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20 Interesting Facts About Panama

Panama is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. Its capital and largest city is Panama City.

With its famous canal, breathtaking landscapes, and vibrant culture, Panama beckons adventurers and explorers from around the world. From the engineering marvel of the Panama Canal to the lush rainforests and the vibrant traditions of its indigenous communities. Let’s dig into 20 interesting facts about Panama.

1. Panama’s largest and capital city is Panama City

Panama City also known as Panama is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has a total population of 1,938,000, with over 1,500,000 in its urban area. The city is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of Panama. The city is the political and administrative center of the country, as well as a hub for banking and commerce.

2. You can watch the sun rise in the Pacific ocean and set in the Atlantic ocean in Panama

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Panama is located in Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica. Its location on the Isthmus of Panama is strategic. By 2000, Panama controlled the Panama Canal which connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea to the north of the Pacific Ocean.

3. Panama connects North and South America

Panama is located in Central America, connecting North and South America. Panama  is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. 

It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. 

4. The official language of Panama is Spanish

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Spanish is the official and dominant language. The Spanish spoken in Panama is known as Panamanian Spanish. About 93 percent of the population speak Spanish as their first language. 

Many citizens who hold jobs at international levels, or at business corporations, speak both English and Spanish. About 14 percent of Panamanians speak English; this number is expected to rise because Panama now requires English classes in its public schools. Read more on the top 10 most famous people from Panama. 

5. Panama is purportedly named meaning an abundance of fish

A commonly relayed legend in Panama is that there was a fishing village that bore the name Panamá, which purportedly meant an abundance of fish, when the Spanish colonizers first landed in the area.

The official definition and origin of the name as promoted by Panama’s Ministry of Education is the abundance of fish, trees and butterflies. This is the usual description given in social studies textbooks.

 6. The Panama Canal is considered one of the greatest engineering achievements in history

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With the backing of the United States, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903, allowing the construction of the Panama Canal to be completed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914.

By 2000, Panama controlled the Panama Canal which connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea to the north of the Pacific Ocean. 

7. The currency used in Panama is the Panamanian balboa

The Panamanian currency is officially the balboa, fixed at a rate of 1:1 with the United States dollar since Panamanian independence in 1903. The balboa replaced the Colombian peso in 1904 after Panama’s independence. Balboa banknotes were printed in 1941 by President Arnulfo Arias.

In practice, Panama is dollarized: U.S. dollars are legal tender and used for all paper currency, and whilst Panama has its own coinage, U.S. coins are widely used. Because of the tie to US dollars, Panama has traditionally had low inflation.

8. Barro Colorado Island is located in Panama

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Barro Colorado Island is located in the man-made Gatun Lake in the middle of the Panama Canal. The island was formed when the waters of the Chagres River were dammed to form the lake in 1913. 

When the waters rose, they covered a significant part of the existing tropical forest, but certain hilltops remained as islands in the middle of the lake. It has an area of 15.6 km2

9. The highest point in Panama is the Volcán Barú

Volcán Barú is an active stratovolcano and the tallest mountain in Panama, at 3,474 metres high. It lies about 35 km off the border of Costa Rica. It is also the twelfth highest peak in Central America.

Due to its height and the narrowness of the isthmus of Panama, it is possible to see both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea from Volcán Barú’s peak on a clear day.

10. The Darien Gap separates Panama from Colombia 

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The Darien Gap, a dense and impassable rainforest, separates Panama from Colombia and makes overland travel between North and South America challenging. 

A nearly impenetrable jungle forms the Darién Gap where Colombian guerrillas and drug dealers operate and sometimes take hostages. This and unrest, and forest protection movements, create a break in the Pan-American Highway, which otherwise forms a complete road from Alaska to Patagonia.

11. Panama has a tropical climate

Panama has a tropical climate with a wet and dry season. Temperatures are uniformly high as is the relative humidity and there is little seasonal variation. Diurnal ranges are low, on a typical dry-season day in the capital city, the early morning minimum may be 24 °C and the afternoon maximum 30 °C). 

