Tourism in Panama

Panama is a country located in the southeast of Central America. Its official name is the Republic of Panama and its capital is the city of Panama, bounded on the north by the Caribbean Sea, on the south by the Pacific Ocean, on the east by Colombia and on the west by Costa Rica. It has an area of 75 420 km², located on the isthmus of the same name, a strip that connects South America with Central America, its mountainous territory is only interrupted by the Panama Canal, the interoceanic road that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and whose construction, at the beginning of the 20th century, is recognized as a milestone of engineering.

The Republic of Panama is a stretch of isthmus with a total area of 75,420 km² and 2,210 km² of surface area of territorial waters, totaling 77,630 km².

The country is located in Central America, between parallels 7 ° 11 ‘and 9 ° 37’ north latitude.

The maximum heights are Volú Barú with 3,475 m, Cerro Fábrega with 3,375 m, Itamut with 3,280 m and Echandi with 3,163 m. Its main islands are Coiba with 493 km², Del Rey with 234 km² and Cebaco with 80 km². The largest lakes are Gatun with 423.15 km², Bayano with 185.43 km² and Alajuela with 57 km². The most important rivers are the Chucunaque with 231 km, Tuira with 230 km, Bayano with 206 km, Santa María with 173 km and the most important river for its impact on the economy is the 125 km Chagres, vital for the functioning of the Panama Canal.

LIMITS

Borders: 687 km in total; Colombia 339 km, Costa Rica 348 km. Coasts: 2 490 km. It limits to the North with the Caribbean Sea, to the South with the Pacific Ocean, to the East with the Republic of Colombia and to the West with the Republic of Costa Rica.

EXTREME POINTS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA

To the North: Isla Tambor, located north of Isla Grande, Province of Colón. To the South: Jicarita Island, Located to the south of the island Jicarón, Province of Veraguas. To the East: Auxiliary Milestone # 10, located in Alto Limón, Province of Darién. To the West: Auxiliary Milestone # 60, located in San Bartolo, Province of Chiriquí.

FLORA AND FAUNA

It is the southernmost country in the region, it is also one of the most biodiverse. Due to its proximity to South America, it houses several South American species, such as the poncho or capibara (the largest rodent in the world), the bear or the spectacled bear, and the blue / yellow macaw (Ara ararauna). This cause makes Panama possess greater biodiversity than other countries in the region, such as El Salvador or Belize, and a greater number of species in some genera. It is the first country in the region in fish (1,497, neighbors in Costa Rica and Nicaragua harbor 1,254 and 1,176 species respectively), in birds (957 species) and mammals (229 species, including the largest number of primates in the region) with notable endemisms such as the howler monkey of the island of Coiba (Alouatta coibensis), the agouti or ñeque also of Coiba (Dasyprocta coibae) or the lazy pygmy of the island Escudo de Veraguas (Bradypus pygmaeus). It has 10,115 species of plants, reptiles 229 species and amphibians 179. According to the Environmental Performance Index (EPI), Panama is one of the countries that has an adequate control of environmental pollution.