Conventional Long Form Name of country: Republic of Panama
Capital City(ies): Panama City
Type of Government: constitutional democracy
Date of Independence: 3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain on 28 November 1821)
National Holiday(s): Independence Day, 3 November (1903)
Chief of State:
President Ricardo MARTINELLI Berrocal (since 1 July 2009); Vice President Juan Carlos VARELA Rodriguez (since 1 July 2009)
Head of Government:
President Ricardo MARTINELLI Berrocal (since 1 July 2009); Vice President Juan Carlos VARELA Rodriguez (since 1 July 2009)
Description of Executive Branch/Powers:
Cabinet appointed by the president
Description of Legislative Branch/Powers:
unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (71 seats; members elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Description of Judicial Branch/Powers:
highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 9 magistrates and 9 alternates and divided into civil, criminal, administrative, and general
business chambers)
judge selection and term of office: magistrates appointed by the president for staggered 10-year terms
subordinate courts: appellate courts or Tribunal Superior; Labor Supreme Courts; Court of Audit; circuit courts or Tribunal Circuital (2 each in 9 provinces); municipal courts; electoral, family, maritime, and adolescent courts
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Their Ambassador to the U.S.:
Ambassador Mario Ernesto JARAMILLO Castillo (since 17 February 2011)
Location of their embassy in the U.S.: N/A
Location(s) of their consulate(s) in the U.S.:
Honolulu, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, Tampa
Name of U.S. Ambassador to them:
Ambassador Jonathan D. FARRAR (since 15 May 2012)
Location of U.S. embassy there:
Edificio 783, Avenida Demetrio Basilio Lakas Panama, Apartado Postal 0816-02561, Zona 5, Panama City
Location(s) of U.S. consulate(s) there: N/A
Name of their representative to UN:
Pablo Antonio THALASSINOS
Description of the Symbolism of flag:
divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white (hoist side)
with a blue five-pointed star in the center and plain red; the bottom quadrants
are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the
center; the blue and red colors are those of the main political parties
(Conservatives and Liberals respectively) and the white denotes peace between
them; the blue star stands for the civic virtues of purity and honesty, the red
star signifies authority and law
National Symbol(s):
harpy eagle
Descriptions of International Disputes:
organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia operate within the remote border region with Panama
Quantity of refugees inside country and country(ies) of origin of refugees:
refugees (country of origin): 15,723 (Colombia) (2012)
Quantity of Internally Displaced Persons: N/A
Quantity of Stateless Persons: N/A
Description of current human trafficking issues related to this country: N/A
Description of Illicit Drug trafficking/use:
major cocaine transshipment point and primary money-laundering center for
narcotics revenue; money-laundering activity is especially heavy in the Colon
Free Zone; offshore financial center; negligible signs of coca cultivation;
monitoring of financial transactions is improving; official corruption remains a
major problem
Capital City(ies): Panama City
Type of Government: constitutional democracy
Date of Independence: 3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain on 28 November 1821)
National Holiday(s): Independence Day, 3 November (1903)
Chief of State:
President Ricardo MARTINELLI Berrocal (since 1 July 2009); Vice President Juan Carlos VARELA Rodriguez (since 1 July 2009)
Head of Government:
President Ricardo MARTINELLI Berrocal (since 1 July 2009); Vice President Juan Carlos VARELA Rodriguez (since 1 July 2009)
Description of Executive Branch/Powers:
Cabinet appointed by the president
Description of Legislative Branch/Powers:
unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (71 seats; members elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Description of Judicial Branch/Powers:
highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 9 magistrates and 9 alternates and divided into civil, criminal, administrative, and general
business chambers)
judge selection and term of office: magistrates appointed by the president for staggered 10-year terms
subordinate courts: appellate courts or Tribunal Superior; Labor Supreme Courts; Court of Audit; circuit courts or Tribunal Circuital (2 each in 9 provinces); municipal courts; electoral, family, maritime, and adolescent courts
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Their Ambassador to the U.S.:
Ambassador Mario Ernesto JARAMILLO Castillo (since 17 February 2011)
Location of their embassy in the U.S.: N/A
Location(s) of their consulate(s) in the U.S.:
Honolulu, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, Tampa
Name of U.S. Ambassador to them:
Ambassador Jonathan D. FARRAR (since 15 May 2012)
Location of U.S. embassy there:
Edificio 783, Avenida Demetrio Basilio Lakas Panama, Apartado Postal 0816-02561, Zona 5, Panama City
Location(s) of U.S. consulate(s) there: N/A
Name of their representative to UN:
Pablo Antonio THALASSINOS
Description of the Symbolism of flag:
divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white (hoist side)
with a blue five-pointed star in the center and plain red; the bottom quadrants
are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the
center; the blue and red colors are those of the main political parties
(Conservatives and Liberals respectively) and the white denotes peace between
them; the blue star stands for the civic virtues of purity and honesty, the red
star signifies authority and law
National Symbol(s):
harpy eagle
Descriptions of International Disputes:
organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia operate within the remote border region with Panama
Quantity of refugees inside country and country(ies) of origin of refugees:
refugees (country of origin): 15,723 (Colombia) (2012)
Quantity of Internally Displaced Persons: N/A
Quantity of Stateless Persons: N/A
Description of current human trafficking issues related to this country: N/A
Description of Illicit Drug trafficking/use:
major cocaine transshipment point and primary money-laundering center for
narcotics revenue; money-laundering activity is especially heavy in the Colon
Free Zone; offshore financial center; negligible signs of coca cultivation;
monitoring of financial transactions is improving; official corruption remains a
major problem