Panama is a country on the isthmus that connects Central America and South America. The Panama Canal, a famous masterpiece of human engineering, runs through its center and connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to create an important sea route. In Panama City, the capital, skyscrapers, casinos and nightclubs contrast with the colonial buildings of the Casco Viejo district and the rainforest of the Metropolitan Natural Park.
The Republic of Panama is the official name of Panama.
Panama contains the only place in the world where you can see the sun rise on the Pacific and set on the Atlantic from the same spot.
Panama has 29,340 square miles of land.
Panama City, the nation’s capital and largest city, is the only capital city in the world that has a rain forest within its city limits.
Vulcan Baru is the tallest mountain in Panama.
The total population of Panama is around 3.6 million with 1.5 million of those living in Panama city.
The last volcanic eruption in Panama was back in 1550.
Panama celebrates two independence days, the first from Spain in 1821 and the second from Colombia 82 years later in 1903.
Spanish is the main language Spoken in Panama.
Major driver’s of Panama’s economy include cargo ships, the exportation of refined petroleum, and tourism.
Life expectancy in Panama is 78.93 years.
More than 12,000 people died in the construction of the Panama Railroad.
Panama was the first Latin American country to adopt the U.S. currency.
Panama is home to 10,000 different plants species, including 1,400 varieties of orchids, 678 ferns, and more than 1,500 varieties of trees.
The Panama railway was built by the United States in 1855.
There are two basic seasons in Panama: the dry season from December to April and the rainy season from May to November.
In 1502, Christopher Columbus visited Panama.
Panama has more than 976 bird species, which is more than the United States and Canada combined.
There are around 500 rivers in Panama.
All vessels going through Panama Canal have to pay a toll. The toll is based on the type of vessel, its size, and its cargo. The highest toll ever paid was $376,000 by the Norwegian Pearl cruise ship in 2010.
On the 28th November 1821, Panama became independent from Spain.
Panama has the second-largest duty-free zone in the world, the Colon Free Zone, second in size only to Hong Kong.
On the 15th of August 1914, the Panama Canal was officially opened.
The Panamanian constitution gives foreigners and citizens the same right to own property.
The Panama canal cost $350 million dollars and it was the the single most expensive construction project in United States history to that time.
The Panama Hat actually originated in Ecuador.
The Jungle of Panama is home to five species of big cats.
Senator John McCain was born in Panama, in the Canal Zone which was at that time considered U.S. Territory.
Geoffroy’s Tamarin, a small monkey, is only found in Panama and Colombia.
For a relatively small country, Panama boasts many miles of pristine beaches, with more than 1,500 miles (2,490 kilometers) of shoreline.
The national dish of Panama is Sancocho.
