Panama

More Facts & Figures

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%, Indian 6%

Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%

Literacy rate: 91.9% (2000 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2011 est.): $50.25 billion; per capita $13,600. Real growth rate: 10.6%. Inflation: 5.9%. Unemployment: 4.5%. Arable land: 7.26%. Agriculture: bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane, vegetables; livestock; shrimp. Labor force: 1.57 million; note: shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor (2011 est.); agriculture 15%, industry 18%, services 67% (2011 est.). Industries: construction, brewing, cement and other construction materials, sugar milling. Natural resources: copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower. Exports: $13.22 billion (2011 est.): bananas, shrimp, sugar, coffee, clothing. Imports: $19.15 billion (2011 est.): capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, chemicals. Major trading partners: U.S., Sweden, Spain, Netherlands, Costa Rica, Netherlands Antilles, Japan, Mexico, Colombia (2011).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 553,100 (2009); mobile cellular: 6.496 million (2009). 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): 10,984 (2010). Internet users: 959,800 (2009).

Transportation: Railways: total: 76 km (2008). Highways: total 11,978 km; paved: 4,300 km; unpaved: 7,678 km (2002). Waterways: 880 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama Canal (2011). Ports and harbors: Balboa, Cristobal, Coco Solo, Manzanillo (part of Colon area), Vacamonte. Airports: 118 (2012).

International disputes: none.

Major sources and definitions

Panama Canal.