According to Concepcion Gutierrez del Castillo in the book Panama, an Architectural & Landscape Guide "Panama today is the synthesis of America, the key to the deepest appreciation of the New World, both past and present. This status is provided by its geographical situation, an isthmus connecting two continental masses and two oceans; by its people, shaped by European, African and indigenous blood; by its culture, forged by the Spanish and U.S. empires; and last but certainly not least, by its architecture, cities, human landscape, mountains and forests, valleys and plains, bays and islands, riverscapes and seascapes."
The Republic of Panama, with a territorial extension of 78,200 square kilometers (30,193 sq.miles), is located in the tropics with a wide variety of easily accessible habitats.
The country owns 1,518 islands, divided into 1,023 in the Caribbean and 495 in the Pacific. Panama is divided into 9 provinces which are subdivided into districts.

The Panama Canal, considered the eighth wonder of the world runs approximately 51 miles from its northern entrance in the Atlantic Ocean to its southern exit in the Pacific Ocean. The Canal area has 1,432 km2 (553 sq. miles). On average, 13,000 ships cross the Canal annually, considering it an immense time saver when compared to the journey going around the tip of South America or navigating the dangerous waters of the Strait of Magellan

At this moment, about 32% of Panama's land area is protected. These protected areas are comprised of 14 national parks, more than a dozen forest reserves and 10 wildlife refuges. Approximately 40% of the total surface of the country is covered by rainforests.

Panama has a tropical climate consisting of 2 seasons: Rainy Season from May to January and Dry Season from January to May.

Home to seven different, flourishing indigenous groups of people, Panama's natural history and ethnically diverse culture makes us different from Costa Rica and several other countries in Central America. Ethnic groups such as the Kunas, Gnobe-Bugle, Teribes, Wounaans, Bri-Bri, and Bogotas have managed to conserve their customs and traditions to the present day. The government has created five large indigenous districts in order to provide them with protection. The Kunas are well known for their molas, a colored mosaic which constitutes true works of art, unique in the world. The Emberas and Wounaans are excellent workers of a precious wood, cocobolo, and carve a seed known as tagua, the vegetable ivory. The Gnobe-Bugle is best known for the chaquiras or adorned breastplates made of glass beadwork, as well as their sumptuous overdresses.

Our main language is Spanish, but English is a strong second. Because Panama is a bustling financial center, we have diverse banking firms and our currency is the U.S. Dollar.

Since Panama has the greatest biodiversity of the world, it is proudly home to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the largest and most important investigation organization in the world.