Immigration to Panama

Panama officially the Republic of Panama is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The capital is Panama City. Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama broke with Spain in 1821 and joined a union of Nueva Granada, Ecuador, and Venezuela – named the Republic of Gran Colombia. When the latter dissolved in 1830, Panama and Nueva Granada stayed joined. Nueva Granada later became the Republic of Colombia.

Country
Panama is a country in Central America with coastlines on both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, with Colombia (and South America) to the southeast and Costa Rica (and North America) to the northwest. It's strategically located on the isthmus that forms the land bridge connecting North and South America. It controls the Panama Canal that links the North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean, one of the most important shipping routes in the world.

Main Industry
Major Industries: construction, petroleum refining, brewing, cement and other construction materials, sugar milling. The economy of Panama is a fully dollarized free market economy with a history of low inflation. It is based mainly on the services industry, heavily weighted toward banking, commerce, and tourism. The hand-over of the canal and military installations by the US has given rise to new construction projects.

Panama's economy is based primarily on a well-developed services sector that accounts for nearly 80% of its GDP. Services include the Panama Canal, banking, the Colón Free Trade Zone, insurance, container ports, and flagship registry, medical and health, and other business. The country's industry includes, manufacturing of aircraft spare parts, cements, drinks, adhesives, textiles and more recently, handmade artisan creation of Bush planes. Also the leading exports for Panama are bananas, shrimp, sugar, coffee, and clothing.

Size
Panama is located in Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica. It mostly lies between latitudes 7° and 10°N, and longitudes77° and 83°W (a small area lies west of 83°). Some people consider the territory east of the Panama Canal as part of South America, although this is rare. Its location on the Isthmus of Panama is strategic. By 2000, Panama controlled the Panama Canal which connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea to the North of the Pacific Ocean. Panama, at 75,515 km2, is ranked 118th worldwide on the basis of land size. For comparison, Panama is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of South Carolina or slightly larger than the Canadian province of New Brunswick.

Population
Panama had a population of 3,405,813 in May 2010. The CIA World Fact book gives the following statistics for the population: "mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 70%, Amerindian and mixed (West Indian) 14%, white 10%, Amerindian 6%".The Amerindian population includes seven indigenous peoples: the Emberá, Wounaan, Ngöbe Buglé (formerly the Guaymí), Kuna, Naso and Bribri. More than half the population lives in the Panama City–Colón metropolitan corridor.

Weather
Panama has a tropical climate. Temperatures are uniformly high—as is the relative humidity—and there is little seasonal variation. Diurnal ranges are low; on a typical dry-season day in the capital city, the early morning minimum may be 24 °C (75.2 °F) and the afternoon maximum 30 °C(86.0 °F). The temperature seldom exceeds 32 °C (89.6 °F) for more than a short time. Temperatures on the Pacific side of the isthmus are somewhat lower than on the Caribbean, and breezes tend to rise after dusk in most parts of the country. Temperatures are markedly cooler in the higher parts of the mountain ranges, and frosts occur in the Cordillera de Talamanca in western Panama.

Climatic regions are determined less on the basis of temperature than on rainfall, which varies regionally from less than 1,300 millimeters (51.2 in) to more than 3,000 millimeters (118.1 in) per year. Almost all of the rain falls during the rainy season, which is usually from April to December, but varies in length from seven to nine months. In general, rainfall is much heavier on the Caribbean than on the Pacific side of the continental divide. The annual average in Panama City is little more than half of that in Colón. Although rainy-season thunderstorms are common, the country is outside of the hurricane belt.

Panama's tropical environment supports an abundance of plants. Forests dominate, interrupted in places by grasslands, scrub, and crops. Although nearly 40 percent of Panama is still wooded, deforestation is a continuing threat to the rain-drenched woodlands. Tree cover has been reduced by more than 50 percent since the 1940s. Subsistence farming, widely practiced from the northeastern jungles to the southwestern grasslands, consists largely of corn, bean, and tuber plots. Mangrove swamps occur along parts of both coasts, with banana plantations occupying deltas near Costa Rica. In many places, a multi-canopied rain forest abuts the swamp on one side of the country and extends to the lower reaches of slopes in the other.


Housing / Real Estate
Panama City’s recent real estate boom will give you housing choices to compliment your desired lifestyle. The wide range of available housing includes traditional as well as modern homes, country estates, apartments, villas, condominiums, and beach houses. New subdivisions and older, well-established neighborhoods can be found in almost all of Bay County's cities. Waterfront homes are also available everywhere from the Gulf to a lagoon. Panamanians live in housing types that vary greatly according to socioeconomic status. Housing in Panama City ranges from fashionable high-rise condominiums to slum and squatter settlements ringing the city and filling in some of the central districts, where two-story frame houses and low-rise apartment buildings have become tenements. However, conditions in many squatter settlements have gradually improved, as public utilities have been provided and higher-quality building materials employed in individual homes. Wood is increasingly being replaced by concrete in construction in urban areas.
Panama’s Ministry of Housing provides grants and building materials to low-income families

Life Style
The lifestyle at Panama Pacifico is ideal for those seeking a lush tropical setting with all of the modern conveniences and amenities – but removed from the high intensity of a big city. Panama benefits from a beautiful climate, thriving economy, low Panama cost of living and more. Envision walking or biking to work on one of the many attractive walkways and trails. Stop on the way, if you want, in the Town Center for a cup of coffee or a bite of breakfast. At lunchtime, take a jog, go to a local café or sit under a tree and enjoy the warm, fresh air. At the end of the day, enjoy a round of golf, take in a movie, do a bit of shopping, have a bite to eat – or just go home and enjoy another evening in paradise.

Tourist Attractions
Hibernating within the grand art and architecture of the Panama city is the rich culture and history of the country, which sometimes seem to peek through the walls of the art galleries and the museums in the country. The Panama Tourist Attractions comprise the parks, beaches, national reserves and wildlife forests that exemplify the culture and the tradition of the country and the strong roots of the past that the country and its people still harbor in their buzzing lifestyle.

While the beaches are the biggest resort for relaxation and calmness, the city centers with their numerous malls and plazas offer the luxury that one can only imagine of. The reserve forests are home to some of the most beautiful animals and plants. Amidst the karaoke of bird songs, one is sure to forget all the qualms and delve into the bounty of mother nature. A little step ahead is the solemn isolation of islands that are ideal for a meditative mood.

Some of the best Panama tourist attractions are Amador Causeway, Centennial Bridge, Mi Pueblito, Panama Viejo, Bridge of the Americas . Some of the other Panama Tourist Attractions include:

• Ancon Hill
• Balboa Avenue
• Casco Viejo
• Metropolitan National Park
• Panama Canal
• Panama National Parks
• Panama Beaches & Islands
• Panama Reserves
• Panama Wildlife Refuges
The Panama Tourist Attractions are the best display of color and contrast, not only in its history or culture but also in its modern lifestyle. Panama's ancient civilizations, cultural traditions, and natural treasures come to life in gold and silver. See how the preHispanic masterpieces are made by the same method as the ancient goldsmiths. Following a video presentation, walk a catwalk to a casting demonstration and try your hand at the sand blasting process. Showroom at factory prices also includes the finest collection of Panamanian handicrafts.

A trip to the Miraflores Visitors Center will showcase the canal's history and importance for the Panamanian people, while allowing you to observe ships passing through the Miraflores locks. The permanent exhibits at Miraflores focus on water conservation, biodiversity, canal technology, the canal's importance to international trade and canal construction.

Education System School Level & College Level
Education in Panama is compulsory for the first six years of primary education and the three years of Middle School. The school year runs from April to December, and Spanish is the language of instruction. The duration of compulsory education is 11 years, including preschool education from four to five years of age. Panama has a high rate of literacy, exceeding 93 percent of the total population in the year 2000, though a high percentage of the indigenous people (four times as much as the national average) were illiterate in the 1980s. The educational budget is normally larger than the one allotted to other ministries.

After students successfully complete all six grades of primary school, they register for secondary school. The grading system is one to five and three is passing. If students do not pass a course, they must repeat it the next year. If they fail four or more courses within the same year or if they fail the same course twice consecutively, they cannot be promoted to the next level and are transferred to another school or to another class section within the same school.

The Panamanian government has established special education courses for handicapped children. The most well known special education center is the Instituto Panameño de Habilitación especial. This institution is vocational in nature and offers courses that help the handicapped pursue useful activities and acquire job related skills. There they learn activities that include, but are not limited to, sewing, cabinet making, binding, horticulture, and office work.

