U.S. Department of State

As of May 2012, Background Notes are no longer being updated or produced. They are in the process of being replaced by Fact Sheets that focus on U.S. relations with each country.

PROFILE

Geography
Area: 75,517 sq. km. (29,157 sq. mi.); slightly smaller than South Carolina. Panama occupies the southeastern end of the isthmus forming the land bridge between North and South America.
Cities: Capital--Panama City (430,299), Panama District (880,691), Panama Province (1,713,000)). Other cities--Colon City (34,655), Colon district (206,553), David City (82,907), David District (144,858). Terrain: Mountainous (highest elevation Cerro Volcan Baru, 3,475 m. (11,468 ft.)); coastline 2,857 km. (1,786 mi.).
Climate: Tropical, with average daily rainfall 28 mm. (1 in.) in winter.

People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Panamanian(s).
Population (March 2011): 3,405,813. 50.3% of the population lives in Panama province.
Annual population growth rate: 1.84%.
Ethnic groups: Mestizo (mix of African, Indigenous, and European – mostly Spanish – ancestry) 67%, Indigenous 12.3%, African descent 9.2%, Other including Caucasian and Chinese 11.5%.
Religions: Roman Catholic 84%, Protestant 15%, other 1%.
Languages: Spanish (official); various indigenous languages. Many Afro descents from the West Indies speak English and many professional college-educated Panamanians in Panama City are bilingual.
Education: Years compulsory—primary grades 1-6, or through age 15. Attendance—98.4% for primary school-age children (grades 1-6 or ages 6-11), 73.8% for basic secondary (grades 7-9 or ages 12-14), 44.9% for specialized secondary (grades 10-12 or ages 15-17), 34.9% for tertiary. Literacy—94.5% overall; much lower literacy in Comarcas Ngobe Bugle 69.2%, Kuna Yala 71.7%, Embera 77.1%.
Health: Infant mortality rate (2009)—12.2 deaths/1,000 live births, higher in Comarcas Embera 32.1%, Kuna Yala 22.3%, and Ngobe Bugle 19.2% and Bocas del Toro 26.6%. Life expectancy 75.3 77.6 yrs women, 72.8 men (2007).
Work force: 1.532 million: Commerce (wholesale and retail)--17.9%; agriculture, cattle, hunting, silviculture—15.4%; construction—10.6%; industries (manufactures)—8.6%; transportation, storage, postal —6.5% %; private home domestic services—4.6%; public and defense administration—6.2%; hotels and restaurants—5.1%; teaching—5.8%; social and health services—3.7%; financial services—2.0%.
Unemployment (August 2011): 4.5%.
Poverty rate (2011): 28%, extreme poverty 11.4%.

Government
Type: Constitutional democracy.
Independence: from Spain, November 28, 1821; separation from Colombia, November 3, 1903.
Constitution: October 11, 1972; amended 1983 and 1994 and reformed in 2004.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state), vice president. (A second vice presidential slot was abolished starting with the 2009 electoral cycle.) Legislative--National Assembly (unicameral; 71 members, reduced from 78 to 71 members for May 2009 elections).Judicial--Supreme Court.
Subdivisions: Nine provinces and three (indigenous) territories.
Political parties: Panameñista Party (formerly the Arnulfista Party (PA)); Democratic Change (CD); National Liberal Republican Movement (MOLIRENA); Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD); Popular Party (PP).
Suffrage: Universal at 18.

Economy
GDP (2010 est.): $20.86 billion.
Annual growth rate: 10.5% (2011 est.); 7.5% (2010); 3.2% (2009); 10.0% (2008); 12.1% (2007).
Per capita GDP: $5,953 (2010 est.); $5,627 (2009 prelim.); $5,541 (2008); $5,115 (2007); $4,640 (2006).
Natural resources: Timber, copper, gold.
Services (77% of GDP): Finance, insurance, health and medical, transportation, telecommunications, Canal and maritime services, tourism, Colon Free Zone, public administration, and general commerce.
Agriculture, Fishing, Mining (5.7 % of GDP, 2010 est.): Products--bananas, corn, sugarcane, rice, coffee, shrimp, timber, vegetables, livestock.
Industry/manufacturing (11.4% of GDP): construction, brewing, cement and other construction materials, sugar milling.
Other: (5.9% of GDP)
Trade (2010): Exports (goods)--$725 million in exports, with salmon/tuna as the largest dollar amount, followed by beef, watermelon, shrimp, and pineapples. Export partners (as a percentage of total export value in 2010 according to the Government of Panama)--U.S. 29.2%, Canada 10.5%, Netherlands 7.0%, Sweden 6.9%, Costa Rica 6.8%, China (P.R.C.) 5.0%, and Taiwan 5.0%. Imports (goods)--$9.1 billion was imported in 2010: petrol and fuel oils, capital goods, foodstuffs, chemicals, and consumer and intermediate goods are the leading imports. Import partners (2010 according to the Government of Panama)--the top five countries were the U.S. 27.5%, China 5.4%, Costa Rica 4.9%, Mexico 4.3%, and South Korea 3.2%. U.S. exports to Panama (2011 according to the U.S. Census)--$8.25 billion: primarily oil and capital- and technology-intensive manufactured goods. Panama exports to U.S. (2011)--$379 million: primarily seafood and repaired goods. Statistics from the Government of Panama and the Government of the United States include only goods which transit the Colon Free Zone into Panama’s customs territory.
Foreign direct investment (2010): $2.4 billion.

PEOPLE
Panamanians' culture, customs, and language are predominantly Caribbean Spanish. Because of Panama’s unique location as a transit point and because of people coming over the years to work on the railroad and the Canal, the majority of the population is ethnically a mix of Spanish, indigenous, and of African descent. The remaining population is of Afro descent, Caucasian, indigenous, Chinese, and others. Spanish is the official and dominant language; English is a common second language spoken by the West Indians and by many businesspeople and professionals. More than half the population lives in the Panama City-Colon metropolitan corridor.

Panama is rich in folklore and popular traditions. Lively salsa--a mixture of Latin American popular music, rhythm and blues, jazz, and rock--is a Panamanian specialty, and Ruben Blades its best-known performer. Indigenous influences dominate handicrafts such as the famous Kuna textile molas. Artist Roberto Lewis' Presidential Palace murals and his restoration work and ceiling in the National Theater are widely admired. Roberto Duran is a famous boxer. Mariano Rivera is a pitcher for the New York Yankees.

As of 2010, more than 117,600 Panamanian students attended the University of Panama, the Technological University, the Autonomous University of Chiriqui , and the University of Santa Maria La Antigua, a private Catholic institution. Including smaller colleges, there are 88 institutions of higher education in Panama. The first 6 years of primary education are compulsory. As of 2010, there were 723,666 students enrolled in primary and secondary school. More than 94.5% of Panamanians are literate.

HISTORY
Panama's history has been shaped by the evolution of the world economy and the ambitions of great powers. The earliest known inhabitants of Panama were the Cuevas and the Coclé tribes, but they were decimated by disease and fighting when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s.

Rodrigo de Bastidas, sailing westward from Venezuela in 1501 in search of gold, was the first European to explore the Isthmus of Panama. A year later, Christopher Columbus visited the Isthmus and established a short-lived settlement in the Darien. Vasco Nunez de Balboa's tortuous trek from the Atlantic to the Pacific in 1513 demonstrated that the Isthmus was, indeed, the path between the seas, and Panama quickly became the crossroads and marketplace of Spain's empire in the New World. Gold and silver were brought by ship from South America, hauled across the Isthmus, and loaded aboard ships for Spain. The route became known as the Camino Real, or Royal Road, although it was more commonly known as Camino de Cruces (Road of the Crosses) because of the abundance of gravesites along the way.

