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Panama

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Location: Panama is located between Central and South America. It covers 75,517 square km (29,208 square miles) and is between 50 and 120 miles wide (89km and 192 km). Panama is bordered by 1,287.7 km
(805 miles) of Caribbean coastline and 1,700.6 km (1,062.8 miles) of pacific coastline.

Geography: Panama is the southernmost of the Central American countries bordered on the west by Costa Rica, on the east by Colombia, on the north by the Caribbean coastline and on the south by the Pacific coastline. The total land area is 78,046 sq km. The Panama Canal, which is about 80km long, divides the country into eastern and western regions. There are about 480 rivers in Panama that drain into the Pacific Ocean or Caribbean Sea, and 1518 islands off the coasts. The two main island groups, both in the Caribbean, are the San Blas and Bocas del Toro Archipelago. Barro Colorado Island in Gatun Lake is home to a world renowned rain forest research station operated by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Gatun is a large manmade lake in the middle of the Panama Canal.

Climate: Panama has a tropical climate that varies depending upon elevation, location and season.
Temperatures are around 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 25-30 degrees Celsius) and humidity
is always high. The average annual rainfall is 1,500 mm along the pacific coast and 2,500 mm on the
Caribbean side. There are only two seasons, the “dry season” from November to April and the “rainy
season” from May through October.

Highest Point: Baru Peak at 3,475 m. Extinct volcano located 700 m below the summit and surrounded by
cloud forest up to 3,200 m., has sub-alpine scrub forest at summit. Baru has more Quetzals during the
nesting season in April and May. Baru is one of the best locations to view the Volcano hummingbird and
more than 100 other species.

Population: The population of the country is 2.8 million people of diverse origins: Spanish descendants,
Afro-Antilleans, Indians, immigrants from North America, Europe, Asia, East India and other countries.
Panama is truly a diverse melting pot of cultures. Nearly 49% of the population lives in urban areas.
Panama City has an estimated population of 825,300, with the density of 30.8 persons per square
kilometer. There are 7 indigenous groups in Panama: Kuna in the San Blas Islands on the Caribbean;
Chocoe (divided linguistically into 2 groups-Embera & Wounaan) in the province of Darien; Guaymies
(Ngobe Bugle) in the provinces of Chiriqui, Bocas del Toro & Veraguas; and Teribes & Bokotas (Buglere) in
Bocas del Toro province.

Ecology: Panama is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world. Its unique ecology stems in
part from its connection to two continents. Birds are a primary indicator of biodiversity and Panama takes
the grand prize: it has more than 950 species of birds, more than the United States and Canada
combined. Until 1996 Panama held the Audubon Society's world record for identifying the most species
of birds in a single day- 357 species were counted in one 24-hour period. Panama is also privileged to be
home to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), the world's primary tropical scientific
investigation center, which has been cataloging and monitoring this vast ecological heritage for nearly a
century.

Time zone: Panama is on Eastern Standard Time (EST), five hours behind GMT.

Language: Spanish is the official language. English is widely spoken in business, banking, retail and in
tourist-oriented activities.

Folklore: Panama’s folklore is fully expressed in its traditional dances, its colorful “Pollera” (the national
dress), and “tembleques” (hair ornaments). Traditionally, men wore embroidered, long-sleeved shirts,
calf-length trousers, and a straw “Montuno” hat. During Carnival, a four-day celebration before Lent,
traditional costumes may be seen.

Clothes: Panama is in general a casual city, with formal attire being used on special occasions. The highland areas can be cold and a sweater is recommended. For the lowland areas light, loose-fitting shirts and pants are essential. If you plan to hike in the national parks bring boots and a hat or cap.

Public Services: Electricity is 120V / 60 Hz. US electrical items can be used without adapters. Water is of
good quality and is drinkable throughout the country. Panama has the most advanced private telecommunications systems in Latin America. It is inexpensive and convenient; direct-dial calls can be made
to any country in the world. Post offices can be found in almost all cities and towns, and public telephones are nearly always accessible.

Taxes & Tips: The hotels, in accordance with the law, charge a 10% consumer tax on the price of the room.
In restaurants a 10% service charge is expected. If the service is excellent, an additional tip is
recommended. Tourists must pay an airport tax of US$20.00 at the airport upon leaving the country.
Health: No vaccinations are required in order to enter Panama. Cholera and malaria do not represent a
danger in the country. For those planning trips into the rainforest, however, preventive measures are
recommended. Public health services in Panama are very good and excellent medical care is available in
hospitals and clinics in all of the larger cities.

Currency/Banks, credit cards and currency exchange: The Panamanian currency is the US dollar. US
coins are used alongside Panamanian coins, which look exactly like American coins except for the imprint.
Credit cards are accepted at hotels, major stores and better restaurants in Panama City. Outside Panama
City, in general, cash will be necessary. You can get a cash advance on your credit card at most major
Panamanian banks (make sure you have your passport for ID). You can access your American bank account
in Panama City at the ATM machines that have "Cirrus" or "Plus" sign on them, provided that you have a
personal ID number

Media: Panama has over six television stations that broadcast in Spanish. Satellite and cable television
service is also available in most places and offers international programming (U.S., European, Asian and other channels). Internet is widespread (along with Internet cafes). More than 100 radio stations broadcast in
Panama. Seven daily newspapers are published in Spanish and two weeklies are in English. There are also
several monthly magazines and newspapers published in the country. Foreign publications in English and
Spanish can be purchased in bookstores and elsewhere.

National Parks

Altos de Campana National Park, Cocle Province
This park is located southeast of Panama City, protecting mountainous humid tropical forest and
important rivers that are a crucial water supply for the Panama Canal. More than 175 species of birds
make their home in this area along with a variety of flora and fauna native to the area. From the highest
point of the park the mouth of Chame River can be observed that is surrounded by mangroves with the
Pacific Ocean.

Baru Volcano National Park, Chiriqui Province
About 500 kilometers from Panama City you will find the Baru Volcano, which is the highest elevation in
Panama (3,475 meters above sea level). On a clear morning both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea
can be seen from its peak. The national park, with a great variety of endemic plants, is the home for bird
species such as the Quetzal and the Bell Bird that can be observed in the months of April and May
approximately.

Bastimentos Island National Marine Park, Bocas del Toro Province
This beautiful island in the province of Bocas del Toro, is only 1 hour by plane or 14 hours by car away
from Panama City. Snorkelers and scuba divers who have been to this park claim it is one of the best dive sites in all of Panama! Crystal waters and unspoiled coral reefs attract more than 200 species of marine fish. Turtle nesting sites and visits by manatees enhance the value of the park.

Camino de Las Cruces National Park-Las Cruces Trail, Panama Province
This historical park holds the hidden secrets of gold that was transported along the cobblestone Camino
Real from the Incan Empire. Las Cruces Trail National Park is a passage of 4,000 hectacres that joins
forested areas between the Soberania National Park and the Metropolitan Natural Park, home to diverse
species of flora and fauna such as Panamanian tamarin, two-toed and three-toed sloths, and howler
monkeys and a variety of birds.

Cerro Hoya National Park
In the southwestern corner of the Azuero Peninsula this national park with the area of 32, 557 hectares
protects the flora and fauna in one of the most agriculturally devastated areas in Panama, Veragas and
Los Santos provinces. Home to more than 30 species of endemic plants.

Coiba National Park, Veraguas Province (UNESCO Site)
This national park and UNESCO World Heritage site is located in the southern part of the Veraguas
province in the Pacific Ocean, made up of a group of islands. Coiba is the biggest island. The area of the
land on the islands combined with the marine territory comes to the amazing total of 270,125 hectares
(650,000 acres), making it one of the most extensive marine parks in the world. This park protects three
different kinds of ecosystems: the island, reef and marine life. Due to its geographical location a penal
colony was established here in 1910, the remains can still be seen today because of this situation the
forest on the Coiba Island remained untouched.

Cope National Park, Cocle Province
El Cope National park was created in 1986 on Panama´s central mountain range, the watershed between
the Caribbean and Pacific. The area covers 25,275 hectacres, protecting the hydrographic basins of the
rivers Bermejo, Marta, Grand, and Nombre de Dios that flow into the Pacific and rivers Blanco, Guabal,
Lajas San Juan, Belen, Concepcion that flow into the Caribbean. The higher altitude of the park consist of
low montane rainforest and as it descends, premontane rainforest, very humid tropical forest in the lower
parts of the park on the wetter Caribbean slope. The jaguar, puma, ocelot (Felis pardalis), margay and
jaguarunde (Toyassu tajacu), populations of Baird´s tapir, colored peccary, white-lipped peccary and
white-tailed deer can be found in this park. Birds consist of the rare orange-bellied trogan, the barenecked
umbrella bird, the snowcap (Microhera albaronata), and the rare strong-billed woodcreepe
Chagres National Park, Between the Colon and Panama Province
The Chagres River and Lake Alajuela are the first places that you have to visit when you get to the park
(about 40 kilometers from Panama City). The Chagres River is perfect for rafting.
Combine spending time in the jungle for birdwatching with a visit to authentic indigenous villages of the
Embera-Wounaan tribe living in the park and who have preserved their way of living and their traditions.
There is a lot of interesting history in the park because the Spanish conquerors used it as a way for
carrying the gold and silver from their colonies in South America. They used two routes named Camino de
Cruces and Camino Real between the XVI and XVIII centuries which were the precursors of the modern
Panama Canal route. In the Cerro Azul region and specifically on top of Cerro Jefe at 1,007 meters (Boss
Mountain of 3,000 ft) you have a spectacular view of the Panama Canal and with a bit of luck on a clear
day you can see both, the Atlantic and the Pacific.

Darien National Park, Darien Province (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Darien is located about 325 kilometers from Panama City and is the most extensive of all Panama’s
national parks. In 1981 it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a biosphere reserve. Darien
is a dense primary tropical rainforest that can be explored only by trail or river. Among many rare birds,
this is the home of the famous Harpy Eagle. Cana Valley is located in the heart of this area and
considered to be the top birding site in Central America, particularly known for macaws and parrots. The
tallest point in the park is Cerro Tacarcuna, 1,895 meters above sea level. Embera and Wounaan Indians
make their homes on the banks of the many rivers and travel by finely built dugout canoes.

Friendship International Park (Amistad National Park), Chiriqui Province (UNESCO World Heritage
Site)
"Amistad" means friendship and that is an appropriate name for this park because it is an international
park shared by Costa Rica and Panama. This park is located within two Panamanian provinces, Chiriqui and
Bocas del Toro. It is located in the western part of Panama, almost 500 kilometres from Panama City. The
park entrance at Cerro Punta is about one hour north of the city of David, which has an airport.
The park is mostly mountainous and because of the elevation changes, a great endemism of flora and fauna
can be found here. With an area of some 207,000 hectares, it is Panama's second largest park and seven
of the twelve life zones are located in it. Amistad National Park protects the hydrographic basins of the
rivers Teribe and Changuinola.

Metropolitan Nature Park, Panama Province
This park is just outside Panama City bordering the Canal and is the only tropical forest park within a
metropolitan area in Latin America. The park has a surface of 265 hectares (655 acres) where you will
find many birds, butterflies and small mammals and reptiles. The view from the top of Cerro Mono Titi is
spectacular offering a panoramic view of the city, the Port of Balboa, and the adjacent Las Cruces Trail
National Park. Birding is especially good here and the orchid garden is definitely worth a visit. The park is
also an excellent opportunity for environmental education, having rooms for meetings and audiovisual
presentations. There is also a small museum, a library, and a shop that sells conservation items.

Portobelo National Park, Colon Province
This one of five worldwide patrimony sites located in Panama, it is located in the northern part of the
isthmus in the Caribbean and is about an hour and a half by car from Panama City. It is 70 kms long coast
with palm trees and rich coral reefs that gives you an attractive landscape of first order.
In colonial times it was the seat for one of the most famous fairs of the Spanish galleons, with its own
military fortresses that date back to the time of the conquest.
The most common species in the park are the manglatero cat, the striped tiger and herons.
Sarigua National Park, Chitre Province
From Panama City it will take you a less than an hour by plane or a little over 4 hours by car to reach
Panama's "desert". Though not a desert in strict ecological terms (Sarigua receives more than a meter of
rain each year), but the salt plains, the wind-blown sand, and cacti all evoke the image of "death valley". In
fact, Sarigua is a lesson in the peril of poor land management. Over-grazing, loss of topsoil, and erosion all
combine to create 8,000 hectares of devastation. If you want to study the biology of drought-stressed
vegetation this is the place! Parkinsonia ("palo verde"), Opuntia ("prickly pear cactus") Sesuvium ("ice
plant") Gossypum ("wild cotton") are the obvious vegetation (where there is vegetation). Fauna is
represented by pelicans, kingfisher, sonarcas and butterflies.
In addition to the ecological considerations, Sarigua is, according to Dr. Richard Cooke of the Smithsonian
Tropical Research Institute, the most important Pre-Columbian site in the Republic of Panama. Dating
back 11,000 years based on shell mounds and pottery fragments, Sarigua offers an unparalleled
archeological opportunity.

Soberania National Park, Panama Province
Only 25 kilometers from Panama City you will find the humid forest of Soberania National Park, which has
a variety of activities, like fishing, eco-studies, bird watching and hiking to offer. Two features in particular are outstanding: The Pipeline Road and El Charco interpretive trail. Pipeline Road, long known to tropical biologists, is one for the record books. A world record of bird appearances has been set here with 525 different species in a single day. Pipeline Road is a wonderful hike any time of year, for any reason. Howler monkeys, trogons, toucans, Morpho butterflies are among the regulars here. Bridges over forest streams are wonderful rest stops for a snack or trail lunch.
Sendero El Charco (the interpretive trail) is excellent for beginners. It is short (less than 2 kilometers),
a closed circuit (you end where you started, only smarter), and you can go swimming. This is an excellent
field trip for biology classes. You can do it in one hour or so.