*Panama, Geography

Location:
  extreme southern Central 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 km2
 land area:
  75,990 km2
 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 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  dense tropical forest in east and northwest
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

*Panama, People

Population:
  2,579,047 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  1.98% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  25.08 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  4.94 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -0.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  17.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  74.56 years
 male:
  71.99 years
 female:
  77.27 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  2.9 children born/woman (1993 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)
 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

*Panama, 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:
  centralized 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)
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
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 3 November (1903)
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), Ricardo ARIAS Calderon; 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; Renovacion Civilista, Manuel BURGOS; Civic Renewal Party (PRC),
  Tomas HERRERA; National Integration Movement (MINA), Arrigo GUARDIA;
  National Unity Mission Party (MUN), Jose Manuel PAREDES; Independent
  Democratic Union Party (UDI), leader NA; Popular Nationalist Party (PNP),
  leader NA
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; National Committee for the Right to Life; Chamber of
  Commerce; Panamanian Industrialists Society (SIP); Workers Confederation of
  the Republic of Panama (CTRP)
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Elections:
 President:
  last held on 7 May 1989, annulled but later upheld (next to be held May
  1994); results - anti-NORIEGA coalition believed to have won about 75% of
  the total votes cast

*Panama, Government

 Legislative Assembly:
  last held on 27 January 1991 (next to be held NA May 1994); 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
Executive branch:
  president, two vice presidents, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia), 5 superior courts, 3
  courts of appeal
Leaders:
 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)
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
 chancery:
  2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20008
 telephone:
  (202) 483-1407;
 note:
  the status of the consulates general and consulates has not yet been
  determined
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Deane R. HINTON
 embassy:
  Avenida Balboa and Calle 38, Apartado 6959, Panama City 5
 mailing address:
  Box E, APO AA 34002
 telephone:
  (507) 27-1777
 FAX:
  (507) 27-1713
Flag:
  divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white with a blue
  five-pointed star in the center (hoist side) and plain red, the bottom
  quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star
  in the center

*Panama, Economy

Overview:
  GDP expanded by roughly 8% in 1992, following growth of 9.3% in 1991. 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 3% of GDP. Unemployment and economic reform
  are the two major issues the government must face in 1993-94.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $6 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  8% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
  $2,400 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  1.8% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  15% (1992 est.)
Budget:
  revenues $1.8 billion; expenditures $1.9 billion, including capital
  expenditures of $200 million (1992 est.)
Exports:
  $486 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
 commodities:
  bananas 43%, shrimp 11%, sugar 4%, clothing 5%, coffee 2%
 partners:
  US 38%, Central America and Caribbean, EC (1992 est.)
Imports:
  $2.0 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
 commodities:
  capital goods 21%, crude oil 11%, foodstuffs 9%, consumer goods, chemicals
 partners:
  US 36%, Japan, EC, Central America and Caribbean, Mexico, Venezuela (1992
  est.)
External debt:
  $5.2 billion (year-end 1992 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 7.6% (1992 est.); accounts for about 9% of GDP
Electricity:
  1,584,000 kW capacity; 4,360 billion kWh produced, 1,720 kWh per capita
  (1992)
Industries:
  manufacturing and construction activities, petroleum refining, brewing,
  cement and other construction material, sugar milling
Agriculture:
  accounts for 10.5% 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:
  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)

*Panama, Economy

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

*Panama, Communications

Railroads:
  238 km total; 78 km 1.524-meter gauge, 160 km 0.914-meter gauge
Highways:
  8,530 km total; 2,745 km paved, 3,270 km gravel or crushed stone, 2,515 km
  improved and unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
  800 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama Canal
Pipelines:
  crude oil 130 km
Ports:
  Cristobal, Balboa, Bahia Las Minas
Merchant marine:
  3,244 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 51,353,963 GRT/82,138,537 DWT;
  includes 22 passenger, 26 short-sea passenger, 3 passenger-cargo, 1,091
  cargo, 246 refrigerated cargo, 196 container, 63 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 121
  vehicle carrier, 9 livestock carrier, 5 multifunction large-load carrier,
  403 oil tanker, 180 chemical tanker, 26 combination ore/oil, 121 liquefied
  gas, 9 specialized tanker, 688 bulk, 34 combination bulk, 1 barge carrier;
  note - all but 5 are foreign owned and operated; the top 4 foreign owners
  are Japan 36%, Greece 8%, Hong Kong 8%, and Taiwan 5%; (China owns at least
  131 ships, Vietnam 3, Croatia 3, Cuba 4, Cyprus 6, and Russia 16)
Airports:
 total:
  112
 usable:
  104
 with permanent-surface runways:
  39
 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

*Panama, Defense Forces

Branches:
  the Panamanian Defense Forces (PDF) ceased to exist as a military
  institution shortly after the United States invaded Panama on 20 December
  1989; President ENDARA has restructured the forces, under the new name of
  Panamanian Public Forces (PPF) and worked to assert civilian control over
  them; the PPF is divided into the National Police, Maritime Service, and
  National Air Service; the Judicial Technical Police serve under the Attorney
  General; the Council of Public Security and National Defense under Menalco
  SOLIS in the Office of the President is analogous to the US National
  Security Council; the Institutional Protection Service under Carlos BARES is
  attached to the presidency
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 671,059; fit for military service 461,471 (1993 est.); no
  conscription
Defense expenditures:
  expenditures for the Panamanian Public Forces for internal security amounted
  to $104.7 million, 1.7% of GDP (1993 est.)