commodities: capital goods 21%, crude oil 11%, foodstuffs 9%,
consumer goods, chemicals
partners: US 40%, EU, Central America and Caribbean, Japan

External debt: $6.7 billion (yearend 1993 est.)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $58 million (1993)

Currency: 1 balboa (B) = 100 centesimos

Exchange rates: balboas (B) per US$1 - 1.000 (fixed rate)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation
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Railways:
total: 355 km
broad gauge: 76 km 1.524-m gauge
narrow gauge: 279 km 0.914-m gauge

Highways:
total: 10,103 km
paved: 3,233 km
unpaved: 6,870 km (1992 est.)

Waterways: 800 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama
Canal

Pipelines: crude oil 130 km

Ports: Balboa, Cristobal, Coco Solo North, Vacamonte

Merchant marine:
total: 3,758 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 69,960,500
GRT/107,632,713 DWT
ships by type: bulk 902, cargo 1,050, chemical tanker 168,
combination bulk 40, combination ore/oil 19, container 307,
liquefied gas tanker 155, livestock carrier 7, multifunction
large-load carrier 3, oil tanker 488, passenger 31, passenger-cargo
5, refrigerated cargo 295, roll-on/roll-off cargo 93, short-sea
passenger 34, specialized tanker 11, vehicle carrier 150
note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 83
countries among which are Japan 1,212, Greece 360, Hong Kong 263,
Taiwan 203, South Korea 198, US 160, China 152, Singapore 118, UK
79, Switzerland 67, and Norway 58 (1995 est.)

Airports:
total: 99
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 5
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 14
with paved runways under 914 m: 60
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 18 (1995 est.)

Communications
--------------

Telephones: 273,000 (1991 est.)

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

Radio broadcast stations: AM 91, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios: 564,000 (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 23

Televisions: 420,000 (1992 est.)

Defense
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Branches: Panamanian Public Forces (PPF; includes the National
Police, National Maritime Service, National Air Service, and
Institutional Protective Service); Judicial