2019 Edition

Background

Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama broke with Spain in 1821 and joined a union of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela - named the Republic of Gran Colombia. When the latter dissolved in 1830, Panama remained part of Colombia. 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. In 1977, an agreement was signed for the complete transfer of the Canal from the US to Panama by the end of the century. Certain portions of the Zone and increasing responsibility over the Canal were turned over in the subsequent decades. 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 transferred to Panama by the end of 1999. An ambitious expansion project to more than double the Canal's capacity - by allowing for more Canal transits and larger ships - was carried out between 2007 and 2016.

Area

Land

74,340 sq km

Total

75,420 sq km

Water

1,080 sq km

Area Comparative

slightly smaller than South Carolina

Climate

tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)

Coastline

2,490 km

Elevation

Highest Point

Volcan Baru 3,475 m

Lowest Point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Mean Elevation

360 m

Environment Current Issues

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

Environment International Agreements

Party To

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

Signed But Not Ratified

Marine Life Conservation

Geographic Coordinates

9 00 N, 80 00 W

Geography 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

Irrigated Land

321 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

Border Countries

Colombia 339 km, Costa Rica 348 km

Total

687 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

30.5% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

7.3% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

2.5% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

20.7% (2011 est.)

Forest

43.6% (2011 est.)

Other

25.9% (2011 est.)

Location

Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica

Map References

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime Claims

Contiguous Zone

24 nm

Exclusive Economic Zone

200 nm or edge of continental margin

Territorial Sea

12 nm

Natural Hazards

occasional severe storms and forest fires in the Darien area

Natural Resources

copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower

Population Distribution

population is concentrated towards the center of the country, particularly around the Canal, but a sizeable segment of the populace also lives in the far west around David; the eastern third of the country is sparsely inhabited

Terrain

interior mostly steep, rugged mountains with dissected, upland plains; coastal plains with rolling hills

Age Structure

0 14 Years

26.13% (male 506,953 /female 486,129)

15 24 Years

16.84% (male 326,207 /female 313,894)

25 54 Years

40.35% (male 776,395 /female 757,008)

55 64 Years

8.11% (male 152,894 /female 155,353)

65 Years And Over

8.57% (male 149,415 /female 176,396) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

17.6 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

62.8% (2013)

Current Health Expenditure

7.3% (2016)

Death Rate

5 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Demographic Profile

Panama is a country of demographic and economic contrasts. It is in the midst of a demographic transition, characterized by steadily declining rates of fertility, mortality, and population growth, but disparities persist based on wealth, geography, and ethnicity. Panama has one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America and dedicates substantial funding to social programs, yet poverty and inequality remain prevalent. The indigenous population accounts for a growing share of Panama's poor and extreme poor, while the non-indigenous rural poor have been more successful at rising out of poverty through rural-to-urban labor migration. The government's large expenditures on untargeted, indirect subsidies for water, electricity, and fuel have been ineffective, but its conditional cash transfer program has shown some promise in helping to decrease extreme poverty among the indigenous population.Panama has expanded access to education and clean water, but the availability of sanitation and, to a lesser extent, electricity remains poor. The increase in secondary schooling - led by female enrollment - is spreading to rural and indigenous areas, which probably will help to alleviate poverty if educational quality and the availability of skilled jobs improve. Inadequate access to sanitation contributes to a high incidence of diarrhea in Panama's children, which is one of the main causes of Panama's elevated chronic malnutrition rate, especially among indigenous communities.

Dependency Ratios

Elderly Dependency Ratio

11.7 (2015 est.)

Potential Support Ratio

8.5 (2015 est.)

Total Dependency Ratio

54.8 (2015 est.)

Youth Dependency Ratio

43.1 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural

86.6% of population

Improved Total

94.7% of population

Improved Urban

97.7% of population

Unimproved Rural

11.4% of population

Unimproved Total

5.3% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

2.3% of population

Education Expenditures

3.2% of GDP (2011)

Ethnic Groups

mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 65%, Native American 12.3% (Ngabe 7.6%, Kuna 2.4%, Embera 0.9%, Bugle 0.8%, other 0.4%, unspecified 0.2%), black or African descent 9.2%, mulatto 6.8%, white 6.7% (2010 est.)

HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate

0.9% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS Deaths

<500 (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS People Living With HIV/AIDS

26,000 (2018 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

2.3 beds/1,000 population (2013)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

8.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

10.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

9.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

Spanish (official), indigenous languages (including Ngabere (or Guaymi), Buglere, Kuna, Embera, Wounaan, Naso (or Teribe), and Bri Bri), Panamanian English Creole (similar to Jamaican English Creole; a mixture of English and Spanish with elements of Ngabere; also known as Guari Guari and Colon Creole), English, Chinese (Yue and Hakka), Arabic, French Creole, other (Yiddish, Hebrew, Korean, Japanese)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female

81.9 years

Male

76.1 years

Total Population

78.9 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Female

94.4% (2015)

Male

95.7%

Total Population

95%

Major Infectious Diseases

Degree Of Risk

intermediate (2016)

Food Or Waterborne Diseases

bacterial diarrhea (2016)

Vectorborne Diseases

dengue fever (2016)

Major Urban Areas Population

1.822 million PANAMA CITY (capital) (2019)

Maternal Mortality Rate

52 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female

29.9 years

Male

29 years

Total

29.5 years (2018 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Panamanian

Noun

Panamanian(s)

Net Migration Rate

-0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

22.7% (2016)

Physicians Density

1.57 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Population

3,800,644 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

1.24% (2018 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural

58% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Total

75% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Urban

83.5% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Rural

42% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Total

25% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

16.5% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

Female

13 years (2015)

Male

12 years

Total

13 years

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years

1.04 male(s)/female

15 24 Years

1.04 male(s)/female

25 54 Years

1.03 male(s)/female

55 64 Years

0.98 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.85 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.04 male(s)/female

Total Population

1.01 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

2.28 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

Female

14.9% (2017 est.)

Male

8.3%

Total

10.8%

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

2.06% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Urban Population

68.1% of total population (2019)

Administrative Divisions

10 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 3 indigenous regions* (comarcas); Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Embera-Wounaan*, Herrera, Guna Yala*, Los Santos, Ngobe-Bugle*, Panama, Panama Oeste, Veraguas

Capital

Geographic Coordinates

8 58 N, 79 32 W

Name

Panama City

Time Difference

UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

Citizenship By Birth

yes

Citizenship By Descent Only

yes

Dual Citizenship Recognized

no

Residency Requirement For Naturalization

5 years

Constitution

Amendments

proposed by the National Assembly, by the Cabinet, or by the Supreme Court of Justice; passage requires approval by one of two procedures: 1) absolute majority vote of the Assembly membership in each of three readings and by absolute majority vote of the next elected Assembly in a single reading without textual modifications; 2) absolute majority vote of the Assembly membership in each of three readings, followed by absolute majority vote of the next elected Assembly in each of three readings with textual modifications, and approval in a referendum; amended several times, last in 2004 (2018)

History

several previous; latest effective 11 October 1972

Country Name

Conventional Long Form

Republic of Panama

Conventional Short Form

Panama

Etymology

named after the capital city which was itself named after a former indigenous fishing village

Local Long Form

Republica de Panama

Local Short Form

Panama

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador (vacant), Charge d'Affairs Roxanne CABRAL (since 9 March 2018)

Embassy

Edificio 783, Avenida Demetrio Basilio Lakas Avenue, Clayton, Panama

Fax

[507] 317-5445 (2018)

Mailing Address

American Embassy Panama, Unit 0945, APO AA 34002; American Embassy Panama, 9100 Panama City PL, Washington, DC 20521-9100

Telephone

[507] 317-5000

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

Chancery

2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20007

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador Emanuel Arturo GONZALEZ-REVILLA Lince (since 18 September 2014)

Consulate's General

Houston, Miami, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Tampa, Washington DC

Fax

[1] (202) 483-8413

Telephone

[1] (202) 483-1407

Executive Branch

Cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president

Chief Of State

President Laurentino "Nito" CORTIZO Cohen (since 1 July 2019); Vice President Jose Gabriel CARRIZO Jaen (since 1 July 2019); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

Election Results

Laurentino "Nito" CORTIZO Cohen elected president; percent of vote - Laurentino CORTIZO Cohen (PRD) 33.3%, Romulo ROUX (CD) 31%, Ricardo LOMBANA (independent) 18.8%, Jose BLANDON (Panamenista Party) 10.8%, Ana Matilde GOMEZ Ruiloba (independent) 4.8%, other 1.3%

Elections Appointments

president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term; president eligible for a single non-consecutive term); election last held on 5 May 2019 (next to be held in 2024)

Head Of Government

President Laurentino "Nito" CORTIZO Cohen (since 1 July 2019); Vice President Jose Gabriel CARRIZO Jaen (since 1 July 2019)

Flag Description

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; the blue and red colors are those of the main political parties (Conservatives and Liberals respectively) and the white denotes peace between them; the blue star stands for the civic virtues of purity and honesty, the red star signifies authority and law

