The Republic of Panama is located at the heart of the Americas, linking the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Panama borders the Caribbean Sea to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the South, Colombia to the East and Costa Rica to the West. Panama encompasses 75,517 sq kms with 1,700 kilometers of coastline on the Pacific and 1,287.7 kilometers on the Atlantic. The Panama Canal divides Panama's narrowest point, where the two oceans lie just 50 miles apart.
At the crossroads of the America's, Panama is home to an international banking center, the largest free trade zone outside Asia, a stable dollar based economy. The geographical position of Panama in the middle of the main shipping routes offers international trade the opportunity to gain access to various markets, in an efficient and advantageous manner.
Under the Panama Canal Treaties, the US turned over to Panama on Dec 31, 1999, both the Canal and the land surrounding the international waterway.
Panama enjoys year-round tropical climate in it's lowlands and a temperature climate at higher elevations. Average temperature is 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit and in higher areas, 64 degrees Fahrenheit.
The official currency of Panama is the "Balboa," but no bills are printed. Instead US dollars are used. Panama does mint it's own coins, which are the same size and denominations as US coins. Due to the free circulation and exchange of the dollar, and the absence of exchange controls, Panama has become one of the largest banking centers in Latin America. The use of the dollar has helped Panama maintain the lowest inflation rate in Latin America.
Tourism
Panama has much more to offer than just the Canal. It's strategic position, exuberant forest landscape and world renewed rich bio-diversity are all within minutes reach of the cities of Colon and Panama, making the country the most accessible center for ecotourism in America.
The combination of ecotourism with beautiful beaches, shopping centers, historical sites, colorful folklore, and a modern business center, make Panama an ideal place for investing in the tourism sector. The tourism potential of Panama is virtually unlimited with the transfer of areas of great attraction. These areas pose unique opportunities for development of new eco-tourism and tourism projects.
The springboard for tourism will be the development of ports and services on both coasts for cruise lines. These ports present opportunities to develop service for a capture market of some 200,000 passengers and crew from the 200 cruises transit the Canal each year. The development of cruise ship ports on both oceans will make Panama a new tourist destination.
Exotic beauty
Discovering Panama's natural beauty is easy. Close to Panama City visitors will find Gamboa with it's pristine tropical forest, lakes, rivers, and historic sites. These areas include some of the most accessible and diverse tropical forest in world and are ideal for the development of ecotourism activities. Tourists can enjoy fishing and water skiing on the Gatun Lake, and golf at Summit Gamboa is the ideal site for ecotourism activities.
Culture scenery
Considering the indigenous inhabitants of Panama as the 10 percent of the total population -- second in Central America after Guatemala. There are several indigenous groups (chocoes, kunas, guaymies, teribes, bokotas, bri-bri, etc.) with particular cultures. Among the most important chieftainchips, we can mention the ones at the central provinces; although at the central isthmus did not include more than half of the native population of today.
The native contribution to the Panamanian culture can be seen through civilization features that range -- besides the genetics -- from the culinary art to the material culture and the way of being that comes from our most remote past.
Folklore
Much has been said about the identity of a people or culture: That intangible something that makes one group different from another, even though both may share the same form of government or may have identical industrial, economic or educational policies. This particular collective character thrives on folkloric culture.
It is important to note that people express their true character when they are able to act without the encumbrance of special rules of courtesy. Thus, the best opportunity to see Panamanian culture as it really is lies in many celebrations that we enjoy each year in this country. On these holidays, we dress up in the most typical of costumes, break out in our native dances, listen to our music, sing in all of these expressions of festivity, you can enjoy yourself and jump right into all that is Panamanian, a culture rich in content and expression.
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