1. Panama is home to 976 bird species, more than the United States and Canada combined.
2. Panama celebrates two independence days—from Spain in 1821 and from Colombia in 1903– both in November.
3. Punta Pacifica Hospital in Panama City is considered the most technologically-advanced facility in Latin America.
4. Panama is bordered by Costa Rica to the west and Colombia to the southeast, making it transcontinental.
5 Copa Airlines, based in Panama City, maintains a fleet of 97 planes, flying to 91 destinations worldwide.
6. Panama is home to a known 1,500 varieties of native orchids– one of the highest in the world.
7. Panama has the second largest duty-free zone in the world, second only to Hong Kong.
8. Health care in Panama– from general doctor visits to specialty treatments, routinely runs 20-30% cheaper in Panama than in the United States. Dental work can offer even higher savings.
9. The highest point in Panama is Volcan Baru at 11,401 feet. On a clear day, you can see both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea from the summit.
10. More than 140 Panamanians have played professional baseball in the United States, more than any other Central American country.
11. Panama has more than 1,500 miles of beach shoreline. While some beach areas are becoming more developed, others are largely untouched.
12. At the fish market, or Mercado in Panama City, salmon costs $1.50 a pound and tuna goes for $3 a pound.
13. The highest toll ever paid to transit the Panama Canal was $829,468 by a neo-Panamax container ship.
14. The only break in the Pan-American Highway from Alaska to the southern tip of South America is the jungle in the Darian Gap in Panama.
15. The rainy season in Panama is from April to December and can result in an average of 118 inches of rain.
16. Panama City is a thriving and diverse cosmopolitan city with a population of over 1.5 million. The city is an international business hub and a popular tourist destination.
17. It takes between eight and 10 hours for a ship to transit the Panama Canal.
18. Wine is generally less expensive in Panama. A good Chilean wine will cost about $6.
19. Panamanian Mariano Rivera is the only professional baseball player to enter the Hall of Fame unanimously.
20. Panama’s rapid growth over the last decade is due in part to various incentives for foreign retirement and investment.
21. Panama is a world-class destination for deep-sea fishing. Some popular catches are the Blue and Black Marlin and Sailfish.
22. Panama maintains a 911 number for emergencies. Response time tends to be comparable to the U.S. unless you are in a remote area.
23. Panama is an isthmus– a strip of land acting as a bridge between North and South America. This geographic position makes Panama an important trading route and the ideal location for the Panama Canal.
24. Panama permanently abolished it’s standing army in 1990. It maintains a small para-military police force and has remained a peaceful country.
25. The prestigious Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute is located in Panama and hosts 800 international scholars annually.
26. An average of 35-40 ships transit the Panama Canal each day.
27. The expression “another day, another dollar” originated in Panama, since laborers working at the Panama Canal were paid a dollar a day.
28. Sixty-five percent of Panamanians are considered “Mestizo” or mixed white and Native American.
29. Panama’s Pensionado Program offers significant discounts to retirees in Panama on things like medical treatment, medications, airline tickets, entertainment, and professional services.
30. Panama is home to one of the world’s largest copper mines– the Cobre Panama Copper Mine– which is owned by a Canadian corporation and employs approximately 13,000.
31. Panama produces some of the best coffee in the world. It’s one of the country’s largest exports.
32. Panama recognizes seven distinct indigenous tribes, including the Embera, the Kuna, and the Ngäbe. Tribes often have full autonomy and sovereignty over their land, such as the Kuna has over the San Blas Islands.
33. Panama is currently constructing a fourth bridge over the Panama Canal. The bridge is expected to improve access western between business districts and Panama City.
34. The National Panamanian soccer team competed for the first time in the FIFA World Cup held in Russia in 2018.
35. A movie was made about Panamanian boxer Roberto Durán– Hands of Stone, starring Robert De Niro.
36. Panama is considered a perfect surfing destination with consistent waves on both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.
37 There are more than 1,600 islands off the coast of Panama.
38 Ulus are the sleek and colorful canoes used in Panama by Native Americans.
39 Panama was the first Spanish colony on the Pacific coast, established 500 years ago.
40. Over 52% of Panamanians are 29 years-old or younger.
41. There are five World Heritage Sites in Panama, including Casco Viejo, the “old” city of Panama.
42. Casco Viejo, located in Panama City, is a UNESCO world heritage site and thriving tourist destination. It has the densest concentration of restaurants in Panama.
43. Panamanian musician Rubin Blades has won nine Grammy awards.
44. Andre Patsias, who trained at the two-starred Michelin restaurant, Noma in Denmark is now preparing suckling pig in Panama.
45. Panama City is an 11.5 hour flight from Paris!
46. The name Panama means “abundance of fish”.
47. Panama is known for producing some of the best rum in the world.
48. Fodor’s named La Posta the best restaurant in Panama. It’s located next door to the Waldorf Astoria.
49. The seventh season of the television show, Survivor, was filmed on the Pearl Islands in Panama.
50. The Kuna Tribe is one of Panama’s oldest communities and they make their income from coconuts and tourism.
51. The Magen David Academy in Panama City is the only orthodox Jewish school in Latin America.
52. You can find cool weather in Panama if you head up to the mountain regions. In Boquete, a popular expat community, the temperature ranges between 55-75°F.
53. The Magen David Academy in Panama City is the only orthodox Jewish school in Latin America.
54. MARTA, Panama’s premier anthropological museum, has more than 15,000 pre-Columbian artifacts.
55. In Panama, it take 5.5 months for a banana plant to “give birth” and another two weeks for the fruit to fully develop.
56. The are no actual addresses in Panama.
57. Panama is home to several “expat communities” that are popular with foreigners from North America and parts of Europe.
58. Lobsters were first successfully grown in a land-based aquaculture in Panama, 30 minutes from the ocean.
59. Panamanian culture is an amalgamation of indigenous, European and African influences.
60. Freedom of religion is a right guaranteed in the Constitution of Panama.
61. There are over 150 multi-national companies in Panama including Nestle, Coca Cola, FedEx, Dell, Estee Lauder, Adidas and Procter & Gamble.
62. Panama has a growing number of craft and micro breweries, such as the popular Rana Dorada in Panama City.
63. The Panama Canal Railway is the oldest transcontinental railroad in the world.
64. A veterinarian is on duty at Tocumen International Airport, Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm to welcome your pet and check papers.
65. Panama is the only Central American country with a public subway system.
66. Panama is the first Central American nation to ban plastic bags.
67. Panama is too close to the equator to allow hurricanes to form so the country is hurricane-free.
68. Panama is the only country on the planet to have a rainforest located in it’s capitol city.
69. Panama’s First Lady is only Panamanian by heart. She was born in Puerto Rica.
70. Panama has more flora and fauna in 2.5 acres than in all of North America.
