Panama

The population of Panama is mostly made up of mestizos- a mixture of indigenous people with Chinese, West Indian, European, Spanish, etc. Throughout history Middle Eastern, Swiss and North American people immigrated into the small country and left their cultural traces visible through the traditions, ethnicities, architecture, etc. Indigenous communities make up 8% of the whole population and consist of seven different groups. About 85% of the population is Roman Catholic while the other 15% is Protestant. In regions that are populated by indigenous people, they practice their own religions as well.

Panama is divided into nine provinces (Bocas del Toro, Coclé, Colón, Chiriquí, Darién, Herrera, Los Santos, Panamá and Veraguas) and five indigenous regions (Kuna Yala, Emberá Wounan, Kuna de Madungandí, Kuna de Wargandí and Gnobe Buglé). Each province has its own cultural traditions of music, dance, dress and cuisine. Panama has one homogeneous language that all people speak—Spanish. However, you will find that many of the people speak English as well in order to facilitate the tourism industry that is one of the main income sources for the country.

Panama has a tropical climate that varies depending on the region and altitude but consists of two seasons: a dry and a rainy season. On the Caribbean Coast it can rain sporadically all year long while on the Pacific coast the climate is drier. The Azuero Peninsula is extremely dry year-round whereas in the mountains it rains very often during the rainy season. The rainy season runs from May to November whereas the dry season is from December to April with March and April as the hottest months of the year. The altitude drastically influences the temperature in different sectors of the country. Temperatures on the coast reach about 95°F (35°C) and then gradually decrease every 150 meters above sea level. The best time to travel to Panama is during the dry season from mid-December to mid-April; however, during the rainy season, there are fewer tourists and it is cheaper to travel.

Thousands of tourists come yearly to Panama to witness the diversity of animal and flower species. The country is home to approximately 9000 different plant species as well as the abundance of animals like the coati, peccary, tapir, many different kinds of monkeys and reptiles like alligators that live along the coast. Throughout the country there are many national parks which preserve the beautiful flora and fauna. Panama is the perfect place to explore the protected wildlife!

Don't miss out on what you will find in Panama!