Panama

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
- Drainage and soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
People
- Ethnic groups
- Language
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
- Resources and power
- Manufacturing
- Finance, trade, and services
  - Finance
  - Trade
  - Services
- Labour and taxation
- Transportation and telecommunications
  - Panama Canal and coastal ports
  - Land and air transportation
  - Telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Local government
- Justice
- Political process
- Security
- Health and welfare
- Housing
- Education
Cultural life
- Cultural milieu
- Daily life and social customs
- The arts
- Cultural institutions
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
History
- Exploration, conquest, and settlement
- Secession from Spain and union with Gran Colombia
- Transcontinental railroad and canal projects
- The Republic of Panama
  - Early years
  - World War II and mid-century intrigues
  - Rule by Torrijos and Noriega
  - Invasion of Panama
  - Transitions to democracy and sovereignty
- Treaty relations with the United States

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

Navigating the Panama Canal: A captain's perspective

Black-and-white photo of Teddy Roosevelt over Panama Canal backdrop, flanked by Panama and U.S. flags with “or” and a question mark between them.

Panama: Religious affiliation

Panama: Age breakdown

Panama: Urban-rural

For Students

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Panama: Facts & Stats

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Dec 25, 2025

News •

A Venezuelan family's Christmas: From the American dream to poverty • Dec. 25, 2025, 5:57 PM ET (AP)

Facts

Also Known As	República de Panamá • Republic of Panama
Head Of State And Government	President: José Raúl Mulino
Capital	Panama City
Population	(2025 est.) 4,379,000
Form Of Government	multiparty republic with one legislative house (National Assembly [71])
Official Language	Spanish
Official Religion	none
Official Name	República de Panamá (Republic of Panama)
Total Area (Sq Km)	75,205
Total Area (Sq Mi)	29,037
Monetary Unit	balboa (B)
Population Rank	(2025) 129
Population Projection 2030	4,842,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2025) 150.6
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2025) 58.1
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2024) 69.9% • Rural: (2024) 30.1%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2022) 76.2 years • Female: (2022) 82.1 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: (2019) 96% • Female: (2019) 95%
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2023) 79,686
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2023) 17,870

Photos and Videos

Pedro Miguel Locks

Map of the isthmus of Panama from the 10th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica

U.S. invasion of Panama

Navigating the Panama Canal: A captain's perspective

Black-and-white photo of Teddy Roosevelt over Panama Canal backdrop, flanked by Panama and U.S. flags with “or” and a question mark between them.

National anthem of Panama

See All Videos, Images, Audio and Interactives →

Topics

George H.W. Bush Ricardo Martinelli Rubén Blades Manuel Noriega Philippe-Jean Bunau-Varilla Mireya Moscoso Omar Torrijos Pedro Arias Dávila Arnulfo Arias history of Latin America United States India United Kingdom China Canada Russia Germany Australia Japan France

George H.W. Bush

George H.W. Bush

president of United States

Martinelli, Ricardo

Ricardo Martinelli

president of Panama

Rubén Blades

Rubén Blades

Panamanian musician, actor, and political activist

Manuel Noriega

Manuel Noriega

Panamanian military leader

Phillippe-Jean Bunau-Varilla

Philippe-Jean Bunau-Varilla

French engineer

Panama's first woman president

Mireya Moscoso

president of Panama

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Omar Torrijos

dictator of Panama

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Pedro Arias Dávila

Spanish colonial administrator

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Arnulfo Arias

president of Panama

Latin America

history of Latin America

North America

North America

continent

Central America

Central America

Panama City

Panama City

national capital, Panama

Colón: Christ Church by the Sea

Colón

Panama

Portobelo

Portobelo

Panama

David: main square

David

Panama

Gamboa

Gamboa

Panama

Ancón: Gorgas Hospital

Ancón

Panama

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Cristóbal

Panama

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Puerto Armuelles

Panama

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Santiago

Panama

San Blas Archipelago

San Blas

region, Panama

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Balboa

Panama

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La Palma

Panama

Opened passport with visas, stamps, seals, world map. (travel, tourism)

Guess the Country by Its Neighbors Quiz

Brown globe on antique map. Brown world on vintage map. North America. Green globe. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery

Match the Country with Its Hemisphere Quiz

Flags of the world against blue sky. Countries, International. Globalization, global relations, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Poland, Palestine, Japan. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society

Which Country Is Larger By Population? Quiz

Flags of the world. National flags. Country flags. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery

Countries of the World

Flags of all nations of the world. Grouping of various country flags on a world map.

Which Country Is Larger? Quiz

Flags of all countries of the world. Flags of the world. National flags. Country flags. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery

The Country Quiz

7:023 Geography: Think of Something Big, globe showing Africa, Europe, and Eurasia

Which Country Is Larger By Area? Quiz

10:087 Ocean: The World of Water, two globes showing eastern and western hemispheres

You Name It!

Brown globe on antique map. Brown world on vintage map. North America. Green globe. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery

Countries & Their Features

Actual continental drift of plates. Thematic map.

Geography Fun Facts