Flag of Panama

Flag of Panama (Source » Wikimedia)

Republic of Panama

  • Capital » Panama City
    • also the largest city

Facts

  • Population: 4.3 million (est 2022)
  • Languages: Spanish, English
  • Religion: Christianity
  • Life expectancy: 74 years (men), 79 years (women)
  • Currency: US Dollar and balboa

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)

Shipping to South America

  • Nearly impossible to drive overland across the Darien Gap to Colombia.
    • The first all-land auto crossing was in 1985–1987 by Loren Upton and Patty Mercier in a CJ-5 Jeep, taking 741 days to travel 200 kilometers (125 miles).
  • Prior to shipping vehicle to Colombia, a police inspection and accompanying certificate, must be obtained.
  • Overland Embassy in Panama City is a well known agent/broker in Panama.

Media

Resources

This page was updated September 15, 2023