Panama

Note: This column mainly includes countries along the Belt and Road and countries that have signed cooperation agreements with China on Belt and Road Initiative.

Official Name: The Republic of Panama, la República de Panamá

Area: 75,517 sq.km

Population: 3.93 million

Language: Spanish is the official language.

Religion: Catholic 85%

Currency: United States Dollar circulates freely, with Balboa as fractional currency.

Capital: Panama City, Ciudad de Panamá

Head of State: President Juan Carlos Varela

Independence Day: 3 November

Location: The Republic of Panama is a country in Central America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the east, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The Panama Canal runs from the north to the south of the country and connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. The coastline is 2,988 kilometres.

Politics: On May 4, 2014, candidate from the Panameñistas Juan Carlos Varela won the 2014 presidential election. He was sworn in on July 1, 2014.

Relations with China: China and Panama established diplomatic relations on June 13, 2017. President Varela made his first state visit to China in November, 2017, vowing to jointly implement the Belt and Road Initiative and improve world connectivity with China.