Location:
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica

Geographic coordinates:
9 00 N, 80 00 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 75,420 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 74,340 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 1,080 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 118

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than South Carolina
Area comparison map: slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries:
total: 687 km
border countries (2): Colombia 339 km, Costa Rica 348 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
2,490 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or edge of continental margin

Climate:
tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)

Terrain:
interior mostly steep, rugged mountains with dissected, upland plains; coastal plains with rolling hills

Elevation:
mean elevation: 360 m
[see also: Mean Elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Volcan Baru 3,475 m

Natural resources:
copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower

Land use:
agricultural land: 30.5% arable land 7.3%; permanent crops 2.5%; permanent pasture 20.7%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 43.6%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 25.9% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
321 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population - distribution:
population is concentrated towards the center of the country, particularly around the Canal, but a sizeable segment of the populace also lives in the far west around David; the eastern third of the country is sparsely inhabited

Natural hazards:
occasional severe storms and forest fires in the Darien area

Environment - current issues:
water pollution from agricultural runoff threatens fishery resources; deforestation of tropical rain forest; land degradation and soil erosion threatens siltation of Panama Canal; air pollution in urban areas; mining threatens natural resources

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - 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