16 September 1810 (declared); 27 September 1821 (recognized by Spain)
3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November 1821)
Religions
Roman Catholic 76.5%, Protestant 6.3% (Pentecostal 1.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.1%, other 3.8%), other 0.3%, unspecified 13.8%, none 3.1% (2000 census)
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%
Languages
Spanish only 92.7%, Spanish and indigenous languages 5.7%, indigenous only 0.8%, unspecified 0.8%; note - indigenous languages include various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional languages (2005)
Spanish (official), English 14%; note - many Panamanians bilingual
Mexican pesos (MXN) per US dollar - 11.016 (2008 est.), 10.8 (2007), 10.899 (2006), 10.898 (2005), 11.286 (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
0.500%
1.000%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
3
1
Location
Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the US and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the US
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica
Area
1,964,375 km sq
75,420 km sq
Coastline
9,330 km
2,490 km
Climate
varies from tropical to desert
tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
