You may be wondering how some rando who writes about the US thinks he has the right to take on this Central American country. Just bear with me—it’ll all make sense in a minute. Here are 10 fun facts about Panama that may or may not be fun, presented as numbers.
1513
The year the Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa crossed the isthmus of Panama and reached the Pacific Ocean, kicking off a few hundred years of colonization of land that had been inhabited by indigenous groups.
1821
The year the Spanish Empire finally got the boot. The language, of course, stuck around.
1903
The year Panama achieved independence from the Republic of Colombia. Let’s just say that the US—which had a vested interest (see below)—was involved in the negotiations.
1904
The year the US began construction on the Panama Canal, which had earlier been started but not completed by the French. The immense undertaking involved carving a path through mountainous terrain, thereby connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and creating a vital shipping corridor, opened in 1914.
For years, the US owned and operated the canal and governed the surrounding Panama Canal Zone, birthplace of future US Senator and presidential candidate John McCain, one of the most famous Zonians.
1979
The year the Canal Zone ceased to exist, becoming part of Panama. From there, the US and Panama co-administered the canal, allowing the American military easy access for its 1989 invasion that forcibly removed dictator Manuel Noriega.
In 1999, Panama took full control of the canal.
4.3 million
The approximate population of modern-day Panama, with nearly half living in the capital region of Panama City.
In keeping with the aforementioned history, 65% of the population is Mestizo (mixed white and indigenous).
Spain, in addition to leaving its language, left its religion, explaining why 91.5% of the country is Christian, largely Catholic.
58
Panama’s spot on a list of countries by per-capita nominal GDP, placing it ahead of the likes of Chile, Turkey, Russia, Mexico, and China.
Massive toll revenue from the canal doesn’t hurt, nor do tourism and a robust financial sector.
1:1
The fixed rate of the country’s currency—the balboa, named after the dude above—to the US dollar. In fact, US dollars are used as the paper currency. Although Panama issues its own coins, US coins are widely circulated as well.
40%
The proportion of Panama’s land that is forested, making it a haven for biodiversity and one of the few carbon-negative countries.
Included among the forested land is the Darién Gap, the notoriously inhospitable region on the border of Colombia and Panama that makes northward migration rather treacherous.
1
As in the one song you should learn. Hint: It’s something about a Panamanian guy, his Colombian girlfriend, and the geography of the situation.
The bottom line: If you wonder why people love and hate the US, fun facts about Panama have the answer.
