290 lines
23 KiB
Plaintext
290 lines
23 KiB
Plaintext
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PANAMA
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 78,200 km2; land area: 75,990 km2
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Comparative area: slightly smaller than South Carolina
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Land boundaries: 555 km total; Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km
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Coastline: 2,490 km
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Maritime claims:
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Territorial sea: 200 nm
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Climate: tropical; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May
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to January), short dry season (January to May)
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Terrain: interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected,
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upland plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills
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Natural resources: copper, mahogany forests, shrimp
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Land use: arable land 6%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures
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15%; forest and woodland 54%; other 23%; includes irrigated NEGL%
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Environment: dense tropical forest in east and northwest
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Note: strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming
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land bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal
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that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific
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Ocean
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PEOPLE
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Population: 2,476,281 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)
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Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 21 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 76 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Panamanian(s); adjective--Panamanian
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Ethnic divisions: mestizo (mixed Indian and European ancestry) 70%,
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West Indian 14%, white 10%, Indian 6%
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Religion: Roman Catholic over 93%, Protestant 6%
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Language: Spanish (official); English as native tongue 14%;
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many Panamanians bilingual
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Literacy: 88% (male 88%, female 88%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1990 est.)
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Labor force: 770,472 (1987); government and community services
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27.9%; agriculture, hunting, and fishing 26.2%; commerce, restaurants,
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and hotels 16%; manufacturing and mining 10.5%; construction 5.3%;
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transportation and communications 5.3%; finance, insurance, and real
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estate 4.2%; Canal Zone 2.4%; shortage of skilled labor, but an
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oversupply of unskilled labor
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Organized labor: 17% of labor force (1986)
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Republic of Panama
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Type: centralized republic
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Capital: Panama
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Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (provincias,
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singular--provincia) and 1 territory* (comarca); Bocas del Toro,
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Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama,
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San Blas*, Veraguas
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Independence: 3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent
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from Spain 28 November 1821)
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Constitution: 11 October 1972; major reforms adopted April 1983
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Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of
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legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory
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ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
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National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November (1903)
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Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, Cabinet
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Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea
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Legislativa)
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Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema
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de Justicia) currently being reorganized
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Leaders:
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Chief of State and Head of Government--President Guillermo ENDARA
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(since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May 1989);
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First Vice President Ricardo ARIAS Calderon (since 20 December 1989,
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elected 7 May 1989);
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Second Vice President Guillermo FORD (since 20 December 1989,
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elected 7 May 1989)
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Political parties and leaders:
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government alliance--Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement
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(MOLIRENA), Alfredo RAMIREZ;
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Authentic Liberal Party (PLA);
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Arnulfista Party (PA), Francisco ARTOLA;
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opposition parties--Christian Democratic Party (PDC),
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Ricardo ARIAS Calderon;
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Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD, ex-official government party),
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Gerardo GONZALEZ;
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Agrarian Labor Party (PALA), Carlos ELETA Almaran;
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Liberal Party (PL);
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People's Party (PdP, Soviet-oriented Communist party), Ruben DARIO
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Sousa Batista;
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Democratic Workers Party (PDT, leftist), Eduardo RIOS;
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National Action Party (PAN, rightist);
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Popular Action Party (PAPO), Carlos Ivan ZUNIGA;
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Socialist Workers Party (PST, leftist), Jose CAMBRA;
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Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT, leftist), Graciela DIXON
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Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
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Elections:
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President--last held on 7 May 1989, annulled but later upheld
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(next to be held May 1994);
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results--anti-NORIEGA coalition believed to have won about 75% of the
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total votes cast;
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Legislative Assembly--last held on 27 January 1991 (next to
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be held May 1994);
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results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(67 total) progovernment parties--PDC 28, MOLIRENA 16,
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PA 6, PLA 5;
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opposition parties--PRD 10, PALA 1, PL 1;
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note--the PDC went into opposition after President Guillermo ENDARA
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ousted the PDC from the coalition government in April 1991
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Communists: People's Party (PdP), pro-Soviet mainline Communist
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party, did not obtain the necessary 3% of the total vote in the
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1984 election to retain its legal status; about 3,000 members
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Other political or pressure groups: National Council of Organized
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Workers (CONATO); National Council of Private Enterprise (CONEP);
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Panamanian Association of Business Executives (APEDE); National Civic
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Crusade; National Committee for the Right to Life
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Member of: AG (associate), CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
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ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
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INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM, OAS,
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OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
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WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jaime FORD;
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Chancery at 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone
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(202) 483-1407; the status of the Consulates General and Consulates has
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not yet been determined;
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US--Ambassador Deane R. HINTON; Embassy at Avenida Balboa and
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Calle 38, Apartado 6959, Panama City 5 (mailing address is Box E,
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APO Miami 34002); telephone 507 27-1777
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Flag: divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are
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white with a blue five-pointed star in the center (hoist side) and plain
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red, the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a
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red five-pointed star in the center
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ECONOMY
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Overview: GDP expanded by an estimated 5% in 1990, after
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contracting 1% in 1988 and 14% in 1989. Political stability prompted
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greater business confidence and consumer demand, leading to increased
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production by the agricultural, commercial, manufacturing, construction,
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and utilities sectors. The transportation sector and government services
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declined slightly due to slack early-1990 transits through the Panama
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Canal, lower oil pipeline flowthrough, and Panama City's budget cuts.
