Panama
This article is about the country.
For other uses, see Panama (disambiguation).
| Republic of Panama
República de Panamá (Spanish) | |
|---|---|
| Capital
and largest city |
Panama City |
| Official languages | Spanish |
| Ethnic groups (2010) | |
| Religion (2015) | 91.5% Christianity
—63.2% Roman Catholic —25.0% Protestant —3.3% Other Christian 7.6% No religion 0.9% Other religions |
| Demonym(s) | Panamanian |
| Government | Unitary presidential constitutional republic |
| President | Laurentino Cortizo |
| Vice President | Jose Gabriel Carrizo |
| Legislature | National Assembly |
| Independence | |
| from Spanish Empire | November 28, 1821 |
| union with Gran Colombia | December 1821 |
| from Republic of Colombia | November 3, 1903 |
| Admitted to the United Nations | November 13, 1945 |
| Current constitution | October 11, 1972 |
| Area | |
| Total | 75,417 km (29,119 sq mi) (116th) |
| Water (%) | 2.9 |
| Population | |
| 2018 estimate | 4,176,869 |
| 2010 census | 3,405,813 |
| Density | 56/km (145.0/sq mi) (162) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2020 estimate |
| Total | $121.749 billion (80th) |
| Per capita | $28,456 (57th) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2020 estimate |
| Total | $73.369 billion (70th) |
| Per capita | $17,148 (52nd) |
| Gini (2017) | 49.9
high |
| HDI (2018) | 0.795
high · 66th |
| Currency | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +507 |
| ISO 3166 code | PA |
| Internet TLD | .pa |
Panama (/ˈpænəmɑː/ (listen) PAN-ə-mah, /pænəˈmɑː/ pan-ə-MAH; Spanish: Panamá IPA: [panaˈma (listen)), officially the Republic of Panama (Spanish: República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country in Central America and South America, bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the south.
The capital and largest city is Panama City, whose metropolitan area is home to nearly half the country's 4 million people.
Panama was inhabited by indigenous tribes before Spanish colonists arrived in the 16th century.
It broke away from Spain in 1821 and joined the Republic of Gran Colombia, a union of Nueva Granada, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
After Gran Colombia dissolved in 1831, Panama and Nueva Granada eventually became the Republic of Colombia.
With the backing of the United States, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903, allowing the construction of the Panama Canal to be completed by the US Army Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914.
The 1977 Torrijos–Carter Treaties led to the transfer of the Canal from the United States to Panama on December 31, 1999.
The surrounding territory was transferred in 1979.
Revenue from canal tolls continues to represent a significant portion of Panama's GDP, although commerce, banking, and tourism are major and growing sectors.
It is regarded as a high-income country.
In 2018 Panama ranked 66th in the world in terms of the Human Development Index.
In 2018, Panama was ranked seventh-most competitive economy in Latin America, according to the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Index.
Covering around 40 percent of its land area, Panama's jungles are home to an abundance of tropical plants and animals – some of them found nowhere else on earth.
Panama is a founding member of the United Nations and other international organizations such as OAS, LAIA, G77, WHO, and NAM.
Etymology
The definite origin of the name Panama is unknown.
There are several theories.
One states that the country was named after a commonly found species of tree (Sterculia apetala, the Panama tree).
Another states that the first settlers arrived in Panama in August, when butterflies are abundant, and that the name means "many butterflies" in one or several of the indigenous Amerindian languages that were spoken in the territory prior to Spanish colonization.
The most scientifically corroborated theory by Panamanian linguists, states that the word is a hispanicization of the Kuna language word "bannaba" which means "distant" or "far away".
A commonly relayed legend in Panama is that there was a fishing village that bore the name "Panamá", which purportedly meant "an abundance of fish", when the Spanish colonizers first landed in the area.
The exact location of the village is unknown.
The legend is usually corroborated by Captain Antonio Tello de Guzmán's diary entries, who reports landing at an unnamed village while exploring the Pacific coast of Panama in 1515; he only describes the village as a "same small indigenous fishing town".
In 1517, Don Gaspar de Espinosa, a Spanish lieutenant, decided to settle a post in the same location Guzmán described.
In 1519, Pedrarias Dávila decided to establish the Spanish Empire's Pacific port at the site.
The new settlement replaced Santa María La Antigua del Darién, which had lost its function within the Crown's global plan after the Spanish exploitation of the riches in the Pacific began.
The official definition and origin of the name as promoted by Panama's Ministry of Education is the "abundance of fish, trees and butterflies".
This is the usual description given in social studies textbooks.
History
Geography
Main article: Geography of Panama
Panama is located in Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica.
It mostly lies between latitudes 7° and 10°N, and longitudes 77° and 83°W (a small area lies west of 83°).
Its location on the Isthmus of Panama is strategic.
By 2000, Panama controlled the Panama Canal which connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea to the North of the Pacific Ocean.
Panama's total area is 74,177.3 km (28,640.0 sq mi).
The dominant feature of Panama's geography is the central spine of mountains and hills that forms the continental divide.
The divide does not form part of the great mountain chains of North America, and only near the Colombian border are there highlands related to the Andean system of South America.
The spine that forms the divide is the highly eroded arch of an uplift from the sea bottom, in which peaks were formed by volcanic intrusions.
The mountain range of the divide is called the Cordillera de Talamanca near the Costa Rican border.
Farther east it becomes the Serranía de Tabasará, and the portion of it closer to the lower saddle of the isthmus, where the Panama Canal is located, is often called the Sierra de Veraguas.
As a whole, the range between Costa Rica and the canal is generally referred to by geographers as the Cordillera Central.
The highest point in the country is the Volcán Barú, which rises to 3,475 metres (11,401 feet).
A nearly impenetrable jungle forms the Darién Gap between Panama and Colombia where Colombian guerrillas and drug dealers operate and sometimes take hostages.
This and unrest, and forest protection movements, create a break in the Pan-American Highway, which otherwise forms a complete road from Alaska to Patagonia.
Panama's wildlife is the most diverse in Central America.
It is home to many South American species as well as to North American wildlife.
Waterways
Main article: Panama Canal
Nearly 500 rivers lace Panama's rugged landscape.
Mostly unnavigable, many originate as swift highland streams, meander in valleys, and form coastal deltas.
However, the Río Chagres (Chagres River), located in central Panama, is one of the few wide rivers and a source of hydroelectric power.
The central part of the river is dammed by the Gatun Dam and forms Gatun Lake, an artificial lake that constitutes part of the Panama Canal.
The lake was created by the construction of the Gatun Dam across the Río Chagres between 1907 and 1913.
Once created, Gatun Lake was the largest man-made lake in the world, and the dam was the largest earth dam.
The river drains northwest into the Caribbean.
The Kampia and Madden Lakes (also filled from the Río Chagres) provide hydroelectricity for the area of the former Canal Zone.
The Río Chepo, another source of hydroelectric power, is one of the more than 300 rivers emptying into the Pacific.
These Pacific-oriented rivers are longer and slower-running than those on the Caribbean side.
Their basins are also more extensive.
One of the longest is the Río Tuira, which flows into the Golfo de San Miguel and is the nation's only river that is navigable by larger vessels.
Harbors
The Caribbean coastline is marked by several natural harbors.
However, Cristóbal, at the Caribbean terminus of the canal, had the only important port facilities in the late 1980s.
The numerous islands of the Archipiélago de Bocas del Toro, near the Beaches of Costa Rica, provide an extensive natural roadstead and shield the banana port of Almirante.
The more than 350 San Blas Islands near Colombia, are strung out over more than 160 kilometres (99 miles) along the sheltered Caribbean coastline.
The terminal ports located at each end of the Panama Canal, namely the Port of Cristóbal, Colón and the Port of Balboa, are ranked second and third respectively in Latin America in terms of numbers of containers units (TEU) handled.
The Port of Balboa covers 182 hectares and contains four berths for containers and two multi-purpose berths.
In total, the berths are over 2,400 metres (7,900 feet) long with alongside depth of 15 metres (49 feet).
The Port of Balboa has 18 super post-Panamax and Panamax quay cranes and 44 gantry cranes.
The Port of Balboa also contains 2,100 square metres (23,000 square feet) of warehouse space.
The Ports of Cristobal (encompassing the container terminals of Panama Ports Cristobal, Manzanillo International Terminal and Colon Container Terminal) handled 2,210,720 TEU in 2009, second only to the Port of Santos, Brazil, in Latin America.