Government Type

presidential republic

Independence

3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain on 28 November 1821)

International Law Organization Participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International Organization Participation

BCIE, CAN (observer), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, SICA, UN, UNASUR (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial Branch

Highest Courts

Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 9 magistrates and 9 alternates and divided into civil, criminal, administrative, and general business chambers)

Judge Selection And Term Of Office

magistrates appointed by the president for staggered 10-year terms

Subordinate Courts

appellate courts or Tribunal Superior; Labor Supreme Courts; Court of Audit; circuit courts or Tribunal Circuital (2 each in 9 of the 10 provinces); municipal courts; electoral, family, maritime, and adolescent courts

Legal System

civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice

Legislative Branch

Description

unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (71 seats; 45 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies - populous towns and cities - by proportional representation vote and 26 directly elected in single-seat constituencies - outlying rural districts - by plurality vote; members serve 5-year terms)

Election Results

percent of vote by party - CD 33.7%, PRD 31.5%, Panamenista Party 20%, MOLIRENA 7.2%, PP 3.3%, other 1%, independent 3%; seats by party - PRD 30, CD 25, Panamenista 12, MOLIRENA 2, PP 1, independent 1; composition - men 58, women 13, percent of women 18.3%

Elections

last held on 4 May 2014 (next to be held in May 2019)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

Jeronimo DE LA OSSA/Santos A. JORGE

Name

"Himno Istmeno" (Isthmus Hymn)

National Holiday

Independence Day (Separation Day), 3 November (1903)

National Symbol S

harpy eagle; national colors: blue, white, red

Political Parties And Leaders

Democratic Change or CD [Romulo ROUX] Democratic Revolutionary Party or PRD [Benicio ROBINSON] Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement or MOLIRENA [Francisco "Pancho" ALEMAN] Panamenista Party [Jose Luis "Popi" VARELA Rodriguez] (formerly the Arnulfista Party) Popular Party or PP [Juan Carlos ARANGO Reese] (formerly Christian Democratic Party or PDC)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane, vegetables; livestock; shrimp

Budget

Expenditures

13.44 billion (2017 est.)

Revenues

12.43 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-1.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016

7.53%

31 December 2017

7.52%

Current Account Balance

2016

-$3.16 billion

2017

-$3.036 billion

Debt External

31 December 2016

$83.81 billion

31 December 2017

$91.53 billion

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

2003

56.1

2014

50.7

Economy Overview

Panama's dollar-based economy rests primarily on a well-developed services sector that accounts for more than three-quarters of GDP. Services include operating the Panama Canal, logistics, banking, the Colon Free Trade Zone, insurance, container ports, flagship registry, and tourism and Panama is a center for offshore banking. Panama's transportation and logistics services sectors, along with infrastructure development projects, have boosted economic growth; however, public debt surpassed $37 billion in 2016 because of excessive government spending and public works projects. The US-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement was approved by Congress and signed into law in October 2011, and entered into force in October 2012.Future growth will be bolstered by the Panama Canal expansion project that began in 2007 and was completed in 2016 at a cost of $5.3 billion - about 10-15% of current GDP. The expansion project more than doubled the Canal's capacity, enabling it to accommodate high-capacity vessels such as tankers and neopanamax vessels that are too large to traverse the existing canal. The US and China are the top users of the Canal.Strong economic performance has not translated into broadly shared prosperity, as Panama has the second worst income distribution in Latin America. About one-fourth of the population lives in poverty; however, from 2006 to 2012 poverty was reduced by 10 percentage points.

Exchange Rates

2013

1

2014

1

2015

1

2016

1

2017

1

Currency

balboas (PAB) per US dollar -

Exports

2016

$14.7 billion

2017

$15.5 billion

Exports Commodities

fruit and nuts, fish, iron and steel waste, wood

Exports Partners

US 18.9%, Netherlands 16.6%, China 6.5%, Costa Rica 5.4%, India 5.1%, Vietnam 5% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services

41.9% (2017 est.)

Government Consumption

10.7% (2017 est.)

Household Consumption

45.6% (2017 est.)

Imports Of Goods And Services

-44.2% (2017 est.)

Investment In Fixed Capital

42.9% (2017 est.)

Investment In Inventories

3% (2017 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture

2.4% (2017 est.)

Industry

15.7% (2017 est.)

Services

82% (2017 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$61.84 billion (2017 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015

$23,700

2016

$24,500

2017

$25,400

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015

$94.12 billion

2016

$98.82 billion

2017

$104.1 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015

5.8%

2016

5%

2017

5.4%

Gross National Saving

2015

36.8% of GDP

2016

39.2% of GDP

2017

38.9% of GDP

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

Highest 10

38.9% (2014 est.)

