Geography (Panama)
==================


     Total area:
         78,200 km2
     Land area:
         75,990 km2
     Comparative area:
         slightly smaller than South Carolina
     Land boundaries:
         555 km total; Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km
     Coastline:
         2,490 km
     Maritime claims:
       Territorial sea:
         200 nm
     Disputes:
         none
     Climate:
         tropical; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short
         dry season (January to May)
     Terrain:
         interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland plains;
         coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills
     Natural resources:
         copper, mahogany forests, shrimp
     Land use:
         arable land 6%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 15%; forest and
         woodland 54%; other 23%; includes irrigated NEGL%
     Environment:
         dense tropical forest in east and northwest
     Note:
         strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge connecting
         North and South America; controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic
         Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean