CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Panama


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!| Background:
 * 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.
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!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: water: 2,210 sq km land: 75,990 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: border countries: Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: Volcan de Chiriqui 3,475 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 1.98% other: 90.66% (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Environment - international agreements: signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation !| Geography - note:
 * Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica
 * 9 00 N, 80 00 W
 * Central America and the Caribbean
 * total: 78,200 sq km
 * slightly smaller than South Carolina
 * total: 555 km
 * 2,490 km
 * territorial sea: 12 nm
 * tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
 * interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills
 * lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
 * copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower
 * arable land: 7.36%
 * 320 sq km (1998 est.)
 * occasional severe storms and forest fires in the Darien area
 * water pollution from agricultural runoff threatens fishery resources; deforestation of tropical rain forest; land degradation and soil erosion threatens siltation of Panama Canal; air pollution in urban areas; mining threatens natural resources
 * party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
 * 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
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!| Population: !| Age structure: 15-64 years: 63.6% (male 967,490; female 940,344) 65 years and over: 6.2% (male 88,611; female 98,659) (2004 est.) !| Median age: male: 25.6 years female: 26.2 years (2004 est.) !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: !| Sex ratio: under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2004 est.) !| Infant mortality rate: female: 18.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 23.08 deaths/1,000 live births !| Life expectancy at birth: male: 69.82 years female: 74.56 years (2004 est.) !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Nationality: adjective: Panamanian !| Ethnic groups: !| Religions: !| Languages: note: many Panamanians bilingual !| Literacy: total population: 92.6% male: 93.2% female: 91.9% (2003 est.)
 * 3,000,463 (July 2004 est.)
 * 0-14 years: 30.2% (male 461,427; female 443,932)
 * total: 25.9 years
 * 1.31% (2004 est.)
 * 20.36 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 6.39 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * -0.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
 * total: 20.95 deaths/1,000 live births
 * total population: 72.14 years
 * 2.49 children born/woman (2004 est.)
 * 0.9% (2003 est.)
 * 16,000 (2003 est.)
 * less than 500 (2003 est.)
 * noun: Panamanian(s)
 * mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 70%, Amerindian and mixed (West Indian) 14%, white 10%, Amerindian 6%
 * Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%
 * Spanish (official), English 14%
 * definition: age 15 and over can read and write
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!| Country name: conventional short form: Panama local short form: Panama local long form: Republica de Panama !| Government type: !| Capital: !| Administrative divisions: !| Independence: !| National holiday: !| Constitution: !| Legal system: !| Suffrage: !| Executive branch: head of government: President Martin TORRIJOS Espino (since 1 September 2004); First Vice President Samuel LEWIS Navarro (since 1 September 2004); Second Vice President Ruben AROSEMENA Valdes (since 1 September 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 2 May 2004 (next to be held 3 May 2009); note - beginning in 2009, Panama will have only one vice president. note: government coalition - PRD (Democratic Revolutionary Party), PP (Popular Party) election results: Martin TORRIJOS Espino elected president; percent of vote - Martin TORRIJOS Espino 47.5%, Guillermo ENDARA Galimany 30.6%, Jose Miguel ALEMAN 17%, Ricardo MARTINELLI 4.9% !| Legislative branch: election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PRD 40, PA 17, PS 8, MOLIRENA 3, Democratic Change 2, PP 2, PLN 1, other 5 note: legislators from outlying rural districts are chosen on a plurality basis while districts located in more populous towns and cities elect multiple legislators by means of a proportion-based formula elections: last held 2 May 2004 (next to be held 3 May 2009) !| Judicial branch: !| Political parties and leaders: !| Political pressure groups and leaders: !| International organization participation: !| Diplomatic representation in the US: FAX: [1] (202) 483-8416 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa telephone: [1] (202) 483-1407 chancery: 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20008 !| Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy: Avenida Balboa and Calle 37, Apartado Postal 0816-02561, Zona 5, Panama City 5 mailing address: American Embassy Panama, Unit 0945, APO AA 34002 telephone: [507] 207-7000 FAX: [507] 227-1964 !| Flag description:
 * conventional long form: Republic of Panama
 * constitutional democracy
 * Panama
 * 9 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 territory* (comarca); Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama, San Blas*, and Veraguas
 * 3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November 1821)
 * Independence Day, 3 November (1903)
 * 11 October 1972; major reforms adopted 1978, 1983, 1994, and 2004
 * based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
 * 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
 * chief of state: President Martin TORRIJOS Espino (since 1 September 2004); First Vice President Samuel LEWIS Navarro (since 1 September 2004); Second Vice President Ruben AROSEMENA Valdes (since 1 September 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
 * unicameral National Assembly (formerly called Legislative Assembly) or Asamblea Nacional (78 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - In 2009, the number of seats will change to 71)
 * Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (nine judges appointed for 10-year terms); five superior courts; three courts of appeal
 * Democratic Change or CD [Ricardo MARTINELLI]; Democratic Revolutionary Party or PRD [Martin TORRIJOS]; National Liberal Party or PLN [Anibal GALINDO]; Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement or MOLIRENA [Jesus ROSAS]; Panamenista Party or PA (formerly the Arnulfista Party) [Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO Rodriguez]; Popular Party or PP (formerly Christian Democratic Party or PDC) [Ruben AROSEMENA]; Solidarity Party or PS [Jose Raul MULINO]
 * Chamber of Commerce; National Civic Crusade; National Council of Organized Workers or CONATO; National Union of Construction and Similar Workers (SUNTRACS); National Council of Private Enterprise or CONEP; Panamanian Association of Business Executives or APEDE; Panamanian Industrialists Society or SIP; Workers Confederation of the Republic of Panama or CTRP
 * FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Federico HUMBERT Arias
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Linda Ellen WATT
 * 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
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!| Economy - overview: !| GDP: !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| GDP - composition by sector: industry: 14.7% services: 77.1% (2003 est.) !| Investment (gross fixed): !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: 35.7% (1997) !| Distribution of family income - Gini index: !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: note: shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor (2003 est.) !| Labor force - by occupation: !| Unemployment rate: !| Budget: expenditures: $3.421 billion, including capital expenditures of $471 million (2003 est.) !| Public debt: !| Agriculture - products: !| Industries: !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Electricity - exports: !| Electricity - imports: !| Oil - production: !| Oil - consumption: !| Oil - exports: !| Oil - imports: !| Current account balance: !| Exports: !| Exports - commodities: !| Exports - partners: !| Imports: !| Imports - commodities: !| Imports - partners: !| Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: !| Debt - external: !| Economic aid - recipient: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates: !| Fiscal year:
 * Panama's dollarised economy rests primarily on a well-developed services sector that accounts for three-fourths of GDP. Services include operating the Panama Canal, banking, the Colon Free Zone, insurance, container ports, flagship registry, and tourism. A slump in Colon Free Zone and agricultural exports, the global slowdown, and the withdrawal of US military forces held back economic growth in 2000-03. The government has been backing public works programs, tax reforms, new regional trade agreements, and development of tourism in order to stimulate growth. Unemployment remains at an unacceptably high level.
 * purchasing power parity - $18.78 billion (2003 est.)
 * 4.1% (2003 est.)
 * purchasing power parity - $6,300 (2003 est.)
 * agriculture: 8.3%
 * 24.8% of GDP (2003)
 * 37% (1999 est.)
 * lowest 10%: 1.2%
 * 48.5 (1997)
 * 1.4% (2003 est.)
 * 1.19 million
 * agriculture 20.8%, industry 18%, services 61.2% (1995 est.)
 * 13.8% (2003 est.)
 * revenues: $2.995 billion
 * 73.3% of GDP (2003)
 * bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane, vegetables; livestock; shrimp
 * construction, petroleum refining, brewing, cement and other construction materials, sugar milling
 * 7% (2003 est.)
 * 4.039 billion kWh (2001)
 * 3.681 billion kWh (2001)
 * 118 million kWh (2001)
 * 43 million kWh (2001)
 * 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * 52,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * NA (2001)
 * NA (2001)
 * $-408 million (2003)
 * $5.237 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * bananas, shrimp, sugar, coffee, clothing (1999)
 * US 13.9%, Nigeria 9.8%, Germany 8.1%, South Korea 7.8%, Peru 5.1%, Costa Rica 4.9%, Belgium 4.8%, Japan 4.5% (2003)
 * $6.622 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * capital goods, crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, chemicals (1999)
 * Japan 33.2%, US 11.4%, China 9.1%, South Korea 7.7%, Singapore 7.1% (2003)
 * $1.011 billion (2003)
 * $8.834 billion (2003 est.)
