deaths/1,000 live births
male: 14.35 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 76.88 years
male: 74.08 years
female: 79.81 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.57 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.9% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

16,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 500 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
vectorborne disease: dengue fever and malaria
water contact disease: leptospirosis (2008)

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: 91.9%
male: 92.5%
female: 91.2% (2000 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 13 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

3.8% of GDP (2004)

Government
Panama

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 democracy

Capital:

name: Panama
geographic coordinates: 8 58 N, 79 32 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
Time)

Administrative divisions:

11 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 territory*
(comarca); Bocas del Toro, Comarca Kuna Yala, Comarca Ngobe-Bugle,
Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama, San
Blas*(Kuna Yala), and Veraguas

Independence:

3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28
November 1821)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 3 November (1903)

Constitution:

11 October 1972; major reforms adopted 1978, 1983, 1994, and 2004

Legal system:

based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in
the Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch: