Panama Fact File
Panama Fact File: General Information
Population: 3,242,173 (July 2007 est.)
Size of Country: 78,200 sq km (slightly smaller than South Carolina)
Capital City: Panama City
Time Zone: GMT-5
Location: Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica
Climate: Tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
Currency: Balboa, U.S. dollar
Language: Spanish (official), English 14%; many Panamanians bilingual
System of Government: Constitutional democracy, led by President Martin Torrijos Espino
Telephone Country Code: 507
Electricity: 120 volts
National Holidays: Independence Day, Nov. 3
Religion: Roman Catholic (85%), Protestant (15%)
Life Expectancy at Birth: 75 years
Economy: Panama's dollarized economy rests primarily on a well-developed services sector that accounts for three-fourths of GDP. Services include operating the Panama Canal, banking, the Colon Free Zone, insurance, container ports, flagship registry, and tourism
Exports: $8.087 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports: $9.365 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Gross Domestic Product (Purchasing Power Parity): $26.04 billion (2006 est.)
GDP per Capita: $8,200 (2006 est.)
Inflation Rate: 2.6% (2006 est.)
Source: CIA The World Factbook