 * $197.1 million (1995)
 * balboa (PAB); US dollar (USD)
 * PAB; USD
 * balboas per US dollar - 1 (2003), 1 (2002), 1 (2001), 1 (2000), 1 (1999)
 * calendar year
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!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| Telephone system: domestic: NA international: country code - 507; 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to the Central American Microwave System !| Radio broadcast stations: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet hosts: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * 386,900 (2002)
 * 834,000 (2003)
 * general assessment: domestic and international facilities well developed
 * AM 101, FM 134, shortwave 0 (1998)
 * 815,000 (1997)
 * 38 (including repeaters) (1998)
 * 510,000 (1997)
 * .pa
 * 7,129 (2003)
 * 6 (2000)
 * 120,000 (2002)
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!| Railways: standard gauge: 76 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 279 km 0.914-m gauge (2003) !| Highways: paved: 3,944 km (including 30 km of expressways) unpaved: 7,456 km (1999) !| Waterways: !| Ports and harbors: !| Merchant marine: registered in other countries: 85 (2004 est.) foreign-owned: Albania 2, Angola 1, Antigua and Barbuda 2, Argentina 7, Australia 11, Austria 1, Bahamas 3, Bangladesh 1, Belgium 5, Belize 4, Brazil 4, British Virgin Islands 8, Cambodia 2, Canada 6, Cayman Islands 1, Chile 13, China 286, Colombia 14, Croatia 3, Cuba 17, Cyprus 6, Denmark 4, Dominican Republic 1, Ecuador 1, Egypt 16, Equatorial Guinea 1, France 7, Germany 89, Greece 549, Haiti 1, Honduras 2, Hong Kong 288, India 22, Indonesia 44, Iran 1, Ireland 2, Israel 4, Italy 7, Japan 1630, Jordan 8, Kenya 1, South Korea 349, Kuwait 1, Latvia 11, Liberia 3, Lithuania 2, Luxembourg 1, Malaysia 12, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 3, Mexico 7, Monaco 29, Netherlands 14, Netherlands Antilles 1, New Zealand 1, Nigeria 6, Norway 86, Oman 1, Pakistan 1, Peru 17, Philippines 41, Poland 12, Portugal 6, Puerto Rico 3, Romania 9, Russia 8, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6, Saudi Arabia 6, Singapore 105, South Africa 3, Spain 52, Sri Lanka 3, Sudan 1, Sweden 4, Switzerland 93, Syria 1, Taiwan 348, Thailand 14, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Turkey 12, Ukraine 2, United Kingdom 51, United States 99, Venezuela 4 by type: barge carrier 3, bulk 1,434, cargo 819, chemical tanker 388, combination bulk 73, combination ore/oil 18, container 613, liquefied gas 190, livestock carrier 3, multi-functional large load carrier 15, passenger 36, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 514, rail car carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 281, roll on/roll off 125, short-sea/passenger 37, specialized tanker 36, vehicle carrier 242 !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 22 (2004 est.) !| Airports - with unpaved runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 49 (2004 est.)
 * total: 355 km
 * total: 11,400 km
 * 800 km (includes 82 km Panama Canal) (2004)
 * Balboa, Cristobal, Coco Solo, Manzanillo (part of Colon area), Vacamonte
 * total: 4,833 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 122,960,929 GRT/183,615,337 DWT
 * 103 (2003 est.)
 * total: 44
 * total: 61
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!| Military branches: !| Military manpower - availability: !| Military manpower - fit for military service: !| Military expenditures - dollar figure: !| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: !| Military - note:
 * an amendment to the Constitution abolished the armed forces, but there are security forces (Panamanian Public Forces or PPF includes the Panamanian National Police, National Maritime Service, and National Air Service)
 * males age 15-49: 810,341 (2004 est.)
 * males age 15-49: 553,422 (2004 est.)
 * $145 million (2003)
 * 1.2% (2003)
 * on 10 February 1990, the government of then President ENDARA abolished Panama's military and reformed the security apparatus by creating the Panamanian Public Forces; in October 1994, Panama's Legislative Assembly approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting the creation of a standing military force, but allowing the temporary establishment of special police units to counter acts of "external aggression"
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