• Officially: Republic of Panama
  • Capital: Panama City

Facts

  • Population: 3.6 million
  • Languages: Spanish, English
  • Religion: Christianity
  • Life expectancy: 74 years (men), 79 years (women)
  • Currency: balboa (US Dollar is often exchanged)

Geography

  • Area: 75,517 sq km (29,157 sq miles)
  • At the intersection of North and South America
  • Darién Gap » The geographic landmass between the North and South American continents between Panama and Colombia.
    • This 106 km (66 mi) stretch of the Pan-American “Highway” has dense, environmentally sensitive rainforest, and therefore does not have any drivable roads. Thus commonly known as a ‘gap’. There are no current plans to build a navigable road though this region. (2022)

Notes

  • Panama has the second-largest rain forest in the Western Hemisphere, after the Amazon Basin.
  • Every year more than 15,000 vessels (commercial and private) make the 8+ hour journey through the Panama Canal, which makes a substantial contribution to the country’s economy
  • This region was part of Colombia until secession in 1903
  • One of the top 10 countries on Gallop’s Positive Experience Index (2019) (WEF)

Overlanding

  • The Overland Embassy in Panama City. The owner Alejandro has built a good reputation in the overland community for servicing overland vehicles and shipping logistics to South America. (iOverlander)

News & Resources

This page was updated March 5, 2023