Panama Geography Profile 2009

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