Local time--:--:--Panama City ·

North America / Central America · Card 027

Panama

Panama is a country in Central America. Its capital is Panama City.

Find Panama

● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.

At a glance

Capital: Panama City
Language guide: Languages spoken & official status
Currency: Panamanian balboa (PAB) & US dollar (USD)
Population: 4.6 million2025 · World Bank
Area: 75,417 km²29,118.65 square miles
Independence: 1903from Colombia

Panama in context

North America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Panama City; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.

Natural Earth · locator map

Geography & environment

Landscape

Panama is a narrow land bridge between North and South America, with coasts on the Caribbean and Pacific. A mountainous and hilly spine separates many short river catchments. Lowlands and coastal plains vary in width along the isthmus.

Darién contains extensive forest and difficult terrain near Colombia. Offshore Caribbean islands, including the Guna Yala island group, provide a contrasting low coral-island setting. The canal corridor is a heavily modified landscape of waterways, lakes and infrastructure.

Climate & seasons

Panama is hot and humid, with a long rainy season. The drier period is more pronounced in some Pacific areas than on the Caribbean side.

A biological connection

Forests and wetlands link species and habitats across the isthmus. Rainfall feeds both natural rivers and the canal’s freshwater system. Mountain, coastal and island environments respond differently to seasonal weather and land use.

Flag

Divided into four equal rectangles; one of the top quadrants is white (left side) with a five-pointed blue star in the center, and the other is plain red; one of the bottom quadrants is plain blue (left side), and the other is white with a five-pointed red star in the center

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Landscapes & nature

Languages

Public and official use

Spanish is the official language. Indigenous languages include Ngäbere, Buglere, Guna, Emberá, Wounaan, Naso and Bribri.

Community and regional languages

English and English-based Creole varieties are also used, particularly in communities with Caribbean connections. Chinese and other languages are spoken by resident communities.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

History & independence

Panama broke with Spain in 1821 and joined Gran Colombia. It separated from Colombia in 1903 with US support. The Panama Canal opened in 1914 under US control. Treaties signed in 1977 led to the transfer of the canal to Panama at the end of 1999.

1903
Panama separates from Colombia
1914
The Panama Canal opens
1999
Full control of the canal transfers to Panama

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Economy

Main activities

Canal operations, ports, logistics, finance, commerce and tourism are major activities. Services dominate the economy. Canal traffic depends on global trade and the water needed to operate its locks.

Industry and production

Canal services, ports, warehousing, finance, wholesale trade and tourism are major activities.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Population & economic trends

Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.

Population, 1970–2025

Millions of people

4.62025 · millions of people

Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.

Sources: World Bank · Population

View data table

Population: source values and plotted units
Year	People	Millions of people
1970	1,513,070	1.513
1980	1,957,534	1.958
1990	2,455,583	2.456
2000	3,010,369	3.010
2010	3,628,535	3.629
2020	4,293,261	4.293
2025	4,571,189	4.571

Real GDP, 1990–2025

Billions of constant 2015 US dollars

80.72025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars

Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.

Sources: World Bank · Real GDP

View data table

Real GDP: source values and plotted units
Year	Constant 2015 US$	Billions of constant 2015 US dollars
1990	11,857,417,979	11.857
1991	12,974,268,895	12.974
1992	14,038,376,851	14.038
1993	14,804,274,862	14.804
1994	15,226,218,483	15.226
1995	15,492,932,940	15.493
1996	16,124,998,545	16.125
1997	17,368,081,133	17.368
1998	18,824,824,096	18.825
1999	19,805,907,259	19.806
2000	20,639,538,981	20.640
2001	20,835,595,644	20.836
2002	21,358,328,178	21.358
2003	22,446,932,329	22.447
2004	24,282,115,702	24.282
2005	26,291,748,117	26.292
2006	28,883,388,489	28.883
2007	32,682,439,460	32.682
2008	36,015,209,193	36.015
2009	36,595,725,406	36.596
2010	38,818,327,826	38.818
2011	43,441,154,828	43.441
2012	47,623,362,287	47.623
2013	50,635,232,251	50.635
2014	52,977,523,790	52.978
2015	55,767,806,100	55.768
2016	58,317,491,836	58.317
2017	61,667,283,244	61.667
2018	64,083,556,966	64.084
2019	66,072,040,232	66.072
2020	54,297,264,369	54.297
2021	63,238,394,459	63.238
2022	70,219,029,319	70.219
2023	75,251,163,819	75.251
2024	77,318,946,519	77.319
2025	80,682,556,211	80.683

Human development

The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.

HDI · 20230.839Very High human developmentRank 59 of 193 · 2025 report

Human Development Index over time

19900.672

20000.718

20100.775

20200.808

20230.839

79.6 yearsLife expectancy at birth

10.8 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+

The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.

Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025

Government

A presidential republic with an elected President and a single-chamber National Assembly.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Knowledge check

Three questions about Panama.

QUESTION 1 OF 3

In which year did this event occur in Panama: Panama separates from Colombia?

Sources & notes

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.

Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.