Panama

Location	Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica
Geographic coordinates	9 00 N, 80 00 W
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean
Area	total: 75,420 sq km land: 74,340 sq km water: 1,080 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: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or edge of continental margin
Climate	tropical maritime; 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 Baru 3,475 m
Natural resources	copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower
Land use	arable land: 7.26% permanent crops: 1.95% other: 90.79% (2005)
Irrigated land	430 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	148 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	total: 0.82 cu km/yr (67%/5%/28%) per capita: 254 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards	occasional severe storms and forest fires in the Darien area
Environment - current issues	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	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, 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	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