deforestation of tropical rain
forest; land degradation and soil erosion threatens siltation of
Panama Canal

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

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

Panama People

Population: 2,845,647 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 30.13% (male 436,661; female 420,625)

15-64 years: 63.86% (male 920,787; female 896,520)

65 years and over: 6.01% (male 81,682; female 89,372) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.3% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 19.06 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 4.95 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female

total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 20.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.68 years

male: 72.94 years

female: 78.53 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.27 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.54% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 24,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,200 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Panamanian(s)

adjective: Panamanian

Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 70%, Amerindian
and mixed (West Indian) 14%, white 10%, Amerindian 6%

Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%

Languages: Spanish (official), English 14%

note: many Panamanians bilingual

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 90.8%

male: 91.4%

female: 90.2% (1995 est.)

Panama Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Panama

conventional short form: Panama

local long form: Republica de Panama

local short form: Panama

Government type: constitutional dem