Panama

Panama is a country in North America. Its official name is the Republic of Panama, and it is most famous for the Panama Canal. Countries bordering Panama are Costa Rica in the Northwest and Colombia in the Southeast. Panama is between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Most of the people in Panama are Roman Catholic (about 80%).
Harbors
The Caribbean coastline has many good natural harbors. However, Cristobal, at the Caribbean terminus of the canal, had the only important port facilities in the late 1980s. The many islands of the Archipielago de Bocas del Toro, near the beaches of Costa Rica, made an extensive natural roadstead and shield for the port of Almirante. The over 350 San Blas Islands, near Colombia, are spread out for more than along the sheltered Caribbean coastline.
Demographics
The population of Panama is about 3,405,813 in May 2010. The ethnic makeup of Panama is:
50.1%: Multiracial (European, African, Native American, Others).
22.0%: Black African (Bantu-Congo 42%, Akan-Igbo 20%, Mandinga-Wolof 20%, Yoruba 10%, Others 8%).
6.7%: Native American (Embera, Wounaan, Ngobe bugle, Kuna, Naso, Bribri).
8.6%: White European (Spanish-Canarian 74%, German 13%, Italian and Others 13%).
5.5%: Asian (Chinese 93%, Korean and Japanese 7%).
7.1%: Other.
The information there **Other** is likely including Arabs, East Indians, and some Russian.
For ships, Panama is a flag of convenience.
Economy
In 2011 Panama had an unemployment rate of 2.7%. Panama also had a food surplus in August 2008. Panama was ranked at number 60 on the Human Development Index in 2008.
Panama's economy has experienced an economic boom in recent years. Real gross domestic product (GDP) growth was over 10.4% from 2006 to 2008. The Panamanian economy has been one of the fastest growing and best managed in Latin America. Latin Business Chronicle has predicted that Panama will be the fastest growing economy in Latin America in the five-year period of 2010-14.
Panama is impacted by the global financial crisis. It threatens to damage the social gains made in the past few years.
The expansion project of the Panama Canal and the free trade agreement with the United States is expected to boost and extend the economy.
On April 28th, 2022, Panama's lawmakers approved a bill that would legalize bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The bill allows using cryptocurrency and trading it, as well as other related topics. It will also allow citizens to use their cryptocurrency to pay taxes.
Provinces
Panama is divided into nine provinces. Also, there are five Comarcas (literally: "Shires") populated by a variety of indigenous groups.
Provinces
Bocas del Toro
Chiriqui
Cocle
Colon
Darien
Herrera
Los Santos
Panama
Panama Oeste
Veraguas
Comarcas
Embera
Kuna Yala
Ngobe-Bugle Comarca
Kuna de Madugandi
Kuna de Wargandi
References
Other websites
Official site of the presidency of Panama
Official site of Panama Tourism
Site of Panama Tourism with videos and photos
Pictures from Panama
CoolPanama.com Panama Portal Long list of online radio stations from Panama, also webcams and television stations
Panama Travel Guides Panama's best attractions, travel guides, news and product reviews
Spanish-speaking countries
1903 establishments in North America