Panama vs. Colombia
Geography
| Panama | Colombia | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica | Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama |
| Geographic coordinates | 9 00 N, 80 00 W | 4 00 N, 72 00 W |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | South America |
| Area | total: 75,420 sq km land: 74,340 sq km water: 1,080 sq km | total: 1,138,910 sq km land: 1,038,700 sq km water: 100,210 sq km note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, and Serrana Bank |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than South Carolina | slightly less than twice the size of Texas |
| Land boundaries | total: 687 km border countries (2): Colombia 339 km, Costa Rica 348 km | total: 6,672 km border countries (5): Brazil 1790 km, Ecuador 708 km, Panama 339 km, Peru 1494 km, Venezuela 2341 km |
| Coastline | 2,490 km | 3,208 km (Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean 1,448 km) |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or edge of continental margin | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
| Climate | tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May) | tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands |
| Terrain | interior mostly steep, rugged mountains with dissected, upland plains; coastal plains with rolling hills | flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains (Llanos) |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Volcan Baru 3,475 m lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 360 m | highest point: Pico Cristobal Colon 5,730 m lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 593 m |
| Natural resources | copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower | petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 30.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 7.3% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 2.5% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 20.7% (2018 est.) forest: 43.6% (2018 est.) other: 25.9% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 37.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 1.4% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1.6% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 34.5% (2018 est.) forest: 54.4% (2018 est.) other: 8.1% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 321 sq km (2012) | 10,900 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | occasional severe storms and forest fires in the Darien area | highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts volcanism: Galeras (4,276 m) is one of Colombia's most active volcanoes, having erupted in 2009 and 2010 causing major evacuations; it has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Nevado del Ruiz (5,321 m), 129 km (80 mi) west of Bogota, erupted in 1985 producing lahars (mudflows) that killed 23,000 people; the volcano last erupted in 1991; additionally, after 500 years of dormancy, Nevado del Huila reawakened in 2007 and has experienced frequent eruptions since then; other historically active volcanoes include Cumbal, Dona Juana, Nevado del Tolima, and Purace |
| 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 | deforestation resulting from timber exploitation in the jungles of the Amazon and the region of Chocó; illicit drug crops grown by peasants in the national parks; soil erosion; soil and water quality damage from overuse of pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle emissions |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation | party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| 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 | only South American country with coastlines on both the North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea |
| Total renewable water resources | 139.304 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 2.36 trillion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | population is concentrated towards the center of the country, particularly around the Canal, but a sizeable segment of the populace also lives in the far west around David; the eastern third of the country is sparsely inhabited | the majority of people live in the north and west where agricultural opportunities and natural resources are found; the vast grasslands of the llanos to the south and east, which make up approximately 60% of the country, are sparsely populated |
Source: CIA Factbook