Excellent deep water ports capable of accommodating large VLCC (Very Large Crude Oil Carriers) are located at Charco Azul, Chiriquí (Pacific) and Chiriquí Grande, Bocas del Toro (Atlantic) near Panama's western border with Costa Rica.
The Trans-Panama pipeline, running 131 kilometres (81 miles) across the isthmus, has operated between Charco Azul and Chiriquí Grande since 1979.
Climate
Main article: Climate of Panama
Panama has a tropical climate.
Temperatures are uniformly high—as is the relative humidity—and there is little seasonal variation.
Diurnal ranges are low; on a typical dry-season day in the capital city, the early morning minimum may be 24 °C (75.2 °F) and the afternoon maximum 30 °C (86.0 °F).
The temperature seldom exceeds 32 °C (89.6 °F) for more than a short time.
Temperatures on the Pacific side of the isthmus are somewhat lower than on the Caribbean, and breezes tend to rise after dusk in most parts of the country.
Temperatures are markedly cooler in the higher parts of the mountain ranges, and frosts occur in the Cordillera de Talamanca in western Panama.
Climatic regions are determined less on the basis of temperature than on rainfall, which varies regionally from less than 1,300 millimeters (51.2 in) to more than 3,000 millimeters (118.1 in) per year.
Almost all of the rain falls during the rainy season, which is usually from April to December, but varies in length from seven to nine months.
In general, rainfall is much heavier on the Caribbean than on the Pacific side of the continental divide.
The annual average in Panama City is little more than half of that in Colón.
Although rainy-season thunderstorms are common, the country is outside the hurricane belt.
Panama's tropical environment supports an abundance of plants.
Forests dominate, interrupted in places by grasslands, scrub, and crops.
Although nearly 40% of Panama is still wooded, deforestation is a continuing threat to the rain-drenched woodlands.
Tree cover has been reduced by more than 50 percent since the 1940s.
Subsistence farming, widely practised from the northeastern jungles to the southwestern grasslands, consists largely of corn, bean, and tuber plots.
Mangrove swamps occur along parts of both coasts, with banana plantations occupying deltas near Costa Rica.
In many places, a multi-canopied rain forest abuts the swamp on one side of the country and extends to the lower reaches of slopes on the other.
Politics
Main article: Politics of Panama
Panama's politics take place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Panama is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system.
Executive power is exercised by the government.
Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly.
The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
National elections are universal for all citizens 18 years and older.
National elections for the executive and legislative branches take place every five years.
Members of the judicial branch (justices) are appointed by the head of state.
Panama's National Assembly is elected by proportional representation in fixed electoral districts, so many smaller parties are represented.
Presidential elections requires a simple majority; out of the five last presidents only ex-president Ricardo Martinelli has managed to be elected with over 50 percent of the popular vote.
Political culture
Since the end of Manuel Noriega's military dictatorship in 1989, Panama has successfully completed five peaceful transfers of power to opposing political factions.
The political landscape is dominated by two major parties and many smaller parties, many of which are driven by individual leaders more than ideologies.
Former President Martín Torrijos is the son of general Omar Torrijos.
He succeeded Mireya Moscoso, the widow of Arnulfo Arias.
Panama's most recent national elections occurred on May 4, 2014, with incumbent vice-President Juan Carlos Varela declared the victor.
The 2019 Panamanian general election is scheduled for May 5, 2019, with current President Juan Carlos Varela being ineligible due to constitutional limits for a second term.
Foreign relations
Further information: Foreign relations of Panama
The United States cooperates with the Panamanian government in promoting economic, political, security, and social development through US and international agencies.
Cultural ties between the two countries are strong, and many Panamanians go to the United States for higher education and advanced training.
Military
Further information: Panamanian Public Forces
Administrative divisions
Main article: Provinces and regions of Panama
Panama is divided into ten provinces with their respective local authorities (governors).
Each is divided into districts and corregimientos (townships).
Also, there are five Comarcas (literally: "Shires") populated by a variety of indigenous groups.
Provinces
Regions
Economy
Main article: Economy of Panama
According to the CIA World Factbook, as of 2012 Panama had an unemployment rate of 2.7 percent.
A food surplus was registered in August 2008.
On the Human Development Index, Panama ranked 60th in 2015.
In more recent years, Panama's economy has experienced a boom, with growth in real gross domestic product (GDP) averaging over 10.4 percent in 2006–2008.
