f foreign exchange & gold:
$1.011 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$8.834 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$197.1 million (1995)

Currency:
balboa (PAB); US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
PAB; USD

Exchange rates:
balboas per US dollar - 1 (2003), 1 (2002), 1 (2001), 1 (2000), 1
(1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Panama

Telephones - main lines in use:
386,900 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
834,000 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: domestic and international facilities well
developed
domestic: NA
international: country code - 507; 1 coaxial submarine cable;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to
the Central American Microwave System

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 101, FM 134, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
815,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
38 (including repeaters) (1998)

Televisions:
510,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.pa

Internet hosts:
7,129 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
6 (2000)

Internet users:
120,000 (2002)

Transportation Panama

Railways:
total: 355 km
standard gauge: 76 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 279 km 0.914-m gauge (2003)

Highways:
total: 11,400 km
paved: 3,944 km (including 30 km of expressways)
unpaved: 7,456 km (1999)

Waterways:
800 km (includes 82 km Panama Canal) (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Balboa, Cristobal, Coco Solo, Manzanillo (part of Colon area),
Vacamonte

Merchant marine:
total: 4,833 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 122,960,929 GRT/183,615,337
DWT
registered in other countries: 85 (2004 est.)
foreign-owned: Albania 2, Angola 1, Antigua and Barbuda 2, Argentina
7, Australia 11, Austria 1, Bahamas 3, Bangladesh 1, Belgium 5,
Belize 4, Brazil 4, British Virgin Islands 8, Cambodia 2, Canada 6,
Cayman Islands 1, Chile 13, China 286, Colombia 14, Croatia 3, Cuba
17, Cyprus 6, Denmark 4, Dominican Republic 1, Ecuador 1, Egypt 16,
Equatorial Guinea 1, France 7, Germany 89, Greece 549, Haiti 1,
Honduras 2, Hong Kong 288, India 22, Indonesia 44, Iran 1, Ireland
2, Israel 4, Italy 7, Japan 1630, Jordan 8, Kenya 1, South Korea
349, Kuwait 1, Latvia 11, Liberia 3, Lithuania 2, Luxembourg 1,
Malaysia 12, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 3, Mexico 7, Monaco 29,
Netherlands 14, Netherlands Antilles 1, New Zealand 1, Nigeria 6,
Norway 86, Oman 1, Pakistan 1, Per