Panama was part of the Spanish empire for 300 years (1538-1821). From the outset, Panamanian identity was based on a sense of "geographic destiny," and Panamanian fortunes fluctuated with the geopolitical importance of the Isthmus. The colonial experience also spawned Panamanian nationalism as well as a racially complex and highly stratified society, the source of internal conflicts that ran counter to the unifying force of nationalism.

Building the Canal
Modern Panamanian history has been shaped by its trans-isthmian canal, which had been a dream since the beginning of Spanish colonization. From 1880 to 1890, a French company under Ferdinand de Lesseps attempted unsuccessfully to construct a sea-level canal on the site of the present Panama Canal. In November 1903, with U.S. encouragement, Panama proclaimed its independence and concluded the Hay/Bunau-Varilla Treaty with the United States.

The treaty granted rights to the United States "as if it were sovereign" in a zone roughly 10 miles wide and 50 miles long. In that zone, the U.S. would build a canal, then administer, fortify, and defend it "in perpetuity." In 1914, the United States completed the existing 83-kilometer (52 mile) canal, which is one of the world's greatest feats of engineering. The early 1960s saw the beginning of sustained pressure in Panama for the renegotiation of this treaty.

Military Coups and Coalitions
From 1903 until 1968, Panama was a constitutional democracy dominated by a commercially oriented oligarchy. During the 1950s, the Panamanian military began to challenge the oligarchy's political hegemony. In October 1968, Dr. Arnulfo Arias Madrid, twice elected president and twice ousted by the Panamanian military, was ousted for a third time as president by the National Guard after only 10 days in office. A military government was established, and the commander of the National Guard, Brigadier General Omar Torrijos, soon emerged as the principal power in Panamanian political life. Torrijos' regime was harsh and corrupt, but his charisma, populist domestic programs, and nationalist (anti-U.S.) foreign policy appealed to the rural and urban constituencies largely ignored by the oligarchy.

Torrijos' death in 1981 altered the tone but not the direction of Panama's political evolution. Despite the 1983 constitutional amendments, which appeared to proscribe a political role for the military, the Panama Defense Forces (PDF), as they were then known, continued to dominate Panamanian political life behind a facade of civilian government. By this time, General Manuel Noriega was firmly in control of both the PDF and the civilian government.

The United States froze economic and military assistance to Panama in the summer of 1987 in response to the domestic political crisis in Panama and an attack on the U.S. Embassy. In April 1988, President Reagan invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, freezing Panamanian Government assets in all U.S. organizations. In May 1989 Panamanians voted overwhelmingly for the anti-Noriega candidates. The Noriega regime promptly annulled the election, and embarked on a new round of repression. By the fall of 1989 the regime was barely clinging to power, and the regime's paranoia made daily existence unsafe for American citizens.

On December 20, 1989, President George H.W. Bush ordered the U.S. military into Panama to protect U.S. lives and property, to fulfill U.S. treaty responsibilities to operate and defend the Canal, to assist the Panamanian people in restoring democracy, and to bring Noriega to justice. The U.S. troops involved in Operation Just Cause achieved their primary objectives quickly, and Noriega eventually surrendered to U.S. authorities. He completed his sentence for drug trafficking charges in September 2007. In August 2007, a U.S. federal court in Miami found Noriega extraditable to France to serve a sentence imposed there after an in absentia conviction for money laundering. Noriega was extradited to France in April 2010 after exhausting all his appeals in U.S. courts, and was sentenced to a 7-year prison term. In December 2011, French authorities returned Noriega to Panama, where he remains in prison facing charges of aggravated murder.

Rebuilding Democracy
Panama's Electoral Tribunal moved quickly to rebuild the civilian constitutional government, reinstated the results of the May 1989 election on December 27, 1989, and confirmed the victory of President Guillermo Endara and Vice Presidents Guillermo Ford and Ricardo Arias Calderon.

During its 5-year term, the often-fractious Endara government struggled to meet the public's high expectations. Its new police force was a major improvement over its predecessor but was not fully able to deter crime. Ernesto Perez Balladares was sworn in as President on September 1, 1994, after an internationally monitored election campaign.

Perez Balladares ran as the candidate for a three-party coalition dominated by the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), the erstwhile political arm of military dictatorships. Perez Balladares worked skillfully during the campaign to rehabilitate the PRD's image, emphasizing the party's populist Torrijos roots rather than its association with Noriega. He won the election with only 33% of the vote when the major non-PRD forces splintered into competing factions. His administration carried out economic reforms and often worked closely with the U.S. on implementation of the Canal treaties.

On September 1, 1999, Mireya Moscoso, the widow of former President Arnulfo Arias Madrid, took office after defeating PRD candidate Martin Torrijos, son of the late dictator, in a free and fair election. During her administration, Moscoso attempted to strengthen social programs, especially for child and youth development, protection, and general welfare. Moscoso's administration successfully handled the Panama Canal transfer and was effective in the administration of the Canal.

The PRD's Martin Torrijos won the presidency and a legislative majority in the National Assembly in 2004. Under Torrijos, Panama continued strong economic growth and initiated the Panama Canal expansion project.

In May 2009, Panama held general elections and selected Ricardo Martinelli as president. President Martinelli assumed the presidency on July 1, 2009 and promised to promote free trade, establish a Panama City metro system, reform the health care system, and complete the expansion plan for the Panama Canal.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Panama is a representative democracy with three branches of government: executive and legislative branches elected by direct vote for 5-year terms, and an appointed judiciary. The judicial branch is organized under a nine-member Supreme Court (each judge is appointed for a 10-year term) and includes all tribunals and municipal courts. An autonomous Electoral Tribunal supervises voter registration, the election process, and the activities of political parties. Anyone over the age of 18 may vote.

Principal Government Officials
President--Ricardo MARTINELLI
Vice President--Juan Carlos VARELA
Minister of Foreign Affairs--Roberto HENRIQUEZ
Ambassador to the United States--Mario E. JARAMILLO
Ambassador to the Organization of American States--Guillermo COCHEZ

Panama maintains an embassy in the United States at 2862 McGill Terrace, NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel: 202-483-1407), and consulates in Washington DC, Honolulu, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Juan, San Diego, and Tampa.

NATIONAL SECURITY
Following a restructuring in July 2010, the Panamanian Security Forces consist of the Panamanian National Police (PNP), the National Frontier Service (Servicio Nacional de Fronteras or SENAFRONT), the National Aero-Naval Service (Servicio Nacional Aero-Naval or SENAN), and the Institutional Protection Service (SPI--a secret service equivalent). A constitutional amendment passed in 1994 permanently abolished the military.

The lead criminal investigative entity is the Judicial Investigative Directorate (DIJ), which was previously under the nominal direction of the autonomous Attorney General and known as the Technical Judicial Police (PTJ). The DIJ is now part of the PNP, though it maintains investigative links with the Attorney General's office.

ECONOMY
Panama's economy is based primarily on a well-developed services sector that accounts for about 77% of GDP. Services include the Panama Canal, banking, the Colon Free Zone, insurance, container ports, flagship registry, tourism, and medical and healthcare.

In October 2006, Panamanians voted overwhelmingly in favor of a $5.25 billion Canal expansion project to construct a third set of locks, which is expected to be completed in 2014. The Government of Panama expects the project to help maintain the value of this strategic transportation asset by doubling the capacity of the waterway. The expansion is financed through a combination of loans from multilateral institutions and current revenues.

GDP growth in 2011 surpassed 10%. Recent growth has been fueled by government investment in infrastructure as well as the construction, transportation, maritime, tourism sectors, and Panama Canal-related activities. Panama maintains one of the most positive growth rates in the region. As a result of this growth and sound fiscal management, government debt as a percentage of GDP dropped to 41.2% in 2011, and government-issued debt is classified as the lowest rung of investment grade. Socially, poverty has fallen from 32.7% in 2008 to about 28% in 2011, with a reduction in the extreme poverty rate from 18.8% in 1997 to 11.4% in 2011. The distribution of income, while improving slightly in recent years, remains among the most unequal in the hemisphere.