Panama's economy was among the fastest growing and best managed in Latin America.
The Latin Business Chronicle predicted that Panama would be the fastest growing economy in Latin America during the five-year period from 2010 to 2014, matching Brazil's 10 percent rate.
The expansion project on the Panama Canal is expected to boost and extend economic expansion for some time.
Panama also signed the Panama–United States Trade Promotion Agreement which eliminates tariffs to US services.
Even though Panama is regarded as a high-income country, it still remains a country of stark contrasts perpetuated by dramatic educational disparities.
Between 2015 and 2017, poverty at US$5.5 fell from 15.4 to an estimated 14.1 percent.
Economic sectors
Panama's economy, because of its key geographic location, is mainly based on a well-developed service sector, especially commerce, tourism, and trading.
The handover of the Canal and military installations by the United States has given rise to large construction projects.
A project to build a third set of locks for the Panama Canal A was overwhelmingly approved in a referendum (with low voter turnout, however) on October 22, 2006.
The official estimated cost of the project is US$5.25 billion, but the canal is of major economic importance because it provides millions of dollars of toll revenue to the national economy and provides massive employment.
Transfer of control of the Canal to the Panamanian government completed in 1999, after 85 years of US control.
Copper and gold deposits are being developed by foreign investors, to the dismay of some environmental groups, as all of the projects are located within protected areas.
Panama as an IFC
Main articles: Financial centre and Panama as a tax haven
Since the early 20th century, Panama has with the revenues from the canal built the largest Regional Financial Center (IFC) in Central America, with consolidated assets being more than three times that of Panama's GDP.
The banking sector employs more than 24,000 people directly.
Financial intermediation contributed 9.3 percent of GDP.
Stability has been a key strength of Panama's financial sector, which has benefited from the country's favorable economic and business climate.
Banking institutions report sound growth and solid financial earnings.
The banking supervisory regime is largely compliant with the Basel Core Principles for Effective Banking Supervision.
As a regional financial center, Panama exports some banking services, mainly to Latin America, and plays an important role in the country's economy.
However, Panama still cannot compare to the position held by Hong Kong or Singapore as financial centers in Asia.
Panama still has a reputation worldwide for being a tax haven but has agreed to enhanced transparency, especially since the release in 2016 of the Panama Papers.
Significant progress has been made to improve full compliance with anti-money laundering recommendations.
Panama was removed from the FATFGAFI gray list in February 2016.
However efforts remain to be made, and the IMF repeatedly mentions the need to strengthen financial transparency and fiscal structure.
Transportation
Main article: Transport in Panama
Panama is home to Tocumen International Airport, Central America's largest airport.
Additionally there are more than 20 smaller airfields in the country.
(See list of airports in Panama).
Panama's roads, traffic and transportation systems are generally safe, though night driving is difficult and in many cases, restricted by local authorities.
This usually occurs in informal settlements.
Traffic in Panama moves on the right, and Panamanian law requires that drivers and passengers wear seat belts, and airbags are not mandatory.
Highways are generally well-developed for a Latin American country.
Currently, Panama City has buses known as Metrobuses, along with two Metro lines.
Formerly, the system was dominated by colorfully painted diablos rojos; a few remain, and are mostly used on rural areas along with "chivas".
A diablo rojo is usually customized or painted with bright colors, usually depicting famous actors, politicians or singers.
Panama City's streets experience frequent traffic jams due to poor planning for now-extensive private vehicle ownership.
Tourism
Currency
The Panamanian currency is officially the balboa, fixed at a rate of 1:1 with the United States dollar since Panamanian independence in 1903.
In practice, Panama is dollarized: U.S. dollars are legal tender and used for all paper currency, and whilst Panama has its own coinage, U.S. coins are widely used.
Because of the tie to US dollars, Panama has traditionally had low inflation.
According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Panama's inflation in 2006 was 2.0 percent as measured by a weighted Consumer Price Index.
The balboa replaced the Colombian peso in 1904 after Panama's independence.
Balboa banknotes were printed in 1941 by President Arnulfo Arias.
They were recalled several days later, giving them the name "The Seven Day Dollars".
The notes were burned by the new government, but occasionally balboa notes can be found in collections.
These were the only banknotes ever issued by Panama and US notes have circulated both before and since.
