Panama     [68]
(Independent in 1903 from Colombia)
ISO COUNTRY CODE: PA
LAND AREA: 78515 sq. km
NUMBER OF ISLANDS BY SIZE (sq. km):

>17,000	>10,000	>1,000	>100	>10	>1	<1	Unknown	TOTAL
0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

DEMOGRAPHY
  POPULATION: 2674000 (1996)
  DENSITY: 34 persons/sq. km    GROWTH RATE: 2%/year
  POP AGR/FISH/MINING: 26%
  URBAN POP: 53% (1994), versus 41% (1960), Annual Growth: 2.4%
  LIFE EXPECTANCY: 73.2 years,  ADULT LITERACY: 90.5%
  INFANT MORTALITY: 24 per/1000 (1994), versus 69 (1960)
  HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX: 0.864

ECONOMY
  GDP/Capita: $2369  GDP/Capita PPP: $6104
  GDP/Capita: 1960 $1068, 1970 $1710, 1980 $2255, 1990 $1967
  OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE: $50 million  ODA%GNP: 0.8%
  ODA/Capita: $19

ENVIRONMENT (see also individual islands)
  TOTAL FOREST AREA: 2800,000 ha, 37.6% of land area, 1.1 ha/capita
  NATURAL FOREST AREA: 2794,000 ha
  ARABLE LAND: 6.6% of land area
NATURE CONSERVATION INTEREST:

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
  ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION: 1367 kw-hr/capita, versus 585 kw-hr/cap (1970)
  TRADITIONAL FUEL CONSUMPTION: 21% (1993), versus 98% (1973)
  INTERNAL RENEWABLE WATER RESOURCES: 54.7,000 cu.m/cap/year
  SEAFOOD CONSUMPTION (1990-92): 12 kg/cap/year
  CHANGE IN ANNUAL MARINE CATCH 1980-82 to 1990-92: 7%

INSTITUTIONS
GOVERNMENT ENVIRONMENT/SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY: