Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index Panama is the southernmost country in the continent of North America. República de Panamá coat of arms (In Detail) (Full size) National motto: Pro Mundi Beneficio Official language Spanish Capital Panama City President Mireya Elisa Moscoso Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 115th 78,200 km² 2.9% Population  - Total  - Density Ranked 131st 2,845,647 37/km² Independence  - Declared From Colombia November 3, 1903 Currency Balboa Time zone UTC -5 National anthem Himno Istemño Internet TLD .PA Calling Code 507 Table of contents 1 History 2 Politics 3 Provinces 4 Geography 5 Economy 6 Demographics 7 Culture 8 Miscellaneous topics 9 External links History Main article: History of Panama Panama was part of the Spanish Colonization in America until 1821 when it seceded and joined the Great Colombia of Simón Bolivar. On November 3 , 1903 it became an independent Republic. Theodore Roosevelt's gunboat diplomacy and the United States military helped the Panamanian rebels secede from Colombia and then signed the Hay-Bunau Varilla Treaty treaty by which it was granted rights to build the Panama Canal. The Panamian government was long mired in corruption, and eventually became concentrated in the hands of General Manuel Noriega. Noriega's harassment of US troops in Panama and role in the international drug trade prompted a US invasion Operation Just Cause and his removal and arrest. Democratic rule was re-instated in By the Torrijos-Carter Treaty, on December 31 of 1999, the United States handed back the canal to Panama. Politics Main article: Politics of Panama Panama is a representative democracy with three branches of government: executive and legislative branches elected by direct vote for 5-year terms, and an independently appointed judiciary. The executive branch includes a president and two vice presidents. The legislative branch consists of a 72-member unicameral Legislative Assembly. The judicial branch is organized under a nine-member Supreme Court and includes all tribunals and municipal courts. An autonomous Electoral Tribunal supervises voter registration, the election process, and the activities of political parties. Everyone over the age of 18 is required to vote, although those who fail to do so are not penalized. Provinces Main article: Provinces of Panama Panama is divided into 9 provinces (provincias) and 5 territories (comarcas), marked by a *: Bocas del Toro Chiriqui Cocle Colon Darien Emberá* Herrera Kuna de Madugandi* Kuna de Wargandi* Kuna Yala* Los Santos Ngobe-Bugle* Panama Veraguas Geography Main article: Geography of Panama Panama in located in Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica. Its strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming a land bridge connecting North and South America. By 1999, Panama controls the Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean. Economy Main article: Economy of Panama Because of its key geographic location, Panama's economy is service-based, heavily weighted toward banking, commerce, and tourism. The hand-over of the canal and military installations by the US has given rise to new construction projects. The Moscoso administration inherited an economy that is much more structurally sound and liberalized than the one inherited by its predecessor. Demographics Main article: Demographics of Panama The culture, customs, and language of the Panamanians are predominantly Caribbean Spanish. Ethnically, the majority of the population is mestizo or mixed Spanish, Indian, Chinese, and West Indian. Spanish is the official and dominant language; English is a common second language spoken by the West Indians and by many in business and the professions. More than half the population lives in the Panama City-Colón metropolitan corridor. Culture Main article: Culture of Panama Holidays Date English Name Local Name Remarks November 3 Independence Day Music of Panama Miscellaneous topics Communications in Panama Transportation in Panama Military of Panama Foreign relations of Panama List of Panamanians External links Panama Banknotes Countries of the world  |  North America This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.