appointed for 10-year terms); five superior
courts; three courts of appeal

Political parties and leaders: Arnulfista Party or PA [Mireya Elisa
MOSCOSO Rodriguez]; Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Ruben
AROSEMENA]; Civic Renewal Party or PRC [Serguei DE LA ROSA];
Democratic Change [Ricardo MARTINELLI]; Democratic Revolutionary
Party or PRD [Martin TORRIJOS]; National Liberal Party or PLN [Raul
ARANGO Gasteazopo]; National Renovation Movement or MORENA [Pedro
VALLARINO Cox]; Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement or MOLIRENA
[Ramon MORALES]; Solidarity Party or PS [Samuel LEWIS Galindo]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Chamber of Commerce; National
Civic Crusade; National Council of Organized Workers or CONATO;
National Union of Construction and Similar Workers (SUNTRACS);
National Council of Private Enterprise or CONEP; Panamanian
Association of Business Executives or APEDE; Panamanian
Industrialists Society or SIP; Workers Confederation of the Republic
of Panama or CTRP

International organization participation: CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES,
LAIA (observer), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Alfredo BOYD

chancery: 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 483-1407

consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New
York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Tampa

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Simon FERRO

embassy: Avenida Balboa and Calle 37, Apartado 6959, Panama City 5

mailing address: American Embassy Panama, Unit 0945, APO AA 34002

telephone: [507] 207-7000

FAX: [507] 227-1964

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

Panama Economy

Economy - overview: Panama's economy is based primarily on a
well-developed services sector that accounts for three-fourths of
GDP. Services include the Panama Canal, banking, the Colon Free
Zone, insurance, container ports, flagship registry, and tourism. A
slump in Colon Free Zone and agricultural