1. Annie Briggs Cheri Grissom Spanish 1411.11

2.  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

3.  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.

4.  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 1538-1821

5.  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

6.  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.

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

8.  Constitutional Democracy  Constitution: October 11, 1972. Amended 1983, 1984 and reformed in 2004.  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

9.  Construction on the Panama Canal began in 1904.  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.

10.  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

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

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

13.  http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/americas/panama_relief.jpg http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/americas/panama_relief.jpg  https://cmsdata.iucn.org/img/4198_1_4898.jpg https://cmsdata.iucn.org/img/4198_1_4898.jpg  http://kateiredale.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451c50869e201310f36a826970c-pi http://kateiredale.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451c50869e201310f36a826970c-pi  http://www.personal.psu.edu/huc121/PC1.jpg http://www.personal.psu.edu/huc121/PC1.jpg  http://www.bigtravelweb.com/images/panama-embera-l.jpg http://www.bigtravelweb.com/images/panama-embera-l.jpg  http://www.trumphotelcollection.com/images/bg/panama-dancers- homepage.jpg http://www.trumphotelcollection.com/images/bg/panama-dancers- homepage.jpg  https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world- factbook/graphics/flags/large/pm-lgflag.gif https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world- factbook/graphics/flags/large/pm-lgflag.gif  http://www.canalmuseum.com/photos/1911_pedromiguel.jpg http://www.canalmuseum.com/photos/1911_pedromiguel.jpg  http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Gatun_Lock_Constr uction,_Panama_Canal,_March_12,_1912.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Gatun_Lock_Constr uction,_Panama_Canal,_March_12,_1912.jpg  http://www.thepanamanews.com/pn/v_13/issue_11/images/church_1.jpg http://www.thepanamanews.com/pn/v_13/issue_11/images/church_1.jpg  http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/images/gal_panama_galllia rd.jpg http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/images/gal_panama_galllia rd.jpg  http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Panama.html#b http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Panama.html#b  http://www.bobbyrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/panama-canal.jpg http://www.bobbyrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/panama-canal.jpg  http://football.uk.reuters.com/uploads/2010/10/13/fs_2010-10- 13T040606Z_01_PAN04_RTRIDSP_2_LATAM-SPORTS-SOCCER.jpg http://football.uk.reuters.com/uploads/2010/10/13/fs_2010-10- 13T040606Z_01_PAN04_RTRIDSP_2_LATAM-SPORTS-SOCCER.jpg  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Manny_Acosta_on_October_3,_2010_(1).jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Manny_Acosta_on_October_3,_2010_(1).jpg

14.  http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2030.htm http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2030.htm  http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Americas/Pan ama-AGRICULTURE.html http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Americas/Pan ama-AGRICULTURE.html  http://www.visitpanama.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view= item&id=353:historia-de-panam%C3%A1&Itemid=472&lang=en http://www.visitpanama.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view= item&id=353:historia-de-panam%C3%A1&Itemid=472&lang=en  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Baseball_pl ayers_from_Panama http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Baseball_pl ayers_from_Panama

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