17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870)
3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November 1821)
Religions
Roman Catholic 90% (approximately; about one-third practicing), other 10% (includes mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community)
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%
Languages
Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area)
Spanish (official), English 14%; note - many Panamanians bilingual
Exports
engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals, and nonferrous metals
bananas, shrimp, sugar, coffee, clothing
External Debt
$2,684,000,000,000 $
$13,340,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6689 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
balboas (PAB) per US dollar - 1 (2008 est.), 1 (2007), 1 (2006), 1 (2005), 1 (2004) note: the US dollar is the legal currency
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.800%
1.000%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
28
1
Location
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica
Area
301,340 km sq
75,420 km sq
Coastline
7,600 km
2,490 km
Climate
predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
