Panama :: Central America and Caribbean
Introduction
Background:
Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama broke with Spain in 1821 and joined a union of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela - named the Republic of Gran Colombia. When the latter dissolved in 1830, Panama remained part of Colombia. With US backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903 and promptly signed a treaty with the US allowing for the construction of a canal and US sovereignty over a strip of land on either side of the structure (the Panama Canal Zone). The Panama Canal was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914. In 1977, an agreement was signed for the complete transfer of the Canal from the US to Panama by the end of the century. Certain portions of the Zone and increasing responsibility over the Canal were turned over in the subsequent decades. With US help, dictator Manuel NORIEGA was deposed in 1989. The entire Panama Canal, the area supporting the Canal, and remaining US military bases were transferred to Panama by the end of 1999. An ambitious expansion project to more than double the Canal's capacity - by allowing for more Canal transits and larger ships - was carried out between 2007 and 2016.
Geography
Location:
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica
Geographic coordinates:
9 00 N, 80 00 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total:
75,420 sq km
land:
74,340 sq km
water:
1,080 sq km
country comparison to the world: 118
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries:
total:
687 km
border countries (2):
Colombia 339 km, Costa Rica 348 km
Coastline:
2,490 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea:
12
nm
exclusive economic zone:
200
nm or edge of continental margin
contiguous zone:
24
nm
Climate:
tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
Terrain:
interior mostly steep, rugged mountains with dissected, upland plains; coastal plains with rolling hills
Elevation:
mean elevation:
360 m
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Volcan Baru 3,475 m
Natural resources:
copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower
Land use:
agricultural land:
30.5%
(2011 est.)
arable land:
7.3%
(2011 est.)
/
permanent crops:
2.5%
(2011 est.)
/
permanent pasture:
20.7%
(2011 est.)
forest:
43.6%
(2011 est.)
other:
25.9%
(2011 est.)
Irrigated land:
321 sq km
(2012)
Population distribution:
population is concentrated towards the center of the country, particularly around the Canal, but a sizeable segment of the populace also lives in the far west around David; the eastern third of the country is sparsely inhabited
Natural hazards:
occasional severe storms and forest fires in the Darien area
Environment - current issues:
water pollution from agricultural runoff threatens fishery resources; deforestation of tropical rain forest; land degradation and soil erosion threatens siltation of Panama Canal; air pollution in urban areas; mining threatens natural resources
Environment - international agreements:
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean
People and Society
Population:
3,894,082
(July 2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130
Nationality:
noun:
Panamanian(s)
adjective:
Panamanian
Ethnic groups:
Mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 65%, Native American 12.3% (Ngabe 7.6%, Kuna 2.4%, Embera 0.9%, Bugle 0.8%, other 0.4%, unspecified 0.2%), Black or African descent 9.2%, Mulatto 6.8%, White 6.7%
(2010 est.)
Languages:
Spanish (official), indigenous languages (including Ngabere (or Guaymi), Buglere, Kuna, Embera, Wounaan, Naso (or Teribe), and Bri Bri), Panamanian English Creole (similar to Jamaican English Creole; a mixture of English and Spanish with elements of Ngabere; also known as Guari Guari and Colon Creole), English, Chinese (Yue and Hakka), Arabic, French Creole, other (Yiddish, Hebrew, Korean, Japanese)
note: many Panamanians are bilingual
Religions:
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%
Demographic profile:
Panama is a country of demographic and economic contrasts. It is in the midst of a demographic transition, characterized by steadily declining rates of fertility, mortality, and population growth, but disparities persist based on wealth, geography, and ethnicity. Panama has one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America and dedicates substantial funding to social programs, yet poverty and inequality remain prevalent. The indigenous population accounts for a growing share of Panama's poor and extreme poor, while the non-indigenous rural poor have been more successful at rising out of poverty through rural-to-urban labor migration. The government's large expenditures on untargeted, indirect subsidies for water, electricity, and fuel have been ineffective, but its conditional cash transfer program has shown some promise in helping to decrease extreme poverty among the indigenous population.
++ Panama has expanded access to education and clean water, but the availability of sanitation and, to a lesser extent, electricity remains poor. The increase in secondary schooling - led by female enrollment - is spreading to rural and indigenous areas, which probably will help to alleviate poverty if educational quality and the availability of skilled jobs improve. Inadequate access to sanitation contributes to a high incidence of diarrhea in Panama's children, which is one of the main causes of Panama's elevated chronic malnutrition rate, especially among indigenous communities.
