PANAMA
Official name: REPUBLIC OF PANAMA
Date of membership: 4 December 1975
Short name: Panama
Capital: Panama City
Government
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia): Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama and Veraguas. 5 comarcas: Nobe Bugle, Kuna Yala, Wagandí, Madugandí y Enbera Wonan.
Independence: 3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November 1821).
Constitution: 11 October 1972; major reforms adopted 1978, 1983, 1994, and 2004.
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch: Chief of state: President: President Laurentino Cortizo (2019-2023); Vice-President: José Gabriel Carrizo (2019-2023).
Note: The president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government.
Legislative branch: 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).
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (nine judges appointed for 10-year terms); five superior courts; three courts of appeal.
Internet country code: .pa
Official Web Portal: http://www.presidencia.gob.pa/
Geography
Location: Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica
Area: 78,200 sq km
Land boundaries: 555 km
Border countries: Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km
Coastline: 2,490 km
Natural resources: Copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower
Environment - international agreements: 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 signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation.
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.
Economic indicators
| Total at current prices | 62284 | Millions USD | 2017 |
| Per capita at current prices | 15365 | USD | 2017 |
| Growth rate per capita at constant prices | 83.7 | % | 2017 |
| Country share in regional GDP | 1.2 | % | 2017 |
| Imports of goods and services (Share in national GDP) | -45.3 | % | 2017 |
| Exports of goods and services (Share in national GDP) | 42.3 | % | 2017 |
Source: Panama: Economic National Profile. CEPALSTAT. Databases and Statistical Publications. ECLAC. On line. Inquiry: July 07, 2019.
Socio-demographic indicators
| Total population | 4178 | (000) | 2015 |
| Life expectancy | 78 | Años | 2015-2020 |
| Women | 81 | Años | 2015-2020 |
| Men | 75 | Años | 2015-2020 |
| Public health expenditure as a percentage of GDP | 7.0 | % | 2015 |
| Literacy rate for persons between the ages of 15 to 24 | 97.6 | % | 2010 |
| Net rate of enrolment in primary education | 87.2 | % | 2015 |
| Net rate of enrolment in secondary education | 66.7 | % | 2015 |
| Public expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP | 3.2 | % | 2011 |
| Gini Coefficient | 0.51 | % | 2017 |
| Unemployment | 5.5 | % | 2017 |
Source: Panama: National Socio-Demographic Profile. CEPALSTAT. Data Bases and Statistical Publications. ECLAC. On line. Inquiry: July 07, 2019.
Languages: Spanish (official)