The temperature seldom exceeds 32 °C  for more than a short time. Temperatures on the Pacific side of the isthmus are somewhat lower than on the Caribbean, and breezes tend to rise after dusk in most parts of the country. Temperatures are markedly cooler in the higher parts of the mountain ranges, and frosts occur in the Cordillera de Talamanca in western Panama.

12. The San Blas Islands located in Panama are known for their stunning beauty

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The San Blas Islands of Panama is an archipelago comprising approximately 365 islands and cays, of which 49 are inhabited. San Blas and its surrounding area is a haven for ecotourism because of its pristine environs. The area is also popular for sailing, as it is known for its beauty and lack of hurricanes.

13. Panama is a carbon negative country

Panama is one of three countries in the world to be carbon negative, meaning that it absorbs more carbon dioxide that it releases into the atmosphere. The others are Bhutan and Suriname.

14. The Panamanian golden frog is considered a national symbol

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The Panamanian golden frog is a species of toad endemic to Panama. Panamanian golden frogs inhabit the streams along the mountainous slopes of the Cordilleran cloud forests of west-central Panama.

The Panamanian golden frog is a national symbol and is considered to be one of the most beautiful frogs in Panama.The skin colour ranges from light yellow-green to bright gold, with some individuals exhibiting black spots on their backs and legs.

15. Panama was the site of the ill-fated Darien scheme

The Darien scheme was an unsuccessful attempt, backed largely by investors of the Kingdom of Scotland, to gain wealth and influence by establishing New Caledonia, a colony in the Darién Gap on the Isthmus of Panama, in the late 1690s. 

The plan was for the colony, located on the Gulf of Darién, to establish and manage an overland route to connect the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The backers knew that the first sighting of the Pacific Ocean by Balboa was after crossing the isthmus through Darién.

16. The Guna are an Indigenous people of Panama

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Guna people live in three politically autonomous comarcas or autonomous reservations in Panama, and in a few small villages in Colombia. There are also communities of Guna people in Panama City, Colón, and other cities. Most Gunas live on small islands off the coast of the comarca of Guna Yala known as the San Blas Islands. 

There are Guna-speaking people who once occupied the central region of what is now Panama and the neighboring San Blas Islands and still survive in marginal areas.

17. Panama’s economy is among the fastest growing

The expansion project on the Panama Canal is expected to boost and extend economic expansion for some time. Panama also signed the Panama–United States Trade Promotion Agreement which eliminates tariffs to US services.

In more recent years, Panama’s economy has experienced a boom, with growth in real gross domestic product (GDP) averaging over 10.4 percent.

 18. The Panama Papers revealed offshore tax evasion and money laundering by individuals and corporations worldwide

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Panama still has a reputation worldwide for being a tax haven but has agreed to enhanced transparency, especially since the release in 2016 of the Panama Papers. Significant progress has been made to improve full compliance with anti-money laundering recommendations.

Panama was removed from the FATF gray list in February 2016. The European Union also removed Panama from its tax haven blacklist in 2018.

19. Christianity is the main religion in Panama

An official survey carried out by the government estimated in 2015 that 63.2% of the population, or 2,549,150 people, identifies itself as Roman Catholic, and 25.0 percent as evangelical Protestant, or 1,009,740.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses were the third largest congregation comprising the 1.4% of the population, followed by the Adventist Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with the 0.6%. There is a very large Buddhist (0.4% or 18,560) and Jewish community (0.1% or 5,240) in the country.

20. Football is the most popular sport in Panama

In a 2013 survey, 75% of Panamanians said football was their favorite sport, 19% said baseball, 4% boxing and 2% gymnastics. 

The top tier of domestic Panamanian football, Liga Panameña de Fútbol, was founded in 1988. The national team appeared at the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 2018, appearing in group G, facing Belgium, England and Tunisia.  Read more on the top 10 football players from Panama.