Panama is bordered by Costa Rica and Columbia as well as the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It is the southernmost country in Central America; its border to the south is in South America.
Christopher Columbus was one of the first Europeans to explore Panama, after Rodrigo de Bastidas discovered it a year earlier. By 1513, Panama was an important Spanish settlement. They won their independence in 1821.
The majority of Panama's population is Mestizo. Mestizo is a Spanish term, and refers to people of mixed European and American Indian descent. Spanish is by far the majority language, and most people are Roman Catholic.
Panama City is among the top retirement locations in the world. Temperatures range from between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and there are a large number of cultural venues including museums, cathedrals, art galleries and parks.
Panama is home to a number of unique animal species, including the harpy eagle (the national bird) and the tapir. Barro Colorado Island, a small island off the coast, is home to 74 different species of bats.
Panama had their first female president in 1999--Mireya Moscoso.
There is a Smithsonian building that is headquartered in Panama. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute conducts research on the rain forest, its ecology and animal life.
