VITAL STATISTICS
Official Name:
Republic of Panama
Capital:
Panama City
Location:
Southernmost nation of Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica. The country is traversed from east to west by the Panama Canal.
Surface Area:
75,517 square kilometers
Population:
3.8 million
Geographical Division:
10 provinces and 3 main counties
Government:
Constitutional democracy, centralized republic. Panama’s current president, Juan Carlos Varela, was elected on May 4, 2014.
Language:
The official language is Spanish, but many Panamanians also speak English.
Literacy Rate:
94.5 percent
Climate:
Due to proximity to the equator, the weather in Panama is tropical and temperatures are rather steady throughout the year, averaging some 27ºC (81ºF).
Religion:
There is absolute freedom of religion in Panama. Most Panamanians are Roman Catholic; however, due to the great cultural and ethnic diversity in the country there are a large number of different places of prayer.
Currency:
The U.S. dollar is legal tender in Panama. It is tied to the locally issued balboa at a rate of 1:1.