Panama

1. Panama General Location: By Benjamin Davis

2. Panama’s Population • Population: 3,460,462 (July 2011) • Age distribution: 0-14 years: 28.6% 15-64 years: 64.2% 65 years and over: 7.2% (life expectancy: 77.79 yrs) • Composition: mestizo 70%, Amerindian and mixed 14%, white 10%, Amerindian 6% • Languages: Spanish (official), English 14%, but many Panamanians can speak both • Religion: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%

3. Panama’s Culture • Panama’s “Carnival”: In February, and is celebrated for 4 days up to Ash Wednesday • As large scale as New Orleans’ Mardi Gras: Celebrated all over the country • Fireworks, music, dancing, and drinking, and Parades • Biggest in Panama City and Las Tablas

4. Panama’s Economy • GDP: $44.36 billion (2010) • It will probably grow: • In 2007, spent $5.3 million on Panama Canal expansion project, will be complete in 2014. This will allow larger ships to pass through their canal. Greatest users of canal: China and USA, the two wealthiest countries in the world. • However, income disparity pretty high; Panama has second worst income distribution in Latin America: 30% live in poverty, and Gini Coefficient: (2010 estimate) 51 (2003: 56.1) • Unemployment rate: 4.2% (2010 est.) • Growth rate: 7.5% (2010 est.) • lowest 10%: 0.8% • highest 10%: 41.4% (2006) • World Rank: 17 Panama Canal (40 miles long)

5. Economy: Industries Oil rig • Income: • agriculture: 4.6% • industry: 16.7% • services: 78.7% (2010 est.) (Includes operating Panama Canal) • 3 major industries: mining, manufacturing, and construction • Mining: oil refinery: 60,000 barrels a day • Construction: Government has recently made lots of investments to construct roads, bridges, and ports • Manufacture: includes lots of various items: sugar, clothing, ceramics, cement, edible oils, alcoholic beverages, etc.

6. Panama’s Government • Constitutional Democracy • Independence from Colombia Nov. 3, 1903 (Independence from Spain in 1821) • Uses Civil Law System. (Unlike Common Law System used by USA where decisions are based on past legal decisions, Civil Law System makes decisions based on previously written legal codes) • Judicial Supreme Court reviews what Legislative Branch does • Also has Executive Branch that has authority • Besides Civil Law vs Common Law, some similarities to US, right?

7. Current Figure: President Martinelli • Born: March 11, 1952 in Panama City • Educated in US: attended Staunton Military Academy in Virginia, has a degree in Business from the University of Arkansas • Chairman of the board of “Super 99”, supermarket chain in Panama. • Has 3 children • Leader of Democratic Change movement • Lost 2004 election with only a 5% vote • Promised to cut political corruption • Won the election in 2009 by a landslide, 60% vote, whereas his rival only had 36%

8. Important Events • 1821- Panama becomes independent from Spain • 1830-Panama becomes part of Colombia • November 3, 1903: Independence: Panama breaks off from neighbor, Colombia. US and Colombia originally signed treaty that allowed US usage of the Isthmus of Panama. Senate of Later, Colombia decided to refuse the already ratified treaty, and the US aided the Panamanian rebels and won, and Panama gained Independence • 1939: Panama stops being under control and protection of US • 2000: Panama gets full control of the Panama Canal from US Panama and Colombia

9. Relations with the USA • USA helped Panama gain their Independence from Colombia; joined the Panamanian rebels side in their fight against the Colombians • Panama agreed to let USA get usage of their Panama Canal with a monetary compensation of $10 million, and recently USA returned it back to Panama in 2000 • Since 1939, Panama was no longer a protectorate of the USA • Therefore, USA-Panama relations were pretty friendly

10. Current Issues • Environmental Issues: Increased Pollution from Farmers and Agriculture • Deforestation: Threatens the Panama Canal: No plant life to retain the water in the soil by Canal • Income Disparity: 30% of people living in poverty

11. Bibliography • http://www.mapsofworld.com/panama/panama-location-map.html • http://www.geographicguide.com/america-maps/panama.htm • https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pm.html • http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0812355.html • http://primapanama.blogs.com/_panama_residential_devel/2009/08/martinellis-first-month-a-positive-one.html • http://www.mapsofworld.com/images/world-countries-flags/panama-flag.gif • http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107870.html • http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107870.html • http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107870.html • http://www.google.com/publicdata/explore?ds=d5bncppjof8f9_&met_y=sp_pop_grow&idim=country:PAN&dl=en&hl=en&q=panama%27s+population+growth+rate#ctype=l&strail=false&nselm=h&met_y=sp_pop_grow&scale_y=lin&ind_y=false&rdim=country&idim=country:PAN&ifdim=country&hl=en&dl=en • http://www.google.com/publicdata/explore?ds=d5bncppjof8f9_&met_y=sp_pop_totl&idim=country:PAN&dl=en&hl=en&q=panama%27s+population#ctype=l&strail=false&nselm=h&met_y=sp_pop_totl&scale_y=lin&ind_y=false&rdim=country&idim=country:PAN&ifdim=country&hl=en&dl=en • http://www.mapsofworld.com/panama/economy-and-business/industry.html • http://gulf-of-mexico-oil-spill.blogspot.com/ • http://www.thepanamablog.com/panama-in-seach-for-oil-gas/oil-rig/ • http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/panama-canal-third-locks.htm • http://www.history-timelines.org.uk/places-timelines/33-panama-history-timeline.htm • http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/panama-declares-independence • http://www.theodora.com/pipelines/colombia_costa_rica_guatemala_panama_pipelines_map.html • http://www.legaljuice.com/2008/02/an_illegal_handshake.html • http://www.aplusdentalstudio.com/about_us • http://www.destination360.com/central-america/panama/events • http://internationalbusiness.wikia.com/wiki/Panama%27s_Environmental_Laws_and_Current_Environmental_Issues,_MH