Age structure:
0-14 years:
25.56%
(male 508,131/female 487,205)
15-24 years:
16.59%
(male 329,250/female 316,796)
25-54 years:
40.31%
(male 794,662/female 774,905)
55-64 years:
8.54%
(male 165,129/female 167,317)
65 years and over:
9.01%
(male 160,516/female 190,171)
(2020 est.)
Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio:
53.9
youth dependency ratio:
40.8
elderly dependency ratio:
13.1
potential support ratio:
7.6
(2020 est.)
Median age:
total:
30.1 years
male:
29.6 years
female:
30.5 years
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122
Population growth rate:
1.2%
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
Birth rate:
17.1 births/1,000 population
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
Death rate:
5.1 deaths/1,000 population
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196
Net migration rate:
-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
Population distribution:
population is concentrated towards the center of the country, particularly around the Canal, but a sizeable segment of the populace also lives in the far west around David; the eastern third of the country is sparsely inhabited
Urbanization:
urban population:
68.4% of total population
(2020)
rate of urbanization:
2.06% annual rate of change
(2015-20 est.)
Major urban areas - population:
1.860 million PANAMA CITY (capital)
(2020)
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.04 male(s)/female
0-14 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years:
1.03 male(s)/female
55-64 years:
0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.84 male(s)/female
total population:
1.01 male(s)/female
(2020 est.)
Maternal mortality rate:
52 deaths/100,000 live births
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
Infant mortality rate:
total:
9.1 deaths/1,000 live births
male:
9.8 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
8.4 deaths/1,000 live births
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
79.2 years
male:
76.4 years
female:
82.2 years
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
Total fertility rate:
2.23 children born/woman
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
Contraceptive prevalence rate:
50.8%
(2014/15)
Drinking water source:
improved:
urban:
100% of population
rural:
94.8% of population
total:
98.3% of population
unimproved:
urban:
0% of population
rural:
5.2% of population
total:
1.7% of population
(2017 est.)
Current Health Expenditure:
7.3%
(2017)
Physicians density:
1.57 physicians/1,000 population
(2016)
Hospital bed density:
2.3 beds/1,000 population
(2016)
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban:
97.2% of population
rural:
72.4% of population
total:
89.1% of population
unimproved:
urban:
2.8% of population
rural:
27.6% of population
total:
10.9% of population
(2017 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.9%
(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
26,000
(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
<500
(2018 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk:
intermediate
(2020)
food or waterborne diseases:
bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne diseases:
dengue fever
Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
22.7%
(2016)
country comparison to the world: 73
Education expenditures:
3.2% of GDP
(2011)
country comparison to the world: 128
Literacy:
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
95.4%
male:
96%
female:
94.9%
(2018)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total:
13 years
male:
12 years
female:
14 years
(2016)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
total:
10.2%
male:
7.4%
female:
15.3%
(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
Government
Country name:
conventional long form:
Republic of Panama
conventional short form:
Panama
local long form:
Republica de Panama
local short form:
Panama
etymology:
named after the capital city which was itself named after a former indigenous fishing village
Government type:
presidential republic
Capital:
name:
Panama City
geographic coordinates:
8 58 N, 79 32 W
time difference:
UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: according to tradition, the name derives from a former fishing area near the present capital - an indigenous village and its adjacent beach - that were called "Panama" meaning "an abundance of fish"
Administrative divisions:
10 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 3 indigenous regions* (comarcas); Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Embera-Wounaan*, Herrera, Guna Yala*, Los Santos, Ngobe-Bugle*, Panama, Panama Oeste, Veraguas
Independence:
3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain on 28 November 1821)
National holiday:
Independence Day (Separation Day), 3 November (1903)
Constitution:
history:
several previous; latest effective 11 October 1972
amendments:
proposed by the National Assembly, by the Cabinet, or by the Supreme Court of Justice; passage requires approval by one of two procedures: 1) absolute majority vote of the Assembly membership in each of three readings and by absolute majority vote of the next elected Assembly in a single reading without textual modifications; 2) absolute majority vote of the Assembly membership in each of three readings, followed by absolute majority vote of the next elected Assembly in each of three readings with textual modifications, and approval in a referendum; amended several times, last in 2004
