Panama (Republic of Panama)

Panama Republic of Panama
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	69th best
Capital	Panama
Land Area	74 340km21
Location	North America, The Americas, Central America
Population	3.6m (2011)2
Life Expectancy	77.76yrs (2017)3
GNI	$19 470 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	PA, PAN, 5915
Internet Domain	.pa6
Currency	Balboa (PAB)7
Telephone	+5078

1. Overview
2. Panama National and Social Development
3. Population and Demographics
4. Gender Equality
5. Religion and Beliefs
6. The Internet
7. Public Health Issues
8. Politics and Freedom
9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries
10. Links

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1. Overview

“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 (estimated to cost $5.3 billion) to expand the Canal. The project, which began in 2007 and could double the Canal's capacity, is expected to be completed in 2015.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“From deserted islands and clear turquoise seas to the coffee farms and cloud forests of Chiriquí, Panama can be as chilled out or as thrilling as you wish. Consider Panama a place of discovery: explore the ruins of Spanish forts on the Caribbean coast or boat deep into indigenous territories in a dugout canoe. There are plenty of beaches to choose from, too, from relaxed Caribbean hang-outs to Pacific surf.

For an urban turn, Panama City – culturally diverse, driven, rough-edged yet sophisticated – is one of Latin America´s most vibrant and outward-looking capitals. The dazzling blue coastline and shimmering skyscrapers say Miami, though many joke that you hear more English spoken in Panama. Pedal the coastal green space, explore the historic Casco or attend an avant-garde performance and you will realize this tropical city isn´t just about salsa – that´s just the backbeat.

In the last century, Panama was defined by the canal; what lies just beyond may define it for the next. The canal expansion spells growth and even more glitz, but for now you can still pick an empty islet, live out your castaway fantasies and play Survivor for a day. Panama is as urbane or as wild as you want it to be.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Panama National and Social Development

UN HDI (2016) Lower is better Rank11
1	Norway	1
2	Australia	2
3	Switzerland	2
	...
58	Bahamas	58
59	Malaysia	59
60	Palau	60
61	Panama	60
62	Antigua & Barbuda	62
63	Seychelles	63
64	Mauritius	64
65	Trinidad & Tobago	65
	World Avg	94.3
q=188.

Social & Moral Development Index Higher is better Points12
1	Iceland	84.1
2	Sweden	80.8
3	Norway	80.0
	...
66	St Lucia	57.7
67	Dominican Rep.	57.6
68	Malaysia	57.4
69	Panama	57.2
70	Bulgaria	56.6
71	Serbia	56.4
72	Uzbekistan	56.3
73	Macedonia	56.3
	World Avg	54.5
q=198.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: What is the Best Country in the World? An Index of Morality, Conscience and Good Life.

3. Population and Demographics

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016) Lower is better Per 10013
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
106	Grenada	16.2
107	Brunei	16.2
108	El Salvador	17.3
109	Panama	17.7
110	Korea, N.	17.8
111	Turkey	18.0
112	Vietnam	18.3
113	Tunisia	18.6
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Emigrants (2010) %14
1	Dominica	104.8
2	Palestine	68.4
3	Samoa	67.3
	...
123	Belgium	4.2
124	Syria	4.2
125	Burundi	4.2
126	Panama	4.0
127	Norway	3.8
128	Bahrain	3.7
129	Gambia	3.7
130	Chile	3.7
	World Avg	11.5
q=192.

Fertility Rate (2013) 2.0 is best15
1	Korea, N.	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
59	Venezuela	2.41
60	Ecuador	2.41
61	Mauritius	1.59
62	Panama	2.42
63	Peru	2.43
64	Barbados	1.57
65	China	1.57
66	Serbia	1.56
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Immigrants (2010) %14
1	Qatar	86.5
2	Monaco	71.6
3	UAE	70.0
	...
93	S. Africa	3.7
94	Argentina	3.6
95	Venezuela	3.5
96	Panama	3.4
97	Chad	3.4
98	Swaziland	3.4
99	Mauritius	3.3
100	Sao Tome & Principe	3.2
	World Avg	9.2
q=192.

Life Expectancy (2015) Higher is better Years16
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
39	Qatar	78.32
40	Albania	77.97
41	Dominica	77.85
42	Panama	77.76
43	Poland	77.62
44	Croatia	77.50
45	Uruguay	77.35
46	UAE	77.12
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Population (2012)17
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.3b
3	USA	315.8m
	...
126	Liberia	4.2m
127	Congo, (Brazzaville)	4.2m
128	Bosnia & Herzegovina	3.7m
129	Panama	3.6m
130	Mauritania	3.6m
131	Moldova	3.5m
132	Uruguay	3.4m
133	Lithuania	3.3m
	World Avg	36.0m
q=195.

