Panama
Officially, the Republic of Panama, this Central American country is the most recent addition to the DKG family. Located on the isthmus connecting North and South America, Panama is bordered by Costa Rica on the northwest, Columbia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south.
Panama City is the capital. The government is a Constitutional democracy.
The entire country is slightly smaller than South Carolina in the U.S. The country has a tropical climate with about an inch of rain in the winter.
As of May 2010, the national population registers 3.3 million people. The official language is Spanish with 14% of the population speaking English. Panama compulsory education includes primary grades 1-6, or though age 15. The literacy rate for the country overall is 92.6%.
Panama commerce includes agriculture, cattle and hunting, transportation, storage, construction and communications. Natural resources provide timber, copper and gold. Agriculture produces bananas, corn, sugar cane, rice, coffee, shrimp and vegetables. Salmon and tuna are exported. Panama has a rich folklore with popular traditions- lively salsa music, handicrafts and colorful artists. Customs and culture has a Caribbean Spanish influence.
In November 1903, Panama proclaimed its independence. In 1914 with the help of the United States, the Panama Canal was completed. The canal is a 52-mile route and considered one of the world's greatest feats of engineering. In 1999, the Panama Canal Treaty moved jurisdiction of the canal to Panama.
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