Legal system:
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice
International law organization participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship:
citizenship by birth:
yes
citizenship by descent only:
yes
dual citizenship recognized:
no
residency requirement for naturalization:
5 years
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Laurentino "Nito" CORTIZO Cohen (since 1 July 2019); Vice President Jose Gabriel CARRIZO Jaen (since 1 July 2019); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government:
President Laurentino "Nito" CORTIZO Cohen (since 1 July 2019); Vice President Jose Gabriel CARRIZO Jaen (since 1 July 2019)
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the president
elections/appointments:
president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term; president eligible for a single non-consecutive term); election last held on 5 May 2019 (next to be held in 2024)
election results:
Laurentino "Nito" CORTIZO Cohen elected president; percent of vote - Laurentino CORTIZO Cohen (PRD) 33.3%, Romulo ROUX (CD) 31%, Ricardo LOMBANA (independent) 18.8%, Jose BLANDON (Panamenista Party) 10.8%, Ana Matilde GOMEZ Ruiloba (independent) 4.8%, other 1.3%
Legislative branch:
description:
unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (71 seats; 45 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies - populous towns and cities - by proportional representation vote and 26 directly elected in single-seat constituencies - outlying rural districts - by plurality vote; members serve 5-year terms)
elections:
last held on 5 May 2019 (next to be held in May 2024)
election results:
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRD 35, CD 18, Panamenista 8, MOLIRENA 5, independent 5; composition - men 55, women 16, percent of women 22.5%
Judicial branch:
highest courts:
Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 9 magistrates and 9 alternates and divided into civil, criminal, administrative, and general business chambers)
judge selection and term of office:
magistrates appointed by the president for staggered 10-year terms
subordinate courts:
appellate courts or Tribunal Superior; Labor Supreme Courts; Court of Audit; circuit courts or Tribunal Circuital (2 each in 9 of the 10 provinces); municipal courts; electoral, family, maritime, and adolescent courts
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Change or CD [Romulo ROUX] ++ Democratic Revolutionary Party or PRD [Benicio ROBINSON] ++ Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement or MOLIRENA [Francisco "Pancho" ALEMAN] ++ Panamenista Party [Jose Luis "Popi" VARELA Rodriguez] (formerly the Arnulfista Party) ++ Popular Party or PP [Juan Carlos ARANGO Reese] (formerly Christian Democratic Party or PDC)
International organization participation:
BCIE, CAN (observer), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, SICA, UN, UNASUR (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Juan Ricardo DE DIANOUS HENRIQUEZ (since 16 September 2019)
chancery:
2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone:
[1] (202) 483-1407
FAX:
[1] (202) 483-8413
consulate(s) general:
Houston, Miami, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Tampa, Washington DC
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant), Charge d'Affairs Roxanne CABRAL (since 9 March 2018)
telephone:
[507] 317-5000
embassy:
Edificio 783, Avenida Demetrio Basilio Lakas Avenue, Clayton
mailing address:
American Embassy Panama, Unit 0945, APO AA 34002; American Embassy Panama, 9100 Panama City PL, Washington, DC 20521-9100
FAX:
[507] 317-5445
(2018)
Flag description:
divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white (hoist side) with a blue five-pointed star in the center and plain red; the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the center; the blue and red colors are those of the main political parties (Conservatives and Liberals respectively) and the white denotes peace between them; the blue star stands for the civic virtues of purity and honesty, the red star signifies authority and law
National symbol(s):
harpy eagle; national colors: blue, white, red
National anthem:
name:
"Himno Istmeno" (Isthmus Hymn)
lyrics/music:
Jeronimo DE LA OSSA/Santos A. JORGE
note: adopted 1925
Economy
Economic overview:
Panama's dollar-based economy rests primarily on a well-developed services sector that accounts for more than three-quarters of GDP. Services include operating the Panama Canal, logistics, banking, the Colon Free Trade Zone, insurance, container ports, flagship registry, and tourism and Panama is a center for offshore banking. Panama's transportation and logistics services sectors, along with infrastructure development projects, have boosted economic growth; however, public debt surpassed $37 billion in 2016 because of excessive government spending and public works projects. The US-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement was approved by Congress and signed into law in October 2011, and entered into force in October 2012.
++ Future growth will be bolstered by the Panama Canal expansion project that began in 2007 and was completed in 2016 at a cost of $5.3 billion - about 10-15% of current GDP. The expansion project more than doubled the Canal's capacity, enabling it to accommodate high-capacity vessels such as tankers and neopanamax vessels that are too large to traverse the existing canal. The US and China are the top users of the Canal.
++ Strong economic performance has not translated into broadly shared prosperity, as Panama has the second worst income distribution in Latin America. About one-fourth of the population lives in poverty; however, from 2006 to 2012 poverty was reduced by 10 percentage points.
GDP real growth rate:
5.4%
(2017 est.)
5%
(2016 est.)
5.8%
(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.9%
(2017 est.)
0.7%
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
Credit ratings:
Fitch rating:
BBB
(2011)
Moody's rating:
Baa1
(2019)
Standard & Poors rating:
BBB
(2020)
GDP (purchasing power parity) - real:
$94.828 billion
(2019 est.)
$92.06 billion
(2018 est.)
$88.782 billion
(2017 est.)
note: data are in 2010 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$66.801 billion
(2019 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$11,910
(2019 est.)
$11,755
(2018 est.)
$11,530
(2017 est.)
note: data are in 2010 dollars
country comparison to the world: 107
Gross national saving:
38.9% of GDP
(2017 est.)
39.2% of GDP
(2016 est.)
36.8% of GDP
(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture:
2.4%
(2017 est.)
industry:
15.7%
(2017 est.)
services:
82%
(2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption:
45.6%
(2017 est.)
government consumption:
10.7%
(2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital:
42.9%
(2017 est.)
investment in inventories:
3%
(2017 est.)
exports of goods and services:
41.9%
(2017 est.)
imports of goods and services:
-44.2%
(2017 est.)
Ease of Doing Business Index scores:
92.0
(2020)
Agriculture - products:
bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane, vegetables; livestock; shrimp
Industries:
construction, brewing, cement and other construction materials, sugar milling
Industrial production growth rate:
6.3%
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
Labor force:
1.633 million
(2017 est.)
note: shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor
country comparison to the world: 127
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture:
17%
industry:
18.6%
services:
64.4%
(2009 est.)
Unemployment rate:
6.14%
(2018 est.)
6%
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
Population below poverty line:
23%
(2015 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:
1.1%
highest 10%:
38.9%
(2014 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
12.43 billion
(2017 est.)
expenditures:
13.44 billion
(2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues:
20.1% (of GDP)
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-1.6% (of GDP)
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
Public debt:
37.8% of GDP
(2017 est.)
37.4% of GDP
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Current account balance:
-$3.036 billion
(2017 est.)
-$3.16 billion
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
Exports:
$25.94 billion
(2018 est.)
$24.7 billion
(2017 est.)
note: includes the Colon Free Zone
country comparison to the world: 72
Exports - partners:
US 18.9%, Netherlands 16.6%, China 6.5%, Costa Rica 5.4%, India 5.1%, Vietnam 5%
(2017)
Exports - commodities:
fruit and nuts, fish, iron and steel waste, wood
Imports:
$28.978 billion
(2018 est.)
$28.175 billion
(2017 est.)
note: includes the Colon Free Zone
country comparison to the world: 72
Imports - commodities:
fuels, machinery, vehicles, iron and steel rods, pharmaceuticals
Imports - partners:
US 24.4%, China 9.8%, Mexico 4.9%
(2017)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.703 billion
(31 December 2017 est.)
$3.878 billion
(31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
Debt - external:
$91.53 billion
(31 December 2017 est.)
$83.81 billion
(31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
Exchange rates:
balboas (PAB) per US dollar -
1
(2017 est.)
1
(2016 est.)
1
(2015 est.)
1
(2014 est.)
1
(2013 est.)