Panama has bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) in force with Peru, Chile, El Salvador, Taiwan, Singapore, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, and has completed negotiations with Canada and the European Union. Panama has started free trade negotiations with Colombia, and EFTA. The U.S. and Panama signed a Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) in June 2007. The agreement was overwhelmingly approved in July 2007 by the Panamanian National Assembly. In April 2011, Panama completed indicated steps relating to labor code and tax transparency to ready the Trade Agreement for submission to the United States Congress. The Trade Agreement was passed by the U.S. Congress and signed by President Obama in October 2011, and both countries are working to bring the agreement into force. Once implemented, the agreement will promote economic opportunity by eliminating tariffs and other barriers to trade of goods and services and will provide a framework for any trade disputes.

FOREIGN RELATIONS
Panama is a member of the UN General Assembly and most major UN agencies. It maintains membership in several international financial institutions, including the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the International Monetary Fund.

Panama is a member of the Organization of American States, was a founding member of the Rio Group, and participates in the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). An important aspect of Panama’s foreign policy is to maintain the neutrality of the Panama Canal.

Panama is a member of the Central American Integration System (SICA). In 2009 Panama began the process of withdrawing from the Central American Parliament (Parlacen), but in January 2012, the Supreme Court overturned the law that had originally withdrawn its participation. Panama joined its six Central American neighbors at the 1994 Summit of the Americas in signing the Alliance for Sustainable Development, known as the Conjunta Centroamerica-USA or CONCAUSA, to promote sustainable economic development in the region.

U.S.-PANAMANIAN RELATIONS
The United States cooperates with the Panamanian Government in promoting economic, democratic, security, and social development through U.S. and international agencies. Cultural ties between the two countries are strong, and many Panamanians come to the United States for higher education and advanced training. In 2007, the U.S. and Panama partnered to launch a regional health worker training center. The center provides training to community healthcare workers in Panama and throughout Central America. At any given time, there are approximately 45,000 American citizens in Panama, including tourists and those who reside in Panama, such as retirees from the Panama Canal Commission and individuals who hold dual nationality. There is a rapidly growing enclave of American retirees in the Chiriqui Province in western Panama.

In the economic investment arena, the Panamanian Government has been successful in the enforcement of intellectual property rights. Panama has concluded a Bilateral Investment Treaty Amendment with the United States and an agreement with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. Although money laundering remains a problem, Panama passed significant reforms in 2000 intended to strengthen its cooperation against international financial crimes.

The Panama Canal Treaties
The 1977 Panama Canal Treaties entered into force on October 1, 1979. They replaced the 1903 Hay/Bunau-Varilla Treaty between the United States and Panama (modified in 1936 and 1955), and all other U.S.-Panama agreements concerning the Panama Canal, which were in force on that date. The treaties comprise a basic treaty governing the operation and defense of the Canal from October 1, 1979 to December 31, 1999 (Panama Canal Treaty) and a treaty guaranteeing the permanent neutrality of the Canal (Neutrality Treaty).

The details of the arrangements for U.S. operation and defense of the Canal under the Panama Canal Treaty are spelled out in separate implementing agreements. The Canal Zone and its government ceased to exist when the treaties entered into force and Panama assumed jurisdiction over Canal Zone territories and functions, a process that was finalized on December 31, 1999.

