Panama | Facts & Information

Updated September 9, 2022 | Infoplease Staff
  • Panama Profile
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Facts & Figures

  • Republic of Panama

    President: Juan Carlos Varela (2014)

    Land area: 29,340 sq mi (75,991 sq km); total area: 30,193 sq mi (78,200 sq km)

    Population (2014 est.): 3,608,431 (growth rate: 1.35%); birth rate: 18.61/1000; infant mortality rate: 10.7/1000; life expectancy: 78.3; density per sq mi: 140.6

    Capital and largest city (2011 est.): Panama City, 1.426 million

    Other large cities: San Miguelito, 321,501; Tocumen, 88,543

    Monetary units: balboa; U.S. dollar

    National name: República de Panamá

    Current government officials

    Languages: Spanish (official), English 14%, many bilingual

    Ethnicity/race: mestizo 70%, Amerindian and mixed (West Indian) 14%, white 10%, Amerindian 6%

    Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%

    Literacy rate: 94.1% (2010 est.)

    Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2013 est.): $61.54 billion; per capita $16,500. Real growth rate: 7.5%. Inflation: 4.1%. Unemployment: 4.5%. Arable land: 7.16%. Agriculture: bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane, vegetables; livestock; shrimp. Labor force: 1.54 million; note: shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor (2013 est.); agriculture 17%, industry 18.6%, services 64.4% (2009 est.). Industries: construction, brewing, cement and other construction materials, sugar milling. Natural resources: copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower. Exports: $18.87 billion (2013 est.): gold, bananas, shrimp, sugar, iron and steel waste, pineapples, watermelons. Imports: $26.61 billion (2013 est.): fuel products, medicines, vehicles, iron and steel rods, cellular phones. Major trading partners: U.S., Sweden, Netherlands, Costa Rica, Mexico, Canada, China, Italy (2012).

    Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 640,000 (2012); mobile cellular: 6.77 million (2012). Radio broadcast stations: AM 80, FM 44, shortwave 0 (2007). Radios: 815,000 (2007). Television broadcast stations: 38 (including repeaters) (2007). Televisions: 510,000 (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 11,022 (2012). Internet users: 959,800 (2009).

    Transportation: Railways: total: 76 km (2008). Highways: total 15,137 km; paved: 6,351 km; unpaved: 8,786 km (2010). Waterways: 800 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama Canal (2011). Ports and harbors: Balboa, Cristobal, Colon. Airports: 117 (2013).

    International disputes: none.

    Major sources and definitions

    Panama Canal.