Panama

A transcontinental country located in the end point of the heart of its continent, Panama comprises the natural land bridge between the North and South. Its neighboring regions are Pacific Ocean to the south, Greater Colombia to the east, Costa Rica to the west and Atlantic Ocean to the north.

A lot have been said about where the word “Panama” came from. There are those who said that it originated from an unknown aboriginal dialect which means “abundance of fish” or “wealth of butterflies.” There is also a comical account that said, it was derived from a Kuna term denoting “farther that way” which they told the explorers who were looking for gold. Surprising as it may sound but it is also the name of a kind of tree in the isthmus.

By 1999, Panama was able to take authority of its canal that joins the North Atlantic Ocean via the Caribbean Sea with the North Pacific Ocean. There was nearly an impassable jungle that develops the gap between them and Colombia. It actually breaks in the Pan- American Highway which then creates an entire road leading from Alaska to Chile.

The economy of Paname is service- based where they are heavily dependent towards banking, commerce and tourism due to its geography. There is a massive handover of military installations by the United States that paved way for newer infrastructures to be built. It was the administration of Martin Torrijos that has assumed controversial structural reforms especially in their pecuniary matters, especially the very difficult Social Security Reform.

Its government adopted the democratic republic structure where it is represented by a president. Their political divisions are composed of 9 provinces and 75 municipalities as well as 5 indigenous communities.

Darien is positioned in the eastern corner where its weather is very humid and its population is just sparse. It was the Europeans who initially discovered it in 1501 where Christopher Columbus sighted it in his fourth voyage two years after.
Chirqui is divided into 13 districts where it is located in the western region. It is surrounded by Bocas del Toro and Ngobo- Bugle in the north, Costa Rica in the west, Veraguas in the east and Pacific in the south.
Cocle is situated in the center of the southern coast. Penonome is its capital which came to be by the Act of September 12, 1855 conferred the title of a Department during the term of Dr. Justo de Arosemena.
Colon is divided into 5 districts which has traditionally focused in commerce and trading. However, it is also rich in natural resources that are now being developed as a tourist attraction.
Herrera is coined after a general called Tomas. It is bordered by provinces of Cocle in the north, Los Santos in the south, Golfo de Parita in the east and Veraguas in the west.