Panama's population is predicted to rise to 4.502 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.42. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

• The Overpopulation of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception: How Religion is Making Overpopulation Worse

4. Gender Equality

Gender Inequality (2015) Lower is better18
1	Switzerland	0.04
2	Denmark	0.04
3	Netherlands	0.04
	...
97	Samoa	0.44
98	Bolivia	0.45
99	Suriname	0.45
100	Panama	0.46
101	Honduras	0.46
102	Venezuela	0.46
103	Nicaragua	0.46
104	Paraguay	0.46
	World Avg	0.36
q=159.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better Year19
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
58	Korea, N.	1946
59	Liberia	1946
60	Romania	1946
61	Panama	1946
62	Cameroon	1946
63	Macedonia	1946
64	Venezuela	1946
65	Guatemala	1946
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchialism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

Panama is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

5. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Religiosity (2009) Lower is better %20
1	Estonia	16
2	Sweden	17
3	Denmark	19
	...
65	Ivory Coast	88
66	Guatemala	88
67	Zimbabwe	88
68	Panama	88
69	Bolivia	89
70	Syria	89
71	Tanzania	89
72	Kosovo	90
	World Avg	75.1
q=114.

Disbelief In God (2007) Higher is better21
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
83	Peru	1
84	Guatemala	1
85	El Salvador	1
86	Panama	1
87	Somalia	0
88	Sri Lanka	0
89	Burundi	0
90	Burkina Faso	0
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₂₂:

Christian	93%
Muslim	0.7%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.2%
Folk Religion	0.4%
Jew	0.4%
Unaffiliated	4.8%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states simply: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%₂₃.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?

6. The Internet

Internet Users (2016) Higher is better24
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
105	Tonga	47%
106	Nigeria	46%
107	Jordan	46%
108	Panama	45%
109	Mexico	45%
110	Kenya	45%
111	Belize	45%
112	Ukraine	44%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake (2017) Higher is better Ratio25
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
73	Vanuatu	0.1
74	Iran	0.1
75	Zambia	0.1
76	Panama	0.1
77	Croatia	0.1
78	Costa Rica	0.1
79	Serbia	0.1
80	Liechtenstein	0.0
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Internet access has become an essential research tool. It facilitates an endless list of life improvements, from the ability to network and socialize without constraint, to access to a seemingly infinite repository of technical and procedural information on pretty much any task. The universal availability of data has sped up industrial development and personal learning at the national and personal level. Individuals can read any topic they wish regardless of the locality of expert teachers, and, entire nations can develop their technology and understanding of the world simply because they are now exposed to advanced societies and moral discourses online. Like every communications medium, the Internet has issues and causes a small range of problems, but these are insignificant compared to the advantages of having an online populace.

7. Public Health Issues

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015) Lower is better Per 100018
1	Korea, N.	0.5
2	Korea, S.	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
140	Cape Verde	73.4
141	Afghanistan	74.0
142	Sudan	74.0
143	Panama	74.5
144	Ecuador	75.9
145	Namibia	76.8
146	Senegal	78.6
147	Mauritania	78.6
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Alcohol Consumption (2010) Lower is better Per Capita26
1	Libya	0.1
2	Pakistan	0.1
3	Kuwait	0.1
	...
127	Norway	7.7
128	Palau	7.9
129	Niue	8.0
130	Panama	8.0
131	Guyana	8.1
132	Peru	8.1
133	St Kitts & Nevis	8.2
134	Botswana	8.4
	World Avg	6.2
q=191.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015) Higher is better Avg %27
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
137	Cambodia	86.5
138	Namibia	86.5
139	Dominican Rep.	86.3
140	Panama	86.1
141	Belarus	85.3
142	Canada	85.2
143	Guatemala	85.2
144	Togo	84.3
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Smoking Rates (2014) Lower is better28
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
45	Madagascar	206
46	Burkina Faso	213
47	Maldives	215
48	Panama	224
49	Grenada	224
50	St Lucia	232
51	Mali	236
52	Dominican Rep.	245
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate (2013) Lower is better Per 100k29
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
30	Uzbekistan	9.3
31	Brazil	9.7
32	Colombia	9.9
33	Panama	10.9
34	Nicaragua	11.6
35	Costa Rica	12.1
36	Italy	12.8
37	Macedonia	13.5
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

8. Politics and Freedom

Nominal Commitment to HR (2009) Higher is better Treaties30
1	Argentina	24
2	Chile	23
3	Costa Rica	23
	...
46	Portugal	20
47	Poland	20
48	Korea, S.	20
49	Panama	20
50	New Zealand	20
51	Uganda	19
52	Colombia	19
53	Switzerland	19
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom (2014) Lower is better Rank31
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
43	Georgia	43
44	Croatia	44
45	Montenegro	44
46	Panama	46
47	Mongolia	47
48	Bahamas	48
49	Greece	48
50	Albania	50
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Press Freedom (2013) Lower is better32
1	Finland	638
2	Netherlands	648
3	Norway	652
	...
107	Brazil	3275
108	Bolivia	3280
109	Qatar	3286
110	Panama	3295
111	Montenegro	3297
112	Israel	3297
113	UAE	3349
114	Nigeria	3411
	World Avg	3249
q=178.

9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries