3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November 1821)
1143 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized); 5 October 1910 (republic proclaimed)
Religions
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%
Roman Catholic 84.5%, other Christian 2.2%, other 0.3%, unknown 9%, none 3.9% (2001 census)
Languages
Spanish (official), English 14%; note - many Panamanians bilingual
Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official - but locally used)
Exports
agricultural products, food products, oil products, chemical products, plastics and rubber, skins and leather, wood and cork, wood pulp and paper, textile materials, clothing, footwear, minerals and mineral products, base metals, machinery and tools, vehicles and other transport material, and optical and precision
External Debt
$508,300,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6734 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.290%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
2
Location
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica
Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain
Area
75,420 km sq
92,090 km sq
Coastline
2,490 km
1,793 km
Climate
tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south
Rankings + Records
