Panama

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Panama

• Republica de Panama

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Officially adopted on November 3,1903Modeled
after the USA flag
Conservative Party
Peace
Liberal party
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Economy

• Agriculture Sugar cane, coffee and bananas
• Banking, insurance, government, and oil

Most of the economy is service based using the
canal as an exchange port Exports Bananas,
shrimp, coffee, clothing Imports Capital goods,
food, consumer goods, chemicals
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Economy cont.

• Literacy Rate 93
• Unemployment 8.7
• Population 3,242,173
• Growth rate 1.6
• Capital Panama City

Weather On the Caribbean side of Panama there is
rainfall all year usually 60-140 inches The
lowest temperature all year is 78 degrees There
are more tropical rainforests on the Caribbean
slopes due to the rainfall, while there are
savannas in the southern part
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The People

• Languages
• Spanish (official)
• English (14)

Ethnicity Mestizo 70 Mixed Spaniard and
Filipino American Indian 14 White 10 Indian
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Religion Roman Catholic 85 Protestant 15
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Culture

• Panama adopted food and culture from South and
  Central America, the Caribbean, and Asia.
• Food reflects Colombian, U.S. and Caribbean food
• Caribbean rhythms and North American rock are
  more popular than traditional Hispanic music

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History

• Rodrigo de Bastidas, was sailing westward from
  Venezuela in 1501 in search of gold, landed on
  the Isthmus of Panama and was the first European
  to discover Panama
• A year later, Christopher Columbus visited the
  isthmus and established a short-lived settlement
• In 1513 the isthmus was realized to be the path
  between the seas and Panama became the
  marketplace of Spains empire in the New World
• Gold and silver were being brought up from South
  America and put on ship for Spain. The route
  became known as the Royal Road.
• The native Cuevas and Cocole tribes quickly
  disappeared after the Spanish arrived with their
  weapons and diseases in the early 16th century
• All of the wealth from the silver and gold
  attracted pirates and caused shippers to sail
  around Cape Horn to Peru which made Panamas
  importance decline
• Spain then did not recognize Panama as a province
  of Colombia and they won their independence from
  Spain in 1821

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History

• Panama achieved independence in 1821, as a region
  of Gran Colombia, which also included Colombia
  Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. When Gran
  Colombia collapsed in 1830, Panama became part of
  modern Colombia
• They did not want to be a part of modern Colombia
  so they allied with the United States since the
  US wanted to create an Atlantic-Pacific link
  through Panama
• A deal was signed with the US in 1846, that
  allowed for the construction of a railway. But it
  was not until 1903 and full independence of
  Panama from Colombia that the Americans started
  on the construction of the Panama Canal
• Colombia finally recognized Panamas independence
  in 1921 the USA agreed to pay compensation of 25
  million for Panama to Colombia

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History

• The Panama canal zone became and American owned
  land. The canal was completed on August 15,
  1914. Panama remained under effective American
  control until 1939.
• During most of the 1980s, the country was run by
  Torrijos former intelligence chief, Manuel
  Noriega
• After an attempted coup of Endara by Noriega in
  October 1989 believed to have had US backing
  Endara was quickly crushed by Noriegas forces.
  The only way of getting rid of the dictator was
  military intervention. in December 1989, George
  Bush authorized an invasion of the country
• After a few days of fighting the US got control
  of the country and captured Noriega and he was
  brought back to America and sentenced to jail.
• Five years later Panama had an election and
  created a four party government and pledged to
  create a free trade agreement with the US
• The government consists of a 71 member
  legislature and executive branch. Presidents are
  elected every five years and they appoint cabinet
  ministers

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The Canal

• On December 31, 1999 the Torrijos-Carter
  agreement was signed which transferred full
  control to Panama.
• The Canal measures 52 mile from Colon, in
  Caribbean, to Panama City on the Pacific. It
  usually takes 8 to 10 hours to cross
• It took 10 years to build with a work force of
  75,000 men and women.
• Approximately cost 400 million.