Annie Briggs Cheri Grissom Spanish

 Area: 75,517 sq. km. or 29,157 sq. mi. ( or slightly smaller than South Carolina  Located between Costa Rica and Columbia on the isthmus forming the land bridge between North and South America  Population: 3,405,813

 Agriculture employs a large number of the people in Panama and takes up approx. half of the land  The country’s main exports include: bananas, shrimp, sugar and coffee  The primary crops: bananas, cocoa beans, coconuts, corn, potatoes, rice, soybeans and sugar cane  Primary livestock products: beef, veal, chicken and pork.

 The earliest known inhabitants of Panama were the Cuevas and Coclé tribes which were destroyed by fighting and disease in the 1500s at the arrival of the Spanish.  Panama was part of the Spanish empire for 300 years from

 Panama became independent of Spain in November of 1821 to become part of Great Columbia  They would receive complete independence on November 3, 1903  Construction of the Panama Canal began in 1904 and is considered the eighth wonder of the world

 Panama is rich in folklore and popular traditions  Lively Salsa music is a specialty to Panama with Ruben Blades being the best known performer  Panama’s population is very culturally and traditionally diverse with 67% of mestizos (amerindian with targets) and mulatos (white with black), 14% blacks, 10% whites, amerindian 6% (indigenous) and a 3% of people are from varied ethnic origins.

 Free religious creed is respected but most of the country professes Catholicism, a religion deeply rooted in many traditional and cultural expressions in Panama.

 Constitutional Democracy  Constitution: October 11, Amended 1983, 1984 and reformed in  Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches  Political parties include: Panameñista Party, Democratic Change, National Liberal Republican Movement, Democratic Revolutionary Party, and Popular Party.  Voting age: 18

 Construction on the Panama Canal began in  After U.S. encouragement, Panama proclaimed its independence and formed the Hay/Bunau- Varilla Treaty with the U.S. granting the rights to the U.S. “as if it were sovereign” in a zone approx 10 miles wide and 50 miles long.

 The U.S. would complete the 52-mile long canal in 1914  In the early 1960s, pressure began in Panama for the renegotiation of this treaty  The canal works through both lock- type and sea-level type of canal

 Popular sports in Panama include Football (Soccer), Basketball, Baseball

 Manny Acosta  Angel Chávez  Bruce Chen  Manny Corpas  Einar Díaz  Carlos Lee  José Macías  Mariano Rivera  Davis Romero  Carlos Ruiz  Rubén Tejada

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 My favorite fact about Panama is that it is so very culturally and traditionally diverse and yet maintains a peaceful state!