List of Panama Universities and Colleges
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The following is a list of colleges and universities in the country of Panama. Several U.S. Universities have set up campuses or study abroad programs in Panama City, including Florida State University and the University of Louisville.
American University - Panama City, Panama
Columbus University - Panama City, Panama
Columbus University is a private university located in Panama City which was 1992.

Florida State University, Panama - Panama City, Panama
The Panama campus of Florida State University offers bachelors degree programs. The main campus for FSU is located in Tallahassee, Florida.

International School of Medical Sciences - Panama City, Panama
The International School of Medical Sciences (ISMS) offers graduate-level medical classes in English and is dedicated to the development of professional physicians, preparing graduates to work on becoming qualified doctors in the United States.

Latin University of Panama - Panama City, Panama
The Latin University of Panama has campuses in the provinces of Chiriqui, Veraguas , Herrera, and Cocle in addition to the Panama City campus. The university has both undergradaute and graduate studies and was established in 1991.

Panamericana University - Panama City, Panama
Santa Maria La Antigua Catholic University - Panama City, Panama
The main campus for Santa Maria La Antigua Catholic University is in Panama City, however there are additional campuses for study in Chiriqui, Los Santos, and Colon.

Technological University of Panama - Panama City, Panama
The main campus for the Technological University of Panama is in Panama City, however there are campuses in Azuero, Bocas del Toro, Cocle, Colon, Chirqui, and Veraguas.

University of Louisville, Panama - Panama City, Panama
The Panama City Louisville University MBA program is ranked 4th in Latin America and is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).
University of Panama - Panama City, Panama

The University of Panama is located in Panama City and offers Bachelors, Masters, and PhD programs.

Bay Regional Juvenile Detention Center (0602)
450 E 11th St, Panama City, FL 32401

Deane Bozeman School (0541)
13410 Highway 77, Panama City, FL 32409

Exceptional Student Education (9002)
1311 Balboa Ave, Panama City, FL 32401

Margaret K. Lewis Exceptional School (0281)
1527 Lincoln Ave, Panama City, FL 32405

Bay Haven Charter Academy (0701)
2501 Hawks Landing Blvd, Panama City, FL 32405

Bay Virtual Instruction Program (7001)
1311 Balboa Ave, Panama City, FL 32401

Breakfast Point Academy (0571)
601 N Richard Jackson Blvd, Panama City Beach, FL 32408

Callaway Elementary School (0101)
7115 E Highway 22, Panama City, FL 32404

Cedar Grove Elementary School (0091)
2826 E 15th St, Panama City, FL 32405

Deer Point Elementary School (0461)
4800 Highway 2321, Panama City, FL 32404

Hiland Park Elementary School (0151)
2507 E Baldwin Rd, Panama City, FL 32405

Hutchison Beach Elementary School (0081)
12900 Middle Beach Rd, Panama City Beach, FL 32407

Lucille Moore Elementary School (0131)
1900 Michigan Ave, Panama City, FL 32405

Lynn Haven Elementary School (0171)
301 W 9th St, Lynn Haven, FL 32444

Merriam Cherry Street Elementary (0111)
1125 Cherry St, Panama City, FL 32401

North Bay Haven Charter Academy Elementary School (0751)
1104 Balboa Ave, Panama City, FL 32401

Northside Elementary School (0471)
2001 Northside Dr, Panama City, FL 32405

Oakland Terrace School For The Visual And Performing Arts (0191)
2010 W 12th St, Panama City, FL 32401

Oscar Patterson Elementary Magnet (0291)
1025 Redwood Ave, Panama City, FL 32401

Parker Elementary School (0211)
640 S Highway 22 A, Panama City, FL 32404

Patronis Elementary School (0521)
7400 Patronis Dr, Panama City Beach, FL 32408

Southport Elementary School (0221)
1835 Bridge St, Southport, FL 32409

Springfield Elementary School (0231)
520 School Ave, Panama City, FL 32401

St. Andrew School (0241)
3001 W 15th St, Panama City, FL 32401

Tommy Smith Elementary School (0511)
5044 Tommy Smith Dr, Panama City, FL 32404

Tyndall Elementary School (0501)
7800 Tyndall Pkwy, Tyndall A F B, FL 32403

Waller Elementary School (0251)
11332 E Highway 388, Youngstown, FL 32466