PANAMA ASHLEY HOWARD 5 TH PERIOD

A LITTLE ABOUT PANAMA CAPITAL- PANAMA CITY NATIONAL NAME- REPUBLICA DE PANAMA PRESIDENT- RICARDO MARTINELLI (MAY 3, 2009)

AREA SLIGHTLY SMALLER THAN SOUTH CAROLINA LAND AREA- 29,340 SQUARE FEET TOTAL AREA- 30,193 SQUARE FEET

POPULATION GROWTH RATE- 10.6% BIRTH RATE % LIFE EXPECTANCY- 77 (PICTURE IS IN MILLIONS) MANY PEOPLE BETWEEN THE AGES OF JOIN THE MILITARY

ABOUT THE PEOPLE LITERACY RATE- 94.2% 4.5% UNEMPLOYMENT 85% ARE ROMAN CATHOLIC AND 15% ARE PROTESTANT SPANISH IS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE, MANY PEOPLE ARE BILINGUAL AND CAN SPEAK ENGLISH TOO.

HISTORY PANAMA WAS EXPLORED BY COLUMBUS IN 1502 AND ALSO BY BALBOA IN IN 1821, PANAMA JOINED COLUMBIA WHEN CENTRAL AMERICAN TURNED AWAY FROM SPAIN, PANAMA SPENT 82 YEARS TRYING, BUT UNSUCCESSFUL, TO BREAK AWAY FROM COLUMBIA. THE UNITED STATES PAID PANAMA $10 MILLION DOLLARS FOR CANAL RIGHTS AND MADE AN AGREEMENT TO PAY $258,000 EACH YEAR. THE PRICE WAS INCREASED TO $430,000 IN 1933 AND TO $1,930,000 IN 1955.

ON DECEMBER 31, 1999 THE UNITED STATES HANDED OVER CONTROL OF THE CANAL BACK TO PANAMA. PANAMANIANS APPROVED A PLAN TO EXPAND THE PANAMA CANAL IN IT SHOULD DOUBLE ITS CAPACITY AND IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY 2015.

CURRENT ENVIRONMENT ISSUES WATER POLLUTION THREATENS FISHING RESOURCES DEFORESTATION OF TROPICAL RAINFOREST LAND DEGRADATION AND EROSION THREATENS SILTATION OF THE PANAMA CANAL $14.2 BILLION DEBT (12/31/12)

TERRAIN AND CLIMATE MOSTLY STEEP, UPLAND PLAINS WITH RUGGED MOUNTAINS. AROUND COASTAL AREAS THERE ARE LARGE PLAINS WITH ROLLING HILLS CLIMATE- HOT, HUMID, CLOUDY. THERE IS A PROLONGED RAINY SEASON (MAY-JANUARY) AND A SHORT DRY SEASON (JANUARY-MAY)

NATURAL RESOURCES COPPER MAHOGANY FORESTS SHRIMP HYDROPOWER- POWER GENERATED BY USING WATER

AGRICULTURE BANANAS RICE CORN COFFEE SUGARCANE VEGETABLES LIVESTOCK SHRIMP

INDUSTRIES CONSTRUCTION BREWING CEMENT AND OTHER CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS SUGAR MILLING * OVER SUPPLY OF UNSKILLED LABOR AND A SHORTAGE OF SKILLED LABOR

TRADING EXPORTS- $13.22 BILLION ON BANANAS, SHRIMP, SUGAR, COFFEE, CLOTHING IMPORTS- $19.15 BILLION ON CAPITAL GOODS, FOOD, CONSUMER GOODS, CHEMICALS MAJOR TRADING PARTNERS- UNITED STATES, SWEDEN, SPAIN, NETHERLANDS, COSTA RICA, JAPAN, MEXICO, COLUMBIA

TRANSPORTATION RAILWAYS HIGHWAYS AIRPORTS WATER WAYS HARBORS

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