Panama

Panama is a country in Central America.

It sits between two big oceans. The Caribbean Sea is to the north. The Pacific Ocean is to the south.

Many green jungles cover the land.

These forests have many plants and animals. Some of them live nowhere else.

A big canal runs through the land. This canal helps ships move between oceans. It helps people trade goods.

Panama City is the largest city. Many people live there. It is the capital of the land.

People can see many bright flowers.

Panama is a very special place.

Panama is a country in Central America.

It sits between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. To the west is Costa Rica. To the southeast is Colombia.

Many green jungles cover the land.

These forests have many plants and animals. Some live nowhere else on Earth. You might see the Holy Spirit flower there.

A famous canal runs through the country. The United States helped build it between 1904 and 1914.

Panama took control of the canal in 1999. Today, ships pay tolls to use it. This helps the country make money.

Panama City is the capital. It is also the largest city. Nearly half of the people live in that area.

Long ago, many indigenous tribes lived here. Some say the name Panama means "many butterflies." Others say it means "abundance of fish." The country has a high-income economy. It is known for banking and tourism.

Panama is a country located at the southern end of Central America.

It sits in North America, right next to South America. To the west, it shares a border with Costa Rica. To the southeast, it borders Colombia.

The land is tucked between two big bodies of water. The Caribbean Sea is to the north. The Pacific Ocean is to the south. This special shape is called an isthmus. An isthmus is a narrow strip of land. It connects two larger areas of land.

Nature is a huge part of life in Panama. About 40 percent of the land is covered by thick jungles.

These forests are full of tropical plants and animals. Some of these living things are found nowhere else on Earth. You might see the Holy Spirit flower in the wild.

The weather can change depending on where you go. The highlands often have a cooler climate.

In other places, it is warm and wet. The map shows how these different climates are spread across the country.

Many different people have lived in Panama throughout history. Long ago, indigenous tribes like the Cueva lived there.

Some people believe the name Panama means "many butterflies." Others think it means "abundance of fish." Spanish explorers arrived in the early 1500s.

They used the land as a path to move gold and silver. They called this path the Royal Road. In 1519, Pedro Arias Dávila founded Panama City.

This city became a very important place for trade.

A famous waterway called the Panama Canal runs through the country. The United States helped build it between 1904 and 1914.

The United States Army Corps of Engineers did the work. Later, a treaty was signed to change who controlled it.

On December 31, 1999, the canal was handed over to Panama.

In 2016, a big project finished that doubled the canal's capacity.

Today, ships pay tolls to pass through this path.

Panama has a very strong economy today. It is known as a high-income country. Many people work in banking, tourism, and commerce.

The money from canal tolls is a big part of the country's wealth.

Panama City is the capital and the largest city. Nearly half of the country's million inhabitants live in the city area.

Panama is also a founding member of the United Nations. This means it works with many other countries to help the world.

Panama is a country located at the southern end of Central America.

It sits in North America and borders South America. To the west, it shares a border with Costa Rica. To the southeast, it borders Colombia. The Caribbean Sea lies to the north. The Pacific Ocean lies to the south. This narrow strip of land is called an isthmus.

An isthmus connects two larger landmasses. The formation of the Isthmus of Panama occurred about three million years ago. This land bridge completed the connection between North and South America. This event allowed plants and animals to move between the continents. It also changed how people, agriculture, and technology spread across the Americas.

Before Spanish colonists arrived in the 16th century, many indigenous tribes lived in Panama. These groups included the Chibchan, Chocoan, and Cueva peoples. The Cueva were one of the largest groups.

Some ancient sites, like Monagrillo, show evidence of pottery-making from 2500 to 1700 BC. Other cultures left behind spectacular burials and colorful pottery. Archaeological finds even suggest trade networks reached as far as the Philippines. Evidence shows coconuts from the Philippines reached the Pacific coast in pre-Columbian times. The exact number of indigenous people is debated. Some estimates suggest two million people lived there. Newer studies place the number closer to 200,000. Many natives died from infectious diseases like smallpox. They had no immunity to these new illnesses.

European exploration began in the early 1500s. Rodrigo de Bastidas was the first European to explore the isthmus in 1501. Christopher Columbus visited in 1502 and established a short-lived settlement. In 1513, Vasco Núñez de Balboa trekked from the Atlantic to the Pacific. This proved the isthmus was a path between the seas.

In 1519, Pedro Arias Dávila founded Panama City.

Panama became a vital marketplace for the Spanish Empire. Silver from South America was hauled across the land. This route was called the Camino Real, or Royal Road. It was also known as the Camino de Cruces. This name came from the many gravesites along the path. Panama also connected to Asia via the Manila galleons. Traders moved silver from Peru through Panama to reach Mexico.

Panama's history includes many periods of conflict and change. The city of Panama was sacked and burned in 1671 by Henry Morgan.

In 1698, a Scottish colony called the Darien scheme was established. This colony failed and caused significant debt in Scotland. Panama was under Spanish rule from 1538 to 1821. It broke away from Spain in 1821. It then joined the Republic of Gran Colombia. After Gran Colombia dissolved in 1831, Panama became part of the Republic of Colombia. In 1903, Panama seceded from Colombia with the support of the United States.

This independence allowed for the construction of the Panama Canal.

The Panama Canal is a massive engineering feat. The United States Army Corps of Engineers built it between 1904 and 1914.

The canal allows ships to pass between the oceans without sailing around South America. In 1977, the Torrijos–Carter Treaties were signed.

This agreement planned the transfer of the canal to Panama. The surrounding territory was returned in 1979. On December 31, 1999, Panama took full control of the canal. A major expansion project was finished in 2016.

This project doubled the capacity of the canal.

Today, Panama has a high-income economy. Commerce, banking, and tourism are its major sectors. Revenue from canal tolls is very important for the country's GDP.

Panama City is the capital and the largest city. Nearly half of the country's million inhabitants live in the metropolitan area.

In 2018, it was the seventh-most competitive economy in Latin America. In 2019, it ranked 57th on the Human Development Index. The country is also a founding member of the United Nations. It belongs to many other groups, like the World Health Organization.

Nature remains a vital part of the Panamanian landscape. Jungles cover about 40 percent of the land area. These forests are home to many tropical plants and animals. Some species are found nowhere else on Earth.

You can find the Holy Spirit flower in these jungles.

The climate varies across the country. Some areas are warm and wet. The highlands often have a much cooler climate.

The map shows how these different climates are spread out.

This biological diversity makes Panama a unique place in the world.