Population: 2.7 million.

Climate: Tropical (varying from 74 to 90 degrees F) Green season: May to December.
Dry season: January to April.

Size: 29,208 sq. miles, about the size of South Carolina.

Language: Spanish, English a strong second language.

Government: Democracy.

Transportation: From the U.S., non-stop airlines service is provided by American Airlines (from Miami); Continental Airlines (from Houston and Newark, NJ); COPA Airlines (From Los Angeles, Miami and Orlando) and Delta Air Lines (from Atlanta).  Connecting service from most major U.S. cities is available through these airlines.

Currency:  The U.S. dollar is the official medium of exchange.

Entry Documents: U.S. citizens need a valid passport for entry into Panama.  A visa is not necessary.  A tourist card ($5) is needed and can usually be purchased from the airline being flown into Panama.

Safety: Panama is a safe tourist destination, according to an article on tourist safety in Newsweek (Feb. 22, l999), Panama was rated by the prestigious Pinkerton Intelligence Agency in the highest category for tourist safety.