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Communications

Airports [time series]

112 total, 102 usable; 39 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

5 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

8,530 km total; 2,745 km paved, 3,270 km gravel or crushed stone, 2,515 km improved and unimproved earth

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

800 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama Canal

Merchant marine [time series]

3,004 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 41,314,623 GRT/73,325,176 DWT; includes 20 passenger, 22 short-sea passenger, 3 passenger-cargo, 1,046 cargo, 205 refrigerated cargo, 175 container, 65 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 111 vehicle carrier, 9 livestock carrier, 4 multifunction large-load carrier, 340 petroleum tanker, 177 chemical tanker, 23 combination ore/oil, 101 liquefied gas, 8 specialized tanker, 659 bulk, 35 combination bulk, 1 barge carrier; note - all but 5 are foreign owned and operated; the top 4 foreign owners are Japan 36%, Greece 8%, Hong Kong 8%, and the US 7%; (China owns at least 128 ships, Vietnam 4, former Yugoslavia 4, Cuba 4, Cyprus 5, and the republics of the former USSR 12)

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 130 km

Ports [time series]

Cristobal, Balboa, Puerto de La Bahia de Las Minas

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

238 km total; 78 km 1.524-meter gauge, 160 km 0.914-meter gauge

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

domestic and international facilities well developed; connection into Central American Microwave System; 220,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 91 AM, no FM, 23 TV; 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite ground stations - 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

note - the Panamanian Defense Forces (PDF) ceased to exist as a military institution shortly after the United States invaded Panama on 20 December 1989; President ENDARA has restructured the forces into a civilian police service under the new name of Panamanian Public Forces (PPF); a Council of Public Security and National Defense under Menalco SOLIS in the office of the president coordinates the activities of the security forces; the Institutional Protection Service under Carlos BARES is attached to the presidency

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $75.5 million, 1.5% of GDP (1990)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 661,101; 455,412 fit for military service; no conscription

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 12% of GDP (1991 est.), 25% of labor force (1989); crops - bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane; livestock; fishing; importer of food grain, vegetables

Budget [time series]

revenues $1.5 billion; expenditures $1.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $140 million (1991 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

balboa (plural - balboas); 1 balboa (B) = 100 centesimos

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $516 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $582 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $4 million

Electricity [time series]

1,135,000 kW capacity; 3,397 million kWh produced, 1,372 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates [time series]

balboas (B) per US$1 - 1.000 (fixed rate)

Exports [time series]

$380 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.) commodities: bananas 28%, shrimp 14%, sugar 12%, clothing 5%, coffee 4% partners: US 44%, Central America and Caribbean, EC (1991 est.)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$5.4 billion (December 1991 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $5.0 billion, per capita $2,040; real growth rate 9.3% (1991 est.)

Imports [time series]

$1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.) commodities: capital goods 13%, crude oil 12%, foodstuffs 10%, consumer goods, chemicals (1990) partners: US 37%, Japan, EC, Central America and Caribbean, Mexico, Venezuela (1989 est.)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 7.2% (1991 est.); accounts for almost 9.4% of GDP

Industries [time series]

manufacturing and construction activities, petroleum refining, brewing, cement and other construction material, sugar mills

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

2.0% (1991 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

GDP expanded by roughly 9.3% in 1991, following growth of 4.6% in 1990 and a 0.4% contraction in 1989. Delay in coming to terms with the international financial institutions on policies to implement structural reform in Panama generated uncertainty in the private sector and tempered the pace of business expansion in 1991. Public investment was limited as the administration kept the fiscal deficit below 3% of GDP. Unemployment and economic reform are the two major issues the government must face in 1992-93.

Unemployment rate [time series]

17% (1991 est.)