International trade
The high levels of Panamanian trade are in large part from the Colón Free Trade Zone, the largest free trade zone in the Western Hemisphere.
Last year the zone accounted for 92 percent of Panama's exports and 64 percent of its imports, according to an analysis of figures from the Colon zone management and estimates of Panama's trade by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Panama's economy is also very much supported by the trade and export of coffee and other agricultural products.
The Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) between the governments of the United States and Panama was signed on October 27, 1982.
The treaty protects US investment and assists Panama in its efforts to develop its economy by creating conditions more favorable for US private investment and thereby strengthening the development of its private sector.
The BIT was the first such treaty signed by the US in the Western Hemisphere.
A Panama–United States Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) was signed in 2007, approved by Panama on July 11, 2007 and by US President Obama on October 21, 2011, and the agreement entered into force on October 31, 2012.
Society
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Panama
Panama had an estimated population of 4,176,869 in 2018.
The proportion of the population aged less than 15 in 2010 was 29 percent.
64.5 percent of the population was between 15 and 65, with 6.6 percent of the population 65 years or older.
More than half the population lives in the Panama City–Colón metropolitan corridor, which spans several cities.
Panama's urban population exceeds 75 percent, making Panama's population the most urbanized in Central America.
Ethnic groups
In 2010 the population was 65 percent Mestizo (mixed white, Native American), 12.3 percent Native American, 9.2 percent Black or African descent, 6.8 percent mulatto, and 6.7 percent White.
Ethnic groups in Panama include Mestizo people, who have a mix of European and native ancestry.
Black Afro-Panamanians account for 15–20 percent of the population.
Most Afro-Panamanians live on the Panama-Colón metropolitan area, the Darien Province, La Palma, and Bocas Del Toro.
Neighborhoods in Panama City that have large black populations include: Curundu, El Chorrillo, Rio Abajo, San Joaquín, El Marañón, San Miguelito, and Santa Ana.
Black Panamanians are descendants of African slaves brought to the Americas in the Atlantic Slave Trade.
The second wave of black people brought to Panama came from the Caribbean during the construction of the Panama Canal.
Panama also has a considerable Chinese and Indian (India) population brought to work on the canal during its construction.
Most Chinese-Panamanians reside in the province of Chiriquí.
Europeans and white-Panamanians are a minority in Panama.
Panama is also home to a small Arab community that has mosques, practises Islam, as well as a Jewish community and many synagogues.
The Amerindian population includes seven ethnic groups: the Ngäbe, Kuna (Guna), Emberá, Buglé, Wounaan, Naso Tjerdi (Teribe), and Bri Bri.
Languages
Further information: Panamanian Spanish
Spanish is the official and dominant language.
The Spanish spoken in Panama is known as Panamanian Spanish.
About 93 percent of the population speak Spanish as their first language.
Many citizens who hold jobs at international levels, or at business corporations, speak both English and Spanish.
About 14 percent of Panamanians speak English; this number is expected to rise because Panama now requires English classes in its public schools.
Native languages, such as Ngäbere, are spoken throughout the country, mostly in their native territories.
Over 400,000 Panamanians keep their native languages and customs.
About 4 percent speak French and 1 percent speak Arabic.
Largest cities
Further information: List of cities in Panama
These are the 10 largest Panamanian cities and towns.
Most of Panama's largest cities are part of the Panama City Metropolitan Area.
Religion
Main article: Religion in Panama
Christianity is the main religion in Panama.
An official survey carried out by the government estimated in 2015 that 63.2% of the population, or 2,549,150 people, identifies itself as Roman Catholic, and 25.0 percent as evangelical Protestant, or 1,009,740.
The Jehovah's Witnesses were the third largest congregation comprising the 1.4% of the population, followed by the Adventist Church and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with the 0.6%.
There is a very large Buddhist (0.4% or 18,560) and Jewish community (0.1% or 5,240) in the country.
The Baháʼí Faith community in Panama is estimated at 2.00 percent of the national population, or about 60,000 including about 10 percent of the Guaymí population.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) claims more than 40,000 members.
Smaller religious groups include Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Episcopalians with between 7,000 and 10,000 members, Jewish and Muslim communities with approximately 10,000 members each, Hindus, Buddhists, and other Christians.
Indigenous religions include Ibeorgun (among Kuna) and Mamatata (among Ngäbe).
There are also a small number of Rastafarians.
Education
Main article: Education in Panama
During the 16th century, education in Panama was provided by Jesuits.
Public education began as a national and governmental institution in 1903.
The principle underlying the early education system was that children should receive different types of education in accordance with their social class and therefore the position they were expected to occupy in society.
Public education began in Panama soon after it seceded from Colombia in 1903.
The first efforts were guided by an extremely paternalistic view of the goals of education, as evidenced in comments made in a 1913 meeting of the First Panamanian Educational Assembly, "The cultural heritage given to the child should be determined by the social position he will or should occupy.
For this reason education should be different in accordance with the social class to which the student should be related."
This elitist focus changed rapidly under US influence.
In 2010, it was estimated that 94.1 percent of the population was literate (94.7 percent of males and 93.5 percent of females).
Education in Panama is compulsory for all children between ages 6 and 15.
In recent decades, school enrollment at all levels, but especially at upper levels, has increased significantly.
Panama participates in the PISA exams, but due to debts and unsatisfactory exam results it postponed participation until 2018.
Culture
Main article: Culture of Panama
See also: Music of Panama
The culture of Panama derives from European music, art and traditions brought by the Spanish to Panama.
Hegemonic forces have created hybrid forms blending African and Native American culture with European culture.
For example, the tamborito is a Spanish dance with African rhythms, themes and dance moves.
Dance is typical of the diverse cultures in Panama.
The local folklore can be experienced at a multitude of festivals, through dances and traditions handed down from generation to generation.
Local cities host live reggae en español, reggaeton, haitiano (compas), jazz, blues, salsa, reggae, and rock music performances.
Handicraft
Outside Panama City, regional festivals take place throughout the year featuring local musicians and dancers.
Panama's blended culture is reflected in traditional products, such as woodcarvings, ceremonial masks and pottery, as well as in Panama's architecture, cuisine and festivals.
In earlier times, baskets were woven for utilitarian uses, but now many villages rely almost exclusively on income from the baskets they produce for tourists.
An example of undisturbed, unique culture in Panama is that of the Guna who are known for molas.
Mola is the Guna word for blouse, but the term mola has come to mean the elaborate embroidered panels made by Guna women, that make up the front and back of a Guna woman's blouse.
They are several layers of cloth, varying in color, that are loosely stitched together, made using a reverse appliqué process.
Holidays and festivities
Further information: Public holidays in Panama
The Christmas parade, known as El desfile de Navidad, is celebrated in the capital, Panama City.
This holiday is celebrated on December 25.
The floats in the parade are decorated in the Panamanian colors, and women wear dresses called pollera and men dress in traditional montuno.
In addition, the marching band in the parade, consisting of drummers, keeps crowds entertained.
In the city, a big Christmas tree is lit with Christmas lights, and everybody surrounds the tree and sings Christmas carols.
Traditional cuisine
Further information: Panamanian cuisine
Since Panama's cultural heritage is influenced by many ethnicities the traditional cuisine of the country includes ingredients from many cultures, from all over the world: a mix of African, Spanish, and Native American techniques, dishes, and ingredients, reflecting its diverse population.
Since Panama is a land bridge between two continents, it has a large variety of tropical fruits, vegetables and herbs that are used in native cooking.
The famous fish market known as the "Mercado de Mariscos" offers fresh seafood and Ceviche, a seafood dish.
Small shops along the street which are called kiosco and Empanada, which is a typical latinamerican pastry, including a variety of different ingredients, either with meat or vegetarian, mostly fried.
Another kind of pastry is the pastelito, with the only difference in comparison to empanadas is that they are bigger.
Typical Panamanian foods are mild-flavored, without the pungency of some of Panama's Latin American and Caribbean neighbors.
Common ingredients are maize, rice, wheat flour, plantains, yuca (cassava), beef, chicken, pork and seafood.
Traditional clothing
Panamanian men's traditional clothing, called montuno, consists of white cotton shirts, trousers and woven straw hats.
The traditional women's clothing is the pollera.
It originated in Spain in the 16th century, and by the early 1800s it was typical in Panama, worn by female servants, especially wet nurses (De Zarate 5).
Later, it was adopted by upper-class women.
A pollera is made of "cambric" or "fine linen" (Baker 177).
It is white, and is usually about 13 yards of material.
The original pollera consists of a ruffled blouse worn off the shoulders and a skirt with gold buttons.
The skirt is also ruffled, so that when it is lifted up, it looks like a peacock's tail or a mantilla fan.
The designs on the skirt and blouse are usually flowers or birds.
Two large matching pom poms (mota) are on the front and back, four ribbons hang from the front and back from the waist, five gold chains (caberstrillos) hang from the neck to the waist, a gold cross or medallion on a black ribbon is worn as a choker, and a silk purse is worn at the waistline.
Earrings (zaricillos) are usually gold or coral.
Slippers usually match the color of the pollera.
Hair is usually worn in a bun, held by three large gold combs that have pearls (tembleques) worn like a crown.
Quality pollera can cost up to $10,000, and may take a year to complete.
Today, there are different types of polleras; the pollera de gala consists of a short-sleeved ruffle skirt blouse, two full-length skirts and a petticoat.
Girls wear in their hair.
Gold coins and jewelry are added to the outfit.
The pollera montuna is a daily dress, with a blouse, a skirt with a solid color, a single gold chain, and pendant earrings and a natural flower in the hair.
Instead of an off-the-shoulder blouse it is worn with a fitted white jacket that has shoulder pleats and a flared hem.
Traditional clothing in Panama can be worn in parades, where the females and males do a traditional dance.
Females gently sway and twirl their skirts, while men hold their hats in their hands and dance behind the females.
Literature
Further information: Panamanian literature
The first literature relating to Panama can be dated to 1535, with a modern literary movement appearing from the mid-19th century onwards
Sports
The US influence in Panama can be seen in the country's sports.
Baseball is Panama's national sport and the country has regional teams and a national team that represents it in international events.
At least 140 Panamanian players have played professional baseball in the United States, more than any other Central American country.
Notable players include Bruce Chen, Rod Carew, Mariano Rivera, Carlos Lee, Manny Sanguillén, and Carlos Ruiz.
In boxing, four Panamanians are in the International Boxing Hall of Fame: Roberto Durán, Eusebio Pedroza, Ismael Laguna and Panama Al Brown.
In August 2016 Panama had two reigning world boxing champions: Guillermo Jones and Anselmo Moreno.
Since the end of the 20th century, association football has become more popular in Panama.
The top tier of domestic Panamanian football, Liga Panameña de Fútbol, was founded in 1988.
The national team appeared at the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 2018, appearing in group G, facing Belgium, England and Tunisia.
However, the team lost all three games, failing to advance past the group stage.
Notable players for the national team include Luis Ernesto Tapia, Rommel Fernández, the Dely Valdés Brothers: Armando, Julio and Jorge; and more recent players as Jaime Penedo, Felipe Baloy, Luis Tejada, Blas Pérez, Román Torres and Harold Cummings.
Basketball is also popular in Panama.
There are regional teams as well as a squad that competes internationally.
Two of Panama's prominent basketball players are Rolando Blackman, a four-time NBA All-Star, and Kevin Daley, a 10-year captain and showman of the Harlem Globetrotters.
Other remarkable players who represented Panama internationally are Mario Butler, and Rolando Frazer.
Other popular sports include volleyball, taekwondo, golf, and tennis.
A long-distance hiking trail called the is being built from Colombia to Costa Rica.
Other non-traditional sports in the country have had great importance such as the triathlon that has captured the attention of many athletes nationwide and the country has hosted international competitions.
Flag football has also been growing in popularity in both men and women and with international participation in world of this discipline being among the best teams in the world, the sport was introduced by Americans residing in the Canal Zone for veterans and retirees who even had a festival called the Turkey Ball.
Other popular sports are American football, rugby, hockey, softball and other amateur sports including skateboarding, BMX and surfing, because the many beaches of Panama such as Santa Catalina and Venao that have hosted events the likes of ISA World Surfing Games.
Long jumper Irving Saladino became the first Panamanian Olympic gold medalist in 2008.
In 2012 eight different athletes represented Panama in the London 2012 Olympics: Irving Saladino in the long jump, Alonso Edward and Andrea Ferris in track and field, Diego Castillo in swimming, and the youngest on the team, Carolena Carstens who was 16 competing in taekwondo.
She was the first representative to compete for Panama in that sport.
See also
Credits to the contents of this page go to the authors of the corresponding Wikipedia page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama.