The Republic of Panama is a Central American country consisting of 10 provinces. The most important provinces are Panamá, Panamá Oeste and Chiriquí. The country is situated in Central America, bordering Colombia and Costa Rica. It has a total surface of 75,417 square kilometers, making it the 4th largest country in Central America. The country’s terrain is defined by rugged mountains in the interior and plains in the upland and at the coast. Its climate is hot and humid tropical maritime with a long rainy from May to January and a short dry season from January to May.
The overall population is approximately over 4,3 million people. The capital of the country is Panama City, which is also the most populous city. Other major towns are Colón, David and La Chorrera. The country’s largest and international airport is Tocumen International Airport (PTY) with around 15 million passengers a year. This makes it the busiest airport in Central America. The airport provides access to regional, North American and European destinations.
Panamanian culture is a mix of its African, Native Panamanian and European traditions. The majority of the population is Christian. The official language is Spanish. The Panamanian legal system is the civil law with judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court. The government form is a Presidential Republic. The chief of state and the head of government is President Laurentino Cortizo.
The official currency is the United States Dollar (USD). The country has an open economy, generating a GDP of approximately $121 billion, placing it on the 11th spot in the Latin American countries. Its citizens have a per capita income of $28,456. The GDP is mostly made up of the services sector, which represents three quarters of the GDP. These services are The Panama Canal, banking, trade zones, and logistics. Tourism plays an increasingly important role as GDP contributor.
Panama is growing in popularity as a tourism destination. The country is trying to focus more on ecotourism. Main activities for tourists are hiking, trekking, diving, watersports and sightseeing. Some of the main destinations include the capital Panama City, the Panama Canal, the San Blas islands, Boquete and Panama Viejo. Panama has a total of approximately 1.8 million tourists visiting every year. The majority if which are originating from the Latin and North American countries.
