Panama Geography 1997

Location Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North PacificOcean, between Colombia and Costa Rica

Geographic coordinates 9 00 N, 80 00 W

Map references Central America and the Caribbean

Area
total: 78,200 sq km
land: 75,990 sq km
water: 2,210 sq km

Area - comparative slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries
total: 555 km
border countries: Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km

Coastline 2,490 km

Maritime claims
territorial sea: 200 nm

Climate tropical; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January),short dry season (January to May)

Terrain interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland plains;coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan de Chiriqui 3,475 m

Natural resources copper, mahogany forests, shrimp

Land use
arable land: 7%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 20%
forests and woodland : 44%
other: 27% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land 320 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards NA

Environment - current issues water pollution from agricultural runoff threatens fishery resources;deforestation of tropical rain forest; land degradation

Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, HazardousWastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge connectingNorth and South America; controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Oceanvia Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean

NOTE: The information regarding Panama on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Panama Geography 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Panama Geography 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.