• Panama is located at the southern end of Central America.
• Borders: Costa Rica (west), Colombia (southeast), Caribbean Sea (north), Pacific Ocean (south).
• Capital: Panama City, home to nearly half of the population.

• Inhabited by Indigenous peoples before Spanish colonization.
• Gained independence from Spain in 1821; joined Gran Colombia.
• Seceded from Colombia in 1903 with U.S. support for the Panama Canal.
• The canal was transferred to Panama in 1999 after the Torrijos–Carter Treaties.

• Major sectors: canal revenue, commerce, banking, tourism.
• High-income economy; significant GDP contribution from canal tolls.
• Ranked 57th in Human Development Index and 7th in Latin America's competitiveness in 2018.
• Abundant tropical biodiversity, covering 40% of land.

• Founding member of the United Nations and other organizations.

List of newspapers published in Panama.