Cruising to Panama

Background

With US backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903 and promptly signed a treaty with the US allowing for the construction of a canal and US sovereignty over a strip of land on either side of the structure (the Panama Canal Zone). The Panama Canal was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914. On 7 September 1977, an agreement was signed for the complete transfer of the Canal from the US to Panama by the end of 1999.

Certain portions of the Zone and increasing responsibility over the Canal were turned over in the intervening years. With US help, dictator Manuel NORIEGA was deposed in 1989. The entire Panama Canal, the area supporting the Canal, and remaining US military bases were turned over to Panama by or on 31 December 1999.

Geography

Location: Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica
Geographic coordinates: 9 00 N, 80 00 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total: 78,200 sq km
Land: 75,990 sq km
Water: 2,210 sq km

Coastline

2,490 km

Maritime claims

Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate

Tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)

Terrain

Interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills

Elevation extremes

Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Volcan de Chiriqui 3,475 m

Economy

Panama's dollarised economy rests primarily on a well-developed services sector that accounts for three-fourths of GDP. Services include operating the Panama Canal, banking, the Colon Free Zone, insurance, container ports, flagship registry, and tourism. A slump in the Colon Free Zone and agricultural exports, the global slowdown, and the withdrawal of US military forces held back economic growth in 2000-03; growth picked up in 2004 and 2005 led by export-oriented services and a construction boom stimulated by tax incentives. The government has implemented tax reforms, as well as social security reforms, and backs regional trade agreements and development of tourism. Unemployment remains high.

Transportation

Airports: 109 (2005)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 47
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 62
Railways: total: 355 km
Roadways: total: 11,643 km

Waterways

800 km (includes 82 km Panama Canal) (2005)

Merchant marine

Total: 5,254 ships (1000 GRT or over) 137,914,883 GRT/206,848,688 DWT
By type: barge carrier 27, bulk carrier 1,651, cargo 951, chemical tanker 452, combination ore/oil 11, container 625, liquefied gas 188, livestock carrier 6, passenger 46, passenger/cargo 77, petroleum tanker 516, refrigerated cargo 307, roll on/roll off 109, specialized tanker 21, vehicle carrier 267
Foreign-owned: 4,688 (Argentina 9, Australia 4, The Bahamas 1, Bangladesh 1, Belgium 13, Bermuda 2, Brazil 2, Canada 3, Chile 11, China 370, Colombia 6, Croatia 4, Cuba 8, Cyprus 8, Denmark 28, Egypt 17, Estonia 3, France 8, Germany 29, Greece 536, Hong Kong 168, India 16, Indonesia 50, Iran 4, Ireland 2, Isle of Man 2, Israel 3, Italy 16, Japan 1,921, Jordan 12, South Korea 285, Kuwait 2, Latvia 4, Lebanon 1, Lithuania 6, Malaysia 13, Maldives 2, Malta 2, Marshall Islands 1, Mexico 5, Monaco 9, Netherlands 26, NZ 1, Nigeria 6, Norway 57, Pakistan 2, Peru 14, Philippines 17, Poland 19, Portugal 12, Romania 9, Russia 6, Saudi Arabia 4, Singapore 57, South Africa 3, Spain 48, Sri Lanka 6, Sudan 1, Swaziland 1, Sweden 5, Switzerland 206, Syria 9, Taiwan 302, Thailand 10, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Tunisia 1, Turkey 31, Ukraine 7, UAE 89, UK 36, US 97, Venezuela 14, Vietnam 2, Yemen 1, unknown 1) (2005)

Other Sailing Destinations in the Region

Argentina - Belize - Brazil - Chile - Colombia - Costa Rica - Ecuador - El Salvador - French Guiana - Guatemala - Guyana - Honduras - Mexico - Nicaragua - Panama - Peru - St. Pierre and Miquelon - Suriname - Uruguay - Venezuela

Sailing Specifics: Ports and terminals

Balboa, Colon, Cristobal

Further Reading

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