Principal U.S. Embassy Officials
Ambassador--Phyllis M. Powers
Deputy Chief of Mission--John Law
Counselor for Political Affairs--Debra Hevia
Counselor for Economic Affairs--Andrew Plowman
Counselor for Public Affairs--David Searby
Counselor for Management--JoAnn Scandola
Consul General--Kent Brokenshire
Director for Narcotics Affairs--Lance Hegerle
Regional Security Officer--Christopher Stitt
Senior Commercial Officer--Daniel Crocker
Senior Defense Official--Col Gregory Barrack, USA
Drug Enforcement Administration--Daniel Mahoney
Peace Corps Country Director--Brian Riley

The U.S. Embassy in Panama is located at Edificio 783, Avenida Demetrio Basilio Lakas, Clayton, Panama City (tel: 507-317-5000). Personal and official mail for the embassy and members of the mission may be sent to: U.S. Embassy Panama, Unit 9100, DPO AA 34002. E-mail: Panamaweb@state.gov. The Embassy’s information for travelers is available at http://panama.usembassy.gov/american_citizen_services_unit.html. U.S. companies interested in doing business in Panama should visit www.export.gov/panama or email daniel.crocker@trade.gov.

Other Contact Information

U.S. Department of State
Office of Central American Affairs
2201 C St. NW
Washington, DC 20520
Tel: (202) 647-3505
Fax: (202) 647-2597

U.S. Department of Commerce
International Trade Administration
Office of Latin American and the Caribbean
14th and Constitution, NW
Washington, DC 20230
Tel: 202-482-0621
800-USA-TRADE
Fax: 202-482-0464
Home Page: http://export.gov/panama/

American Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Panama
Apartado 0843-00152
Panama, Republica de Panama
Tel: 507-301-3881
Fax: 507-301-3882
E-mail: amcham@panamcham.com
Home Page: http://www.panamcham.com/

Travel Alerts, Travel Warnings, Trip Registration
The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program advises Americans traveling and residing abroad through Country Specific Information, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings. Country Specific Information exists for all countries and includes information on entry and exit requirements, currency regulations, health conditions, safety and security, crime, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. Travel Alerts are issued to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country because the situation is dangerous or unstable.

For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov, where current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings can be found. The travel.state.gov website also includes information about passports, tips for planning a safe trip abroad and more.  More travel-related information also is available at  http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Travel/International.shtml.

The Department's Smart Traveler app for U.S. travelers going abroad provides easy access to the frequently updated official country information, travel alerts, travel warnings, maps, U.S. embassy locations, and more that appear on the travel.state.gov site. Travelers can also set up e-tineraries to keep track of arrival and departure dates and make notes about upcoming trips. The app is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad (requires iOS 4.0 or later).

The Department of State encourages all U.S. citizens traveling or residing abroad to enroll in the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).  A link to the registration page is also available through the Department's Smart Traveler app. U.S. citizens without internet access can enroll directly at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.  By enrolling, you make your presence and whereabouts known in case it is necessary to contact you in an emergency and so you can receive up-to-date information on security conditions.

Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada or the regular toll line 1-202-501-4444 for callers outside the U.S. and Canada.

Passports
The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S. Department of State's single, centralized public contact center for U.S. passport information. Telephone: 1-877-4-USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778); TDD/TTY: 1-888-874-7793. Passport information is available 24 hours, 7 days a week. You may speak with a representative Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays.

Health Information
Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) and a web site at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. The CDC publication "Health Information for International Travel" can be found at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentYellowBook.aspx.

More Electronic Information
Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at http://www.state.gov, the Department of State web site provides timely, global access to official U.S. foreign policy information, including more Background Notes, the Department's daily press briefings along with the directory of key officers of Foreign Service posts and more. The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) provides security information and regional news that impact U.S. companies working abroad through its website http://www.osac.gov

Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance and market information offered by the federal government and provides trade leads, free export counseling, help with the export process, and more.

Mobile Sources. Background Notes are available on mobile devices at http://m.state.gov/mc36882.htm, or use the QR code below.

 

 
 

In addition, a mobile version of the Department's http://www.state.gov website is available at http://m.state.gov, or use the QR code below. Included on this site are Top Stories, remarks and speeches by Secretary Clinton, Daily Press Briefings, Country Information, and more.