est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: water pollution from agricultural runoff
threatens fishery resources; deforestation of tropical rain forest;
land degradation

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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: 2,693,417 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 32% (male 444,673; female 426,823)
15-64 years: 62% (male 846,707; female 824,690)
65 years and over : 6% (male 72,472; female 78,052) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.58% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 22.27 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 5.15 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 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: 0.93 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 24.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.28 years
male: 71.55 years
female : 77.1 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.6 children born/woman (1997 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

Data code: PM

Government type: constitutional republic

National capital: Panama

Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (provincias, singular -
provincia) and 1 territory* (comarca); Bocas del Toro, Ch