Lowest 10

1.1%

Imports

2016

$20.51 billion

2017

$21.91 billion

Imports Commodities

fuels, machinery, vehicles, iron and steel rods, pharmaceuticals

Imports Partners

US 24.4%, China 9.8%, Mexico 4.9% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

6.3% (2017 est.)

Industries

construction, brewing, cement and other construction materials, sugar milling

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2016

0.7%

2017

0.9%

Labor Force

1.633 million (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

Agriculture

17%

Industry

18.6%

Services

64.4% (2009 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

31 December 2010

$8.348 billion

31 December 2011

$10.68 billion

31 December 2012

$12.54 billion

Population Below Poverty Line

23% (2015 est.)

Public Debt

2016

37.4% of GDP

2017

37.8% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2016

$3.878 billion

31 December 2017

$2.703 billion

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016

$8.249 billion

31 December 2017

$8.347 billion

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

31 December 2016

$10.71 billion

31 December 2017

$11.38 billion

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment at Home

31 December 2016

$50.62 billion

31 December 2017

$56.7 billion

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016

$46.41 billion

31 December 2017

$51.05 billion

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016

$8.249 billion

31 December 2017

$8.347 billion

Taxes And Other Revenues

20.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2016

5.5%

2017

6%

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

26.08 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018)

Electricity Access

Electrification Rural Areas

81.3% (2016)

Electrification Total Population

93.4% (2016)

Electrification Urban Areas

99.4% (2016)

Electricity Consumption

8.708 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

139 million kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

36% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

51% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

13% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

30 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

3.4 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

10.6 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

146,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

66 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

129,200 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

12 (2017 est.)

Total

446,076

Broadcast Media

multiple privately owned TV networks and a government-owned educational TV station; multi-channel cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; more than 100 commercial radio stations (2019)

Internet Country Code

.pa

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

54% (July 2016 est.)

Total

2,000,833

Telephone System

Domestic

fixed-line 16 per 100 and mobile-cellular telephone 159 per 100 and subscribership has increased rapidly (2018)

General Assessment

domestic and international facilities well-developed; investment from international operators; competion among operators helps reduce price of services; launches LTE services; (2018)

International

country code - 507; landing points for the PAN-AM, ARCOS, SAC, AURORA, PCCS, PAC, and the MAYA-1, submarine cable systems that together provide links to the US and parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to the Central American Microwave System (2019)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

16 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

603,638

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

159 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

5,977,641

Airports

117 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

3 (2017)

2 438 To 3 047 M

3 (2017)

914 To 1 523 M

20 (2017)

Over 3 047 M

1 (2017)

Total

57 (2017)

Under 914 M

30 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

1 (2013)

914 To 1 523 M

8 (2013)

Total

60 (2013)

Under 914 M

51 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

HP (2016)

Heliports

3 (2013)

Merchant Marine

By Type

bulk carrier 2585, container ship 590, general cargo 1327, oil tanker 808, other 2604 (2018)

Total

7,914

National Air Transport System

Annual Freight Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

121,567,075 mt-km (2015)

Annual Passenger Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

12,018,103 (2015)

Inventory Of Registered Aircraft Operated By Air Carriers

103 (2015)

Number Of Registered Air Carriers

4 (2015)

Pipelines

128 km oil (2013)

Ports And Terminals

Container Port's Teus

Balboa (2,905,049), Colon (3,891,209) (2017)

Major Seaport S

Balboa, Colon, Cristobal

Railways

Standard Gauge

77 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)

Total

77 km (2014)

Waterways

800 km (includes the 82-km Panama Canal that is being widened) (2011)

Military And Security Forces

no regular military forces; Panamanian Public Security Forces (subordinate to the Ministry of Public Security), comprising the National Police (PNP), National Air-Naval Service (SENAN), National Border Service (SENAFRONT) (2019)

Military Note

on 10 February 1990, the government of then President Guillermo ENDARA abolished Panama's military and reformed the security apparatus by creating the Panamanian Public Forces; in October 1994, Panama's National 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"

Disputes International

organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia operate within the remote border region with Panama

Illicit Drugs

major cocaine transshipment point and primary money-laundering center for narcotics revenue; money-laundering activity is especially heavy in the Colon Free Zone; offshore financial center; negligible signs of coca cultivation; monitoring of financial transactions is improving; official corruption remains a major problem

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

15,614 (Colombia) (2016), 85,571 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum or have received alternative legal stay) (2019)