Ah, beautiful Panama! This amazing country falls in love at first sight. Of course, as in all of Latin America, it is better to be on the alert here – crime does not sleep, but it is definitely worth a trip here. Of all the former Spanish colonies, the sights of colonial times are perhaps the best preserved here, while in the cities life is in full swing and modern civilization reigns. Beauty!
Facts about the country of Panama
- The capital here has the same name as the country.
- The official language here is Spanish, but many locals residents also speak French and English.
- There are US military bases in Panama with their own closed campuses and infrastructure. Some Americans live here for the second generation, but they do not speak Spanish. They hardly come into contact with the local population.
- The Panamanian currency is called the balboa, but American dollars are used much more widely here.
- Panama has a population of 4.3 million.
- In 1671, the capital, the city of Panama, was sacked and burned by the famous pirate Henry Morgan. The city was rebuilt, but the old ruins have survived to this day.
- About half of the income in the budget of this country comes from the fee collected from all ships passing through the canal that pierces the Isthmus of Panama and connects two oceans.
- Here is one of the longest tourist tracks in the world – the Trans-Panama Trail, more than 1100 long kilometers. It stretches across the country and actually connects Costa Rica with Colombia (interesting facts about Costa Rica).
- Panama was the first country in Latin America to legalize the circulation of US dollars on its territory along with its own currency.
- More than 98% of the population of this country professes Christianity.
- The level of education here reaches 95% – this is the first place in all of Central America.
- On the territory of Panama there are higher educational institutions.
- There are beaches in the capital that look clean, but swimming is prohibited there due to the high level of pollution of coastal waters. This is a consequence of the many ships passing through the Panama Canal every day.
- The temperature here practically does not change throughout the year. The average level is +26 degrees, just like in Ecuador (interesting facts about Ecuador).
- Panama is about the size of Lithuania in terms of area.
- It is not customary to leave a tip in cafes and restaurants.
- The natives of these lands did not have a third blood type. It occurs among modern Panamanians, as their ancestors intermingled with Europeans.
- The average life expectancy in Panama is higher than in most European countries.
- The largest bird of prey in the world, the harpy, lives here. But she does not attack people, preferring to stay away from them.
- This country does not have an army, like neighboring Costa Rica. In the event of a military conflict, the United States will protect Panama.
- Locals have all skin tones, from white to black.
- This is one of the few hot countries that do not suffer from devastating hurricanes. Earthquakes here, too, by the way, almost never happen (interesting facts about earthquakes).
- There is a subway in the capital, but it is ground-based. It differs from the monorail only by the presence of two rails against one.
- The most popular drink here is mate. It also holds the first place in popularity in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay (interesting facts about Paraguay).
- The average age of the population here is low, which makes Panama the country with almost the youngest population, if you do not take into account the African states.
- In colonial times, it was part of the same administrative unit as the territory of modern Colombia.