panama == See also == *Communications in Panama *Transportation in Panama *Military of Panama *Foreign relations of Panama *List of Panamanians *Public holidays in Panama *List of hospitals in Panama *Balboa (currency) == External links == *[http://www.realpanama.org Real Panama] - Non-profit organisation promoting defense of Human Rights in the Panamanian Penal System *[http://www.panama-guide.com/ Panama Guide] Free, not-for-profit community service information webpage for the English speaking expatirate community *[http://www.presidencia.gob.pa/ Presidencia de la República]-(In Spanish) *[http://www.mire.gob.pa/ Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores]-(In Spanish) *[http://www.mef.gob.pa/ Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas]-(In Spanish) *[http://numismondo.com/pm/pan/ Panama Banknotes] - 1941 Issues *[http://www.info-panama.com/panama-gallery/index.php?lang=english Panama Pictures] *[http://www.up.ac.pa/ Universidad de Panamá] *[http://www.indesa.com.pa/ Investigación y Desarrollo, S.A. (INDESA)]- economic consulting firm *[http://www.fundacionlibertad.org.pa/ Fundación Libertad]- Non-profit organisation promoting classical liberalism {{North America}} {{South America}} Category:Central American countries Category:Panama| bg:Панама cs:Panama cy:Panamá da:Panama de:Panama et:Panama es:Panamá eo:Panamo fr:Panama id:Panama it:Panamá he:פנמה ks:पानामा lv:Panama lt:Panama ms:Panama nl:Panama ja:パナマ no:Panama nds:Panama pl:Panama pt:Panamá ru:Панама sa:पानामा sk:Panama sl:Panama fi:Panama sv:Panama uk:Панама zh:巴拿马 zh-min-nan:Panamá First page | Prev | Next | Last page |

This article on Panama is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Panama".

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