Panama is a sovereign country in Central America, in the wider region of the Americas. Treaties and official documents call it Republic of Panama. The capital is Panama City, the same name as the country, which is the usual sign of a city-state.
It covers 75,417 km², which ranks it 120th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Czechia and just ahead of Sierra Leone. That makes it a little larger than Ireland.
The population is about 4.5 million, placing it 129th of 250 by population — between Kuwait above it and Croatia below. Among the 7 entries in Central America it ranks 4th by area and 6th by population.
The lie of the land
Its reference point sits at 9.0° north and 80.0° west, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 1,002 km from the equator, in what geographers would call the equatorial belt.
Countries on the same parallel, far away in longitude, include Ethiopia, Nigeria and Somalia.
It borders 2 neighbours: Colombia and Costa Rica. The largest of them by area is Colombia, which is also the most populous. Together those neighbours hold about 58.0 million people.
Unlike its landlocked neighbours it reaches the sea directly, while also sharing land frontiers.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
The people of Panama
Density comes out at around 60 people per square kilometre, which makes it less crowded than the typical entry on this list. The median across all 250 entries here is about 90 per square kilometre.
Someone from Panama is a Panamanian.
The one official language is Spanish. Another 23 entries list Spanish too — among them Argentina, Belize, Bolivia and Chile.
Against the Americas as a whole it is the 21st most populous of 56 entries, and it accounts for 8.6% of everyone living in Central America.
Useful reference details
More than one currency circulates: Panamanian balboa (PAB) and United States dollar (USD). That currency appears nowhere else on this list.
Websites there use the .pa domain. The international dialling code is +507. Standard country codes: pa and PAN.
Panama is one of the 193 UN member states in this dataset. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Panama shares borders with 2 countries:
Fun facts about Panama
- People from Panama are known as Panamanians.
- Its full official name is Republic of Panama.
- The capital shares its name with the country itself.
- The Panamanian balboa is used here and nowhere else on this list.
- Websites based there use the .pa domain.
- Spanish is official here and in 23 other entries worldwide.
- Within Central America it is the 4th largest of 7.
- Ranked by land area, Panama is 120th out of the 250 countries and territories on this site.
Panama — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Panama?
- The capital of Panama is Panama City. The city and the country share a name, which is typical of a city-state.
- Where is Panama located?
- Panama is in Central America, part of the Americas. Its reference coordinates are 9.0° north and 80.0° west, roughly 1,002 km from the equator in equatorial latitudes.
- What currency does Panama use?
- Panama uses the Panamanian balboa, written B/. (currency code PAB). No other entry in this dataset uses it.
- What language is spoken in Panama?
- The official language of Panama is Spanish. It is also official in 23 other entries on this list.
- Is Panama a country?
- Yes. Panama is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- Which countries border Panama?
- Panama borders 2 countries: Colombia and Costa Rica. Colombia is the largest of them by area.
- What is the population of Panama?
- Panama has a population of about 4.5 million, which makes it the 129th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Kuwait sits just above it and Croatia just below.
- How big is Panama?
- Panama covers 75,417 km², ranking 120th of 250 by land area. That makes it a little larger than Ireland.
