Panama

Come along to the “land of many fishes.” That title has been applied to Panama, a long, narrow isthmus forming the link between Central and South America. With a length of about 480 miles (772 kilometers), and running roughly east and west, this country has the shape of a reclining “S.” Colombia borders it on the southeast and Costa Rica on the northwest. The width of the Isthmus of Panama ranges from 120 miles (193 kilometers) to about 37 miles (60 kilometers). The narrowest point is between Panama City and Colón, which made that region the logical choice for the site of an inter-oceanic canal. That world-renowned waterway​—the Panama Canal—​is an important tie between the Atlantic and the Pacific.

Panama has a total land area of about 29,000 square miles (74,108 square kilometers). It is inhabited by an estimated 1,700,000 individuals of many different extractions, including Indians and chiefly a mixture of Spanish and native Indians. Spanish is the official language, though English is used in the Canal Zone, and several Indian dialects also are spoken.

This tropical land is traversed by two principal mountain ranges and laced by hundreds of rivers. Rainfall varies between 90 and 130 inches (229 and 330 centimeters) annually in different areas of the country. Panama is reputed to have over 2,000 different plants peculiar to the tropics, as well as a wide variety of animals, including the puma, peccary, sloth, anteater and alligator. Add to these a generous number of snakes, some of them possessing venom that can kill a man in a matter of minutes.

During the sixteenth century, Spain conquered Panama and made it a colony. Roman Catholicism became the state religion.

From an economic point of view, Panama is comparatively prosperous today. Bananas are the principal export, and cattle raising for export is increasing in importance. Fruits, vegetables and coffee also are exported. Millions of dollars in revenues, directly or indirectly related to the operation of the Canal, accrue to the Republic of Panama. Also, tourism is growing in importance.