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Official language Spanish (Official), (English and indigenous languages on the Caribbean coast) Capital Panama City President Martín Torrijos Main Religion Roman Catholic (85%) Area
- Total
- % water Ranked 115th
78,200 km²
2.9% Population
- Total
- Density Ranked 131st
3,000,463 (July 2004 est.)
37/km² HDI (2003) 0.804 (56th) – high Independence
- Declared From Colombia
November 3, 1903; From Spain
November 28, 1821 Currency Balboa Time zone UTC -5 National anthem Himno Istmeño Internet TLD .pa Calling Code 507 |
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Panama Information
Main article: Demographics of Panama
 Colon, Panama
Colon, Panama
 Skyline of Panama City
Skyline of Panama City
 traditional Panamanian building
traditional Panamanian building
 Ancon Hill in Panama
Ancon Hill in Panama
 Puente de las Américas
Puente de las Américas
The culture, customs, and language of the Panamanians are predominantly Caribbean Spanish. Ethnically, the majority of the population is mestizo or mixed Spanish, Indian, Chinese, and African descent. Spanish is the official and dominant language; English is a common second language spoken by the West Indians and by many in business and the professions. More than half the population lives in the Panama City–Colón metropolitan corridor.
The majority of Panamanians are Roman Catholic, accounting for almost 80% of the population. Although the Constitution recognises Catholicism as the religion of the majority, Panama has no official religion. Evangelical Christians are now estimated to be around 10% of the population. Other Protestant churches make up about 4% of the population. Other major religions in Panama are Islam (4.4%), the Bahá'í Faith (1.2%), Buddhism (at least 1%), Judaism (0.4%), and Hinduism (0.3%). The Jewish community, with over 10,000 members, is by far the biggest community in the region (including Central America, Colombia and the Caribbean). Jewish immigration began in the late 19th Century, and at present there are three synagogues in Panama City, as well as two Jewish schools. Within Latin America, Panama has one of the largest Jewish communities in proportion to its population, surpassed by Uruguay and Argentina, as well as among the largest Muslim, East Asian, and South Asian.
Also in regards to the Bahá'í Faith, Panama hosts one of only seven Bahá'í Houses of Worship in the world. Completed in 1972 in Panama City, it is perched on a high cliff overlooking the canal, and is constructed of local stone laid in a pattern reminiscent of Native American fabric designs.
Panama, because of its historical reliance on commerce, is above all a melting pot. This is shown, for instance, by its considerable population of Chinese origin, who number around 150,000, or about 5% of the population. (See main article at Chinatowns in Latin America—Panama). Many Chinese immigrated to Panama to help build the Panama Railroad. A term for "corner store" in Panamanian Spanish is el chino, reflecting the fact that many corner stores are owned and run by Chinese immigrants. (Other countries have similar social patterns, for instance, the "Arab" corner store of France.)
The country is also the smallest in Spanish-speaking Latin America in terms of population, with Uruguay as the second-smallest (by almost 400,000). However, since Panama has a faster birth rate, it is likely that in the coming years its population will surpass Uruguay's.
The "Puente de las Américas" was founded in October 12, 1962
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