Geography

Climate [time series]

tropical; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)

Coastline [time series]

2,490 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than South Carolina

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

none

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

dense tropical forest in east and northwest

Area (Land area) [time series]

75,990 km2

Land boundaries [time series]

555 km total; Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km

Land use [time series]

arable land 6%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 15%; forest and woodland 54%; other 23%; includes irrigated NEGL%

Maritime claims [time series]

Territorial sea: 200 nm

Natural resources [time series]

copper, mahogany forests, shrimp

Note [time series]

strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean

Terrain [time series]

interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills

Area (Total area) [time series]

78,200 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

9 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 territory* (comarca); Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama, San Blas*, Veraguas

Capital [time series]

Panama

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

People's Party (PdP), mainline Communist party, did not obtain the necessary 3% of the total vote in the 1984 election to retain its legal status; about 3,000 members

Constitution [time series]

11 October 1972; major reforms adopted April 1983

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Jaime FORD; Chancery at 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-1407; the status of the Consulates General and Consulates has not yet been determined US: Ambassador Deane R. HINTON; Embassy at Avenida Balboa and Calle 38, Apartado 6959, Panama City 5 (mailing address is Box E, APO AA 34002); telephone (507) 27-1777; FAX (507) 27-1964

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

President: last held on 7 May 1989, annulled but later upheld (next to be held NA May 1994); results - anti-NORIEGA coalition believed to have won about 75% of the total votes cast Legislative Assembly: last held on 27 January 1991 (next to be held NA May 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (67 total) progovernment parties: PDC 28, MOLIRENA 16, PA 7, PLA 4 opposition parties: PRD 10, PALA 1, PL 1; note - the PDC went into opposition after President Guillermo ENDARA ousted the PDC from the coalition government in April 1991

Executive branch [time series]

president, two vice presidents, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white with a blue five-pointed star in the center (hoist side) and plain red, the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the center

Independence [time series]

3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November 1821)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia) currently being reorganized

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State and Head of Government: President Guillermo ENDARA (since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May 1989); First Vice President Ricardo ARIAS Calderon (since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May 1989); Second Vice President Guillermo FORD Boyd (since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May 1989)

Legal system [time series]

based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Panama

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

AG (associate), CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 3 November (1903)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

National Council of Organized Workers (CONATO); National Council of Private Enterprise (CONEP); Panamanian Association of Business Executives (APEDE); National Civic Crusade; National Committee for the Right to Life

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

government alliance: Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement (MOLIRENA), Alfredo RAMIREZ; Authentic Liberal Party (PLA), Arnulfo ESCALONA; Arnulfista Party (PA), Mireya MOSCOSO DE GRUBER; opposition parties: Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Ricardo ARIAS Calderon; Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD, ex-official government party), Gerardo GONZALEZ; Agrarian Labor Party (PALA), Carlos LOPEZ Guevara; Liberal Party (PL), Roderick ESQUIVEL; Popular Action Party (PAPO); Socialist Workers Party (PST, leftist), Jose CAMBRA; Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT, leftist), Graciela DIXON

Suffrage [time series]

universal and compulsory at age 18

Government type (Type) [time series]

centralized republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

25 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

mestizo (mixed Indian and European ancestry) 70%, West Indian 14%, white 10%, Indian 6%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

17 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force [time series]

770,472 (1987); government and community services 27.9%; agriculture, hunting, and fishing 26.2%; commerce, restaurants, and hotels 16%; manufacturing and mining 10.5%; construction 5.3%; transportation and communications 5.3%; finance, insurance, and real estate 4.2%; Canal Zone 2.4%; shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor

Languages [time series]

Spanish (official); English as native tongue 14%; many Panamanians bilingual

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

73 years male, 77 years female (1992)

Literacy [time series]

88% (male 88%, female 88%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun - Panamanian(s); adjective - Panamanian

Net migration rate [time series]

NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

17% of labor force (1986)

Population [time series]

2,529,902 (July 1992), growth rate 2.0% (1992)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic over 93%, Protestant 6%

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.0 children born/woman (1992)