| Country Fact Sheet |
| Capital
|
Panama City |
| Surface
|
75,990 sq kms |
| Currency
|
Balboa (PAB); US dollar (USD) |
| GDP
|
Purchasing power parity - $39.33 billion |
| GDP/Capita
|
(PPP) - $11,900 |
| Language
|
Spanish (official), English 14%; note - many Panamanians bilingual |
| Religion
|
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15% |
| Government
|
presidential representative democratic |
| Time Zone
|
GMT -5 hours |
| Telecom Code
|
+507 |
| Airport
|
Panama City, Panama. Tocumen international airport |
| Driving
|
On right hand side of the road, license required |
| Electrical
|
120V, 60Hz |
| Political Climate
|
Stable country |
| Population
|
3309679 people |
| History |
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. On 7 September 1977, an agreement was signed for the complete transfer of the Canal from the US to Panama by the end of 1999. Certain portions of the Zone and increasing responsibility over the Canal were turned over in the intervening years. 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 turned over to Panama by or on 31 December 1999. |
| Local Business & Service Providers |
| Accommodation |
» Radison Hotel
|
| Automotive services |
» Dollar Panama
|
| Business travel |
» The Travel Agency of Panama
|
| Corporate incentives |
| Financial services |
» Caja de Ahorros
|
| Financial Technology |
» Codere SA
|
| Intellectual Property |
» Fenix
|
| Legal and fiduciary |
» GerliCo Maritime and Panama Offshore Law Firm
|
| Lifestyle |
» Treasure ship Restaurant
|
| Technology |
| Local Radio |
| » 103.9 Radio Mil |
| » 1160 Radio Metropolis |
| » 570 Radio Soberana |
| » 610 RPC Radio |
| Local Weather Forecast |
| » BBC Weather |
| » Reuters |
| Government Agencies |
| » Authority of the Panama Canal |
| » Institute of Tourism |
| » Ministry of Commerce and Industry |
| » Ministry of Economy and Finance |
| » Superintendence of Banks |
| » Visit Panama |
|
