Panama Facts
Over 30 percent of
Panama's land is protected by 15 national parks, 5 forest
preserves and 10 wildlife refuges.
Over 1,518 islands are
located within Panama's territorial waters. (1,023 in the
Caribbean and 495 in the Pacific).
Over 500 rivers run
through the country.
In the Canal zone,
Panama is only 52 miles wide.
More species of birds
live in Panama than in all of North America and Canada combined.
Panama is the ideal
site to enjoy a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, as
well as over 10,000 species of plants, including 1,200 varieties
of orchids, 678 species of ferns and 1,500 varieties of trees.
Four areas in Panama
have been declared World Heritage sites by UNESCO.
Panama has seven of the 12 zones necessary to sustain the land's
principal ecosystems.
Panama includes areas
that hold world records in the observation of different bird
species as well as world record-holding fishing grounds.
The famous red frog is
found in the archipelago of the Bastimentos Island National Marine
Park in the Bocas del Toro Province. Panama's coasts and islands
are replete with protected coral reefs, which are home to a
diversity of marine species and are excellent sites for diving and
snorkeling enthusiasts.
The world's first
transoceanic railway was built between 1850 and 1855, and the trip
from one shore to the other takes less than two hours.
Up until 40 years ago, Gatun Lake was the largest man-made lake in
the world and when it was created, it flooded nearly 262 square
kilometers of forest, villages and original railroad lines.
The Panama Canal is
one of the wonders of the modern world. It was completed by the
government of the United States in 1920.
It took 10 years to build the Panama Canal with a labor force of
over 75,000 men and women at a cost of approximately $400 million
dollars and it opened to maritime traffic on August 15, 1914.
On several occasions
Panama was the victim of pillage by pirates such as Henry Morgan
and Francis Drake.
It was on Panamanian
soil that Spain founded the first city of the New World on solid
ground - Santa Maria la Antigua de Darien.
Archeological
excavations carried out by the Smithsonian Institute have found
the remains of pottery and shells that demonstrate the existence
of human settlements dating back to 300 years before Christ.
Panama is the home of
Central America's largest convention center, ATLAPA.
All the gold and silver from Peru and other countries in the
Americas was transported to a town called "Name of God" in the
Colon Province by way of the Camino Real and from there to Europe.
The name "Panama"
originated in pre-Colombian times and means "abundance of fish,
butterflies and trees".
Panama is a natural
land bridge that connects North and Central America with South
America. Consequently, Panama's tropical jungles and forests are
teeming with animal and plant species from both continents. More
bird species live in Panama than in North America. In total, there
are 954 indigenous bird species plus hundreds of migrating bird
species. Panama is also home to 225 mammal species, 214 reptile
species and 143 amphibious species, as well as host to more than
10,000 plant species, including 1,200 orchid varieties, 678 fern
species and 1,500 varieties of trees.
Panama provides visitors with an abundance of protected areas.
More than 29 percent of Panama's land mass is given over to 15
national parks, a dozen forest reserves and 10 wild life
sanctuaries.
In the highlands, in the province of Chiriqui, you can see
quetzals, and in the jungles of Darien you can see the Harpy
Eagle, the national bird. The mountain chain (Cordillera) of Cerro
Azul, the humid forest regions of the Baru Volcano and the Cerro
La Vieja, as well as the famous Oil Pipe Road (Camino del
Oleoducto) in the National Park Soberania are all recognized as
world-class bird observation sites
The natural monument of Barro Colorado is a wild life sanctuary
used as a natural laboratory by the Smithsonian Institute.
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