Official Name: Known officially as Republic of Panama or commonly Panama.
Capital city: Panama City is the capital of Panama and is located and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama canal.
Location: Panama is located in Central America, connecting North and Central America. Its neighbors include Colombia to the southeast and Costs Rica to the northwest, with the Caribbean Sea to the north and Pacific Ocean to the south.
Size: The total land area of Panama is 75,420 square kilometers and ranks 117th globally; the country is only 2054 square Kilometers smaller than Serbia and just ahead of Sierra Leone.
Climate: Panama has a tropical maritime climate, making it hot, humid and cloudy. The country experiences a rainy season from May to January and a short dry season from January to May.
Population: Panama has an estimated population of 3,410,676 ranking it globally at 133rd. The country has a population growth rate of 1.463%.
Life Expectancy: The average life expectancy at birth for citizens of Panama is 77.61 years, ranking 55th globally. Females have a longer average life span at 80.5 years, while males average 74.85 years from birth.
Prevalance of HIV/AIDS: The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Panama is about 1%, placing 53rd globally. This means that around 20,000 people in the country are living with the disease.
Major Illness: Potential health risks in Panama include dengue fever, malaria, bacterial diarrhea, cholera, chagas' disease, rabies and hepatitis A.
Ethnic Groups: Panama is mainly comprised of mestizo (mixed Amerindian and Caucasian) 70%, Amerindian and mixed (West Indian) 14%, Caucasian 10% and Amerindian at 6%.
Languages: The official language of Panama is Spanish, while 14% of the population speak English. Many Panamanians are bilingual.
Religion: The major religions in Panama are Roman Catholic at 85% of the population and Protestant at 15%.
Government: Panama is a constitutional democracy, whereby the President of Panama is both Head of State and Head of Government. The President and Vice President are elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a 5 year term, they are not eligible for re-election; they both need to sit out 2 terms (10 years) before being allowed to run for the position again. The Supreme Court of Justice appoints 9 judges for 10 year term. Panama has 5 superior courts and three courts of appeal.
Military: Panama has no regular military forces; the country has the Panamanian National Police (PNP), National Air-Navel Service (SENAN), and National Border Services who take responsibilities for protection of the public.
Economy: It is anticipated Panama will be the fastest growing economy in Latin America over a period of 2010-2014; this is partially due to the strong developed-service sector that accounts for three quarters of GDP. These services include operating the Panama Canal, banking, the Colón Free Zone and insurance, container ports, tourism and flagship registry. The expansion of the Panama Canal is expected to boost the economy, a planned completion date by 2014 at a $5.3 billion, which is approximately 25% of GDP. China and the USA are the main users of the canal, however the economy crises since 2008 have seen a drop of vessels using the waterway. The economy in Panama was hit by the global recession but Panama has been able to reduce its unemployment rate from 12% to 6%.
GDP: Panama has a purchasing power parity of US $40.32 billion, ranking at 96th in the world. The country has a 2.4% growth rate which ranks 75th globally.
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