| Geography | Panama |
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Location:
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Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica |
Geographic coordinates:
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9 00 N, 80 00 W |
Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean |
Area:
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total: 78,200 sq km
land: 75,990 sq km
water: 2,210 sq km |
Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than South Carolina |
Land boundaries:
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total: 555 km
border countries: Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km |
Coastline:
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2,490 km |
Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or edge of continental margin |
Climate:
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tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May) |
Terrain:
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interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills |
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan Baru 3,475 m |
Natural resources:
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copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower |
Land use:
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arable land: 7.26%
permanent crops: 1.95%
other: 90.79% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
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430 sq km (2003) |
Total renewable water resources:
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148 cu km (2000) |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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Total: 0.82 cu km/yr (67%/5%/28%)
Per capita: 254 cu m/yr (2000) |
Natural hazards:
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occasional severe storms and forest fires in the Darien area |
Environment - current issues:
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water pollution from agricultural runoff threatens fishery resources; deforestation of tropical rain forest; land degradation and soil erosion threatens siltation of Panama Canal; air pollution in urban areas; mining threatens natural resources |
Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation |
Geography - note:
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strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean |
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