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Imports and exports posted gains during the year, and government revenues
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were up sharply over 1989's levels.
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GDP: $4.8 billion, per capita $1,980; real growth rate 5%
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(1990 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.3% (1990 est.)
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Unemployment rate: 20% (1990)
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Budget: revenues $1.7 billion; expenditures $1.8 billion,
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including capital expenditures of $70 million (1990 est.)
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Exports: $355 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
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commodities--bananas 27%, shrimp 21%, clothing 6%, coffee 4%,
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sugar 4%;
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partners--US 90%, Central America and Caribbean, EC (1989 est.)
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Imports: $1,250 million (f.o.b., 1990);
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commodities--foodstuffs 13%, capital goods 12%, crude oil 12%,
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consumer goods, chemicals;
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partners--US 35%, Central America and Caribbean, EC,
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Mexico, Venezuela (1989 est.)
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External debt: $5 billion (December 1990 est.)
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Industrial production: growth rate 4.8% (1990 est.)
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Electricity: 1,113,000 kW capacity; 3,264 million kWh produced,
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1,350 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: manufacturing and construction activities, petroleum
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refining, brewing, cement and other construction material, sugar mills,
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paper products
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Agriculture: accounts for 12% of GDP (1990 est.), 25% of labor
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force (1989); crops--bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane; livestock;
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fishing; importer of food grain, vegetables, milk products
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $516
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million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-88), $575 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $4 million
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Currency: balboa (plural--balboas); 1 balboa (B) = 100 centesimos
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Exchange rates: balboas (B) per US$1--1.000 (fixed rate)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Railroads: 238 km total; 78 km 1.524-meter gauge, 160 km
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0.914-meter gauge
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Highways: 8,530 km total; 2,745 km paved, 3,270 km gravel or
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crushed stone, 2,515 km improved and unimproved earth
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Inland waterways: 800 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km
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Panama Canal
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Pipelines: crude oil, 130 km
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Ports: Cristobal, Balboa, Puerto de La Bahia de Las Minas
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Merchant marine: 2,932 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
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41,314,623 GRT/66,226,104 DWT; includes 22 passenger, 22 short-sea
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passenger, 5 passenger-cargo, 1,060 cargo, 188 refrigerated cargo,
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165 container, 62 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 105 vehicle carrier,
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8 livestock carrier, 5 multifunction large-load carrier,
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301 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 175 chemical tanker,
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27 combination ore/oil, 91 liquefied gas, 8 specialized tanker, 651 bulk,
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37 combination bulk; note--all but 5 are foreign owned and operated;
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the top 4 foreign owners are Japan 36%, Greece 9%, Hong Kong 9%, and the
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US 8%; (China owns at least 127 ships, Vietnam 10, Yugoslavia 10, Cuba 5,
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Cyprus 3, and USSR 2)
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Civil air: 16 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 113 total, 101 usable; 41 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
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15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: domestic and international facilities well
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developed; connection into Central American Microwave System; 2 Atlantic
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Ocean satellite antennas; 220,000 telephones; stations--91 AM, no FM,
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23 TV; 1 coaxial submarine cable
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: note--the Panamanian Defense Forces (PDF) ceased to exist
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as a military institution shortly after the United States invaded Panama
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on 20 December 1989; President Endara is attempting to restructure the
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forces into a civilian police service under the new name of Panamanian
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Public Forces (PPF); a Council of Public Security and National Defense
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under Menalco Solis in the office of the president coordinates the
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activities of the security forces; the Institutional Protection Service
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under Carlos Bares is attached to the presidency
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 644,895; 444,522 fit for
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military service; no conscription
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Defense expenditures: $75.5 million, 1.5% of GDP (1990)
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