Geography
Location: Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica
Area:
total: 78,200 sq km
land: 75,990 sq km
water: 2,210 sq km
Climate: tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
Terrain: interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills
Economy
GDP: $22.76 billion (2005 est.)
GDP growth rate: 6.4% (2005 est.)
GDP per capita: $7,200 (2005 est.)
Inflation rate: 2.9% (2005 est.)
Currency: balboa (PAB); US dollar (USD)
Exchange rates: balboas per US dollar - 1 (2005), 1 (2004), 1 (2003), 1 (2002), 1 (2001)
People
Population: 3,191,319 (July 2006 est.)
Growth rate: 1.6% (2006 est.)
Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%
Languages: Spanish (official), English 14%; note - many Panamanians bilingual
