Just the Facts Ma'am

For those of you who are wondering how much time you have left with your favorite Kristin, I am posting move dates etc. below. I also, per Laura's request, am including a section with a few facts about Panama.

Kristin's Panama Timeline

May 1, 2009: Official start date in new position of Regional Business Process Expert for E-business

May 17-23, 2009: Dad and I will be flying to Panama City to wrap up the work visa process and also to find me a place to live. I'm sure there will be plenty of posts about this adventure.

June 2-4, 2009: Movers are packing up the house and shipping my furniture to Panama. I will also be leaving the cute little house that has become my home over these last six years. At this time I will also be moving in with my cousins here in Tulsa. Thank goodness for them. (Thanks Carole and Dave!)

June 27, 2009: Fly, fly away for good. (And, hopefully my things will arrive just a week later.)

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Panama Facts

Please note all facts are from the CIA World Factbook unless otherwise stated. I did not write or create any of these facts myself. Map is also courtesy of the CIA World Factbook.


Why you know Panama: Well, the Panama Canal of course. If you would like to know more, check out the Panama Canal on Wikipedia. (What did we do before Wikipedia?) The long and storied history of the canal is too long for my meager blog.

Background: Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama broke with Spain in 1821 and joined a union of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela - named the Republic of Gran Colombia. When the latter dissolved in 1830, Panama remained part of Colombia. With US backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903 and promptly signed a treaty with the US allowing for the construction of a canal and US sovereignty over a strip of land on either side of the structure (the Panama Canal Zone). The Panama Canal was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914. In 1977, an agreement was signed for the complete transfer of the Canal from the US to Panama by the end of the century. Certain portions of the Zone and increasing responsibility over the Canal were turned over in the subsequent decades. With US help, dictator Manuel NORIEGA was deposed in 1989. The entire Panama Canal, the area supporting the Canal, and remaining US military bases were transferred to Panama by the end of 1999. In October 2006, Panamanians approved an ambitious plan to expand the Canal. The project, which began in 2007 and could double the Canal's capacity, is expected to be completed in 2014-15. For more information, check out Lonely Planet's great Panama History information.

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

Total Area: 78200 sq km (roughly 30,193 sq mi) which makes it slightly smaller than South Carolina

Climate: Tropical maritime; hot, humid, prolonged rainy season. Temperature is pretty steady at between 32-35ºC (89-95ºF) in the day and between 21-24ºC (70-75ºF) at night (in Panama City, at least. Climate varies by region and Panama has a very diverse topography. -Kristin) Humidity is always above 80%.

Terrain: interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills

Natural resources: copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower

Population: 3,360,474

Languages: Spanish (official), English 14%; note-many Panamanians bilingual

Government type: constitutional democracy

Capital: Panama (Only called Panama City by us gringos. -Kristin)

President: Martin Torrijos Espino (New elections coming in 2009)

Flag:


Economy overview: Panama's dollarized economy rests primarily on a well-developed services sector that accounts for 80% of GDP. Services include operating the Panama Canal, banking, the Colon Free Zone, insurance, container ports, flagship registry, and tourism. Economic growth will be bolstered by the Panama Canal expansion project that began in 2007 and is scheduled to be completed by 2014 at a cost of $5.3 billion - about 25% of current GDP. The expansion project will more than double the Canal's capacity, enabling it to accommodate ships that are now too large to transverse the transoceanic crossway, and should help to reduce the high unemployment rate. Strong economic performance has reduced the national poverty level to 29% in 2008; however, Panama has the second most unequal income distribution in Latin America. The government has implemented tax reforms, as well as social security reforms, and backs regional trade agreements and development of tourism. Not a CAFTA signatory, Panama in December 2006 independently negotiated a free trade agreement with the US, which, when implemented, will help promote the country's economic growth. For even more detailed economic information, check the CIA World Factbook: Panama

International Airport for when you come to visit me: Tocumen International Airport (Airport code: PTY) (source: Wikipedia)

Closing thoughts: If you would like more information about Panama, it's very easy to research yourself. You'll also be spared from reading all my endless babble. A couple of good places to look are The Lonely Planet for good travel info, photos, and interesting insights; The CIA World Factbook if you want just the facts: government style; and Wikipedia's collection of information all things Panama. Or, you know, you could just type "panama" into google and hit "search". That's what I did...

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