Energy
Electricity access:
electrification - total population:
92%
(2019)
electrification - urban areas:
99.4%
(2019)
electrification - rural areas:
77%
(2019)
Electricity - production:
10.6 billion kWh
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
Electricity - consumption:
8.708 billion kWh
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
Electricity - exports:
139 million kWh
(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
Electricity - imports:
30 million kWh
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
Electricity - installed generating capacity:
3.4 million kW
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
Electricity - from fossil fuels:
36% of total installed capacity
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
0% of total installed capacity
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
51% of total installed capacity
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
Electricity - from other renewable sources:
13% of total installed capacity
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
Crude oil - production:
0 bbl/day
(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185
Crude oil - exports:
0 bbl/day
(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
Crude oil - imports:
0 bbl/day
(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
Crude oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl
(1 January 2018)
country comparison to the world: 180
Refined petroleum products - production:
0 bbl/day
(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 188
Refined petroleum products - consumption:
146,000 bbl/day
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
Refined petroleum products - exports:
66 bbl/day
(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121
Refined petroleum products - imports:
129,200 bbl/day
(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m
(1 January 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
26.08 million Mt
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines:
total subscriptions:
671,799
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:
17.46
(2019 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
Telephones - mobile cellular:
total subscriptions:
5,073,123
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:
131.85
(2019 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
Telecommunication systems:
general assessment:
domestic and international facilities well-developed; investment from international operators; competition among operators helps reduce price of services; launch of LTE services; govt. fixed-line projects and popularity of mobile broadband connectivity see growth; Chinese company Huawei helps with G-fast technologies
(2020)
domestic:
fixed-line 17 per 100 and rapid subscribership of mobile-cellular telephone 132 per 100
(2019)
international:
country code - 507; landing points for the PAN-AM, ARCOS, SAC, AURORA, PCCS, PAC, and the MAYA-1 submarine cable systems that together provide links to the US and parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to the Central American Microwave System
(2019)
note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated
Broadcast media:
multiple privately owned TV networks and a government-owned educational TV station; multi-channel cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; more than 100 commercial radio stations
(2019)
Internet country code:
.pa
Internet users:
total:
2,199,433
percent of population:
57.87%
(July 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
Broadband - fixed subscriptions:
total:
540,220
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:
14
(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 82
Transportation
National air transport system:
number of registered air carriers:
4
(2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers:
122
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:
12,939,350
(2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:
47.63 million
mt-km
(2018)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:
HP
(2016)
Airports:
117
(2013)
country comparison to the world: 49
Airports - with paved runways:
total:
57
(2017)
over 3,047 m:
1
(2017)
2,438 to 3,047 m:
3
(2017)
1,524 to 2,437 m:
3
(2017)
914 to 1,523 m:
20
(2017)
under 914 m:
30
(2017)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total:
60
(2013)
1,524 to 2,437 m:
1
(2013)
914 to 1,523 m:
8
(2013)
under 914 m:
51
(2013)
Heliports:
3
(2013)
Pipelines:
128 km oil
(2013)
Railways:
total:
77 km
(2014)
standard gauge:
77 km
1.435-m gauge
(2014)
country comparison to the world: 128
Waterways:
800 km
(includes the 82-km Panama Canal that is being widened)
(2011)
country comparison to the world: 71
Merchant marine:
total:
7,860
by type:
bulk carrier 2,567, container ship 609, general cargo 1,325, oil tanker 798, other 2,561
(2019)
country comparison to the world: 2
Ports and terminals:
major seaport(s):
Balboa, Colon, Cristobal
container port(s) (TEUs):
Balboa (2,905,049), Colon (3,891,209)
(2017)
Military and Security
Military and security forces:
no regular military forces; Panamanian Public Security Forces (subordinate to the Ministry of Public Security), comprising the National Police (PNP), National Air-Naval Service (SENAN), National Border Service (SENAFRONT)
(2020)
note: on 10 February 1990, the government of then President Guillermo ENDARA abolished Panama's military and reformed the security apparatus by creating the Panamanian Public Forces; in October 1994, Panama's National Assembly approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting the creation of a standing military force but allowing the temporary establishment of special police units to counter acts of "external aggression"
Military and security service personnel strengths:
the Panamanian Public Security Forces are comprised of approximately 26,000 personnel (20,000 National Police Force; 4,000 National Border Service; 2,000 National Air-Naval Service)
(2019 est.)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions:
Panama's security forces do not maintain heavy military equipment, instead focusing on light air transport, patrol, and surveillance capabilities; since 2010, Italy and the US have been the leading suppliers to the security forces
(2019 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international:
organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia operate within the remote border region with Panama
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin):
79,155 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum or have received alternative legal stay) (2020)
Illicit drugs:
major cocaine transshipment point and primary money-laundering center for narcotics revenue; money-laundering activity is especially heavy in the Colon Free Zone; offshore financial center; negligible signs of coca cultivation; monitoring of financial transactions is improving; official corruption remains a major problem
