Panama City is a Modern Beautiful City
Panama is a constitutional democracy and a presidential representative republic with a multi-party system. Head of state and head of government is the president.
The government exercises executive power. The National Assembly is the main legislative body of Panama. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the president appoints the legislature.
To understand the politics of Panama, one may consider the fact that elite families of European descent control most of Panama’s wealth and power, while about 33% of the population live below the poverty line.
Panama is a rugged, rain forested Central American country with coastlines in the Caribbean and Pacific.
Panama is a country on the isthmus linking Central and South America. The Panama Canal, a famous feat of human engineering, cuts through its centre, linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to create an essential shipping route. In the capital, Panama City, modern skyscrapers, casinos and nightclubs contrast with colonial buildings in the Casco Viejo district and the Rainforest of Natural Metropolitan Park.
Background:
With US backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903 and promptly signed a treaty with the US allowing for the construction of a canal and US sovereignty over a strip of land on either side of the structure (the Panama Canal Zone). The US Army Corps of Engineers built the Panama Canal between 1904 and 1914.
On 7 September 1977, they signed an agreement for the complete transfer of the Canal from the US to Panama by the end of 1999. They turned certain portions of the Zone over in the intervening years. With US help, they deposed dictator Manuel Noriega in 1989. They turned the entire Panama Canal over to Panama by or on 31 December 1999.
(Source: CIA – The World Factbook)
The country is best known for the Panama Canal, a man-made waterway that opened in 1914. The canal cuts through the country, linking the Caribbean Sea (Atlantic) with the Pacific Ocean. The canal is owned and administered by the Republic of Panama; it is one of the two most-strategic artificial waterways in the world (the other is the Suez Canal in Egypt). Until 1999, the United States controlled the Panama Canal.
Panama occupies an area of 74,177 km², making it slightly larger than the Republic of Ireland or slightly smaller than the U.S. state of South Carolina.
Panama’s landscape is mostly mountainous, covered by rainforests and jungle. The highest point in Panama is Volcán Barú, an active stratovolcano with an elevation of 3,475 m (11,460 feet) is located in the west, close to the border with Costa Rica.
Panama has a population of about 4 million people (in 2017); the capital and largest city is Panama City; the official language is Spanish.
Panama is world famous for its 48-mile canal that connects the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic Ocean. Each year, over a million people visit the canal and can witness this engineering marvel at work. Panama is very proud to have this magnificent creation operating 365 days a year, enabling cargo to be shipped efficiently and safely to new destinations around the world.
Three million years ago, the Isthmus of Panama emerged from the sea and changed the world forever. It divided an ocean and joined two continents together, triggering one of the most important natural evolution events in the world’s history. Today, this narrow land bridge in Central America is home to more species of birds and trees than the whole of North America. We invite you to discover its beautiful landscapes, rich culture, and endless tourist activities, right at your fingertips.
Some of these activities include rainforest tours, surfing, snorkelling, diving, hiking, camping, and bird watching. Whitewater rafting, zip-line tours, and more. In Panama City, you can enjoy world-class dining, nightlife, casinos and shopping! Panama has attracted some world’s most famous brands to set up shop here. Including Gucci, Prada, Cartier, Hermes, Nike, Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Carolina Herrera, Chanel, and countless others. Tourists from all over the world come to Panama and experience a modern, beautiful city with all the amenities one would expect from a world-famous business and tourism hub.
Emergence of the Nation. Panama became an autonomous nation because of its function as the custodian of the trans-isthmus shipping route—the “path between the seas.” It gained independence in 1903 as part of an American-sponsored revolt against Colombia that led to the signing of a treaty granting the United States the right to build the Panama Canal.
The Spanish discovered and conquered Panama between 1502 and 1519. They referred it to as the Castilla de Oro, a source of gold and potential converts. From 1519 through 1538, the area that is now Panama was a base for soldiers sent to conquer the Andean civilisations in South America. After 1538, they used it as a land route to Spain’s South American colonies and a transhipment point for Andean gold. From 1568 to 1671, there were a series of pirate raids, and in 1671 Panama City was sacked by buccaneers under the command of Sir Henry Morgan. Local traders engaged in smuggling until Spain shifted the official gold route to Cape Horn, and the area entered a period of commercial decline.
After independence from Spain and union with Colombia in 1821, the isthmus again became an important transit route. They abolished slavery in 1852. The United States completed a railroad across the area in 1855 to expedite movement to the gold fields in California. After not being able to build a sea-level canal in the 1880s, the French sold their concession to the United States, which conspired with the elite in Panama City to declare independence when they could not get a favourable treaty from Colombia.
From 1903 to 1978, the United States controlled the Canal Zone, a five-mile strip on both sides of the canal. Residents of that area were called “Zonians” and remained American citizens even after three generations of residents. These mostly white employees of the Canal Company lived an isolated life and were prejudiced against the Panamanian population. In 1977, after lengthy negotiations, President Jimmy Carter signed a treaty that abolished the Canal Zone as a colonial enclave, arranged for Panamanian ownership of the canal in the year 2000, and provided for the closing of American military bases.
In 1925, the United States intervened in a revolt by Kuna Indians on the northeast Atlantic coast and established a tribal reserve. The Kuna enclave has been successful. In the 1930s, the United States military hired Kuna labourers to work at army bases. After transferring sovereignty over the canal, those workers migrated to Panama City.
National Identity. Panamanians do not consider themselves former Colombians. From 1578 to 1751, Panama was the seat of a Spanish real audiencia (court of chancery), with Spanish lawyers and a governor or captain-general. The presence of this judicial-legislative-executive government body led to the building of a sense of independent nationhood.
Ethnic Relations. Unlike the former Canal Zone, the government has always repudiated racism and segregation. Because of its nationalistic policies, the government also forbade the use of English in public schools, thus discriminating against the black population.
The map of Panama showing how it joins South America to Central America
Panama City looks a lot like Miami
Pedro Miguel Locks
A Beautiful Female Jaguar
Given a safe passage, jaguars will wander hundreds of miles to breed, even swimming across the Panama Canal.
Read more about The Jaguar Freeway
Harpy Eagle
The Harpy Eagle is the largest eagle in the world, and we only find them in Panama
My Feelings About Panama
I liked Panama, apart from some very rude taxi drivers, but you cannot judge the country on taxi drivers. The Panama Canal is an exceptional feat of engineering, and while we were there, they are working on enlarging the locks. This will allow super tankers to pass through and increase the Panama Canal income.
My ex-wife did not like Panama, so it did not go on my list of countries that I would be happy to move to permanently. However, now she is my ex, I would want to make another trip to check out more of the country.