Capital City: Panama City (the only capital city in the world that has a rain forest within its city limits.)
Official language: Spanish, but English is widely spoken.
Currency: the U.S. dollar, but is called the Balboa
It is the only place in the world where you can see the sun rise on the Pacific and set on the Atlantic.
At its narrowest distance, only 80 kilometers separate the Atlantic from the Pacific Ocean.
Panama has set multiple world records in bird watching and fishing.
Panama has over 10,000 different plants species, including 1,200 varieties of orchids.
Panama gets almost no hurricanes because it is located south of the hurricane alley.
Baseball is the most popular sport in the country. Boxing and soccer are also among the favorites.
Panama is considered one of the best places for retirees.
Panama has more than 1,500 miles of shoreline.
The Panama Canal stretches 80 kilometers from Panama City on the Pacific coast to Colón on the Atlantic side.
Panama City is the only capital city that has a rain forest within the city limits.
There are two seasons in Panama: the dry season from December to April and the rainy season from May to November.
Panama has a 100% tropical climate with temperatures ranging between 80-90 degrees.
Panama has more than 976 bird species, which is more than the United States and Canada combined.
The Panama isthmus was first explored by a European named Rodrigo de Bastidas in the year 1501.
The Panama Canal was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914. Some 5,600 workers died due to disease or accidents.
All vessels going through Panama Canal have to pay a toll. The toll is based on the type of vessel, its size, and its cargo. The highest toll ever paid was $376,000 by the Norwegian Pearl cruise ship in 2010. The canal generates one-third of Panama’s entire economy. The lowest toll paid was $0.36 and was paid by Richard Halliburton who crossed the Canal swimming in 1928.
Panama grows some of the world’s finest coffee.
Major drivers of Panama’s economy include cargo ships, the exportation of refined petroleum, and tourism.
Senator John McCain was born in Panama, in the Canal Zone which was at that time considered U.S. Territory.
Panama is the only place in the world where you can see the sun rise on the Pacific and set on the Atlantic.
The oldest continually operating railroad is in Panama.
Panama achieved independence in 1903, although U.S. troops controlled it until 1999.
Panama elected its first female President in 1999 as Mireya Moscoso
