Panama City

Panama City,^[4] also known as Panama (or Panamá in Spanish), is the capital and largest city of Panama.^[5][6] It has a total population of 1,086,990,^[1][7] with over 2,100,000 in its urban area. The city is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of Panama. The city is the political and administrative center of the country, as well as a hub for banking and commerce.^[8]

Quick Facts Ciudad de Panamá, Country ...

Panama City Ciudad de Panamá
Capital city
Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Panamá
Skyline of Panama City Panama Canal at Panama City Casco Viejo (old quarter) of Panama Bridge of the Americas Metropolitan Cathedral of Panama Biomuseo Panama Viejo
Flag Coat of arms Wordmark
Panama City Show map of Panama Panama City Show map of South America Panama City Show map of North America Panama City Show map of North Atlantic Panama City Show map of America Panama City Show map of Caribbean
Coordinates: Country 8°59′N 79°31′W
Country	Panama
Province	Panamá Province
District	Panamá District
Foundation	15 August 1519
Founded by	Pedro Arias de Ávila
Government
• Mayor	Mayer Mizrachi (PP)
Area
• Capital city	2,082 km2 (804 sq mi)
• Metro	2,560.8 km2 (988.7 sq mi)
Elevation	2 m (7 ft)
Population  (2023)
• Capital city	1,086,990
• Density	520/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
• Urban	2,100,189
	[1]
GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values)
• Year	2023
• Total	$65.8 billion[2]
• Per capita	$33,300
Area code(s)	(+507) 2, 3
HDI (2017)	0.820 – very high[3]
Website	MuPa.gob.pa

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The city of Panama was founded on 15 August 1519, by Spanish conquistador Pedro Arias Dávila. The city was the starting point for expeditions that conquered the Inca Empire of Peru. It was a stopover point on one of the most important trade routes in the American continent, leading to the fairs of Nombre de Dios and Portobelo, through which passed most of the gold and silver that Spain mined from the Americas.

On 28 January 1671, the original city was destroyed by a fire when the privateer Henry Morgan sacked and set fire to it. The city was formally reestablished two years later on 21 January 1673, on a peninsula located 8 km (5 miles) from the original settlement. The site of the previously devastated city is still in ruins, and is now a World Heritage Site^[9] and popular tourist attraction, regularly visited by school trips.

This section needs additional citations for verification. (April 2016)

The city was founded on 15 August 1519, by Pedro Arias de Ávila, also known as Pedrarias Dávila. Within a few years of its founding, the city became a launching point for the exploration and conquest of Peru and a transit point for gold and silver headed back to Spain through the Isthmus. The Genoese-Italians and the Spanish encountered coconuts from the Philippines which the Malayo-Polynesians brought before Spanish colonization.^[12] In 1520, Genoese merchants controlled the port and the commerce of the region, mainly for the slave trade, thanks to a concession given by the Spaniards, who had the Republic of Genoa as its main banking base.^[13][14]

In 1671 Henry Morgan with a band of 1,400 men attacked and looted the city, which was subsequently destroyed by fire. The ruins of the old city still remain and are a popular tourist attraction known as Panamá Viejo (Old Panama). The city was rebuilt in 1673 in a new location approximately 5 miles (8 km) southwest of the original city. This location is now known as the Casco Viejo (Old Quarter) of the city. Panama City is the fourth earliest-founded of the modern-day capital cities in the Americas.^{[citation needed]}

One year before the start of the California Gold Rush, the Panama Railroad Company was formed, but the railroad did not begin full operation until 1855. Between 1848 and 1869, the year the first transcontinental railroad was completed in the United States, about 375,000 people crossed the isthmus from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and 225,000 in the opposite direction. This traffic greatly increased the prosperity of the city during that period.

After declaring independence from Colombia on November 3, 1903, Philippe Bunau-Varilla (a French engineer) was named Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary. Bunau-Varilla negotiated the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty of 1903, which provided the United States with a 10-mile-wide strip of land for the canal, a one-time $10 million payment to Panama, and an annual annuity of $250,000. The United States also agreed to guarantee the independence of Panama. Completed in 1914, the Panama Canal symbolized U.S. technological prowess and economic power. Although U.S. control of the canal eventually became an irritant to U.S.-Panamanian relations, at the time it was heralded as a major foreign policy achievement.^[15]

The construction of the Panama Canal was of great benefit to the infrastructure and economy. Of particular note are the improvements in health and sanitation brought about by the American presence in the Canal Zone. William Gorgas, the chief sanitary officer for the canal construction, had a particularly large impact. He hypothesized that diseases were spread by the abundance of mosquitos native to the area, and ordered the fumigation of homes and the cleansing of water. This led to yellow fever being eradicated by November 1905, as well malaria rates falling dramatically.^[16] However, most of the laborers for the construction of the canal were brought in from the Caribbean, which created unprecedented racial and social tensions in the city.

During World War II, construction of military bases and the presence of larger numbers of U.S. military and civilian personnel brought about unprecedented levels of prosperity to the city. Panamanians had limited access, or no access at all, to many areas in the Canal Zone neighboring the Panama city metropolitan area. Some of these areas were military bases accessible only to United States personnel. Some tensions arose between the people of Panama and the U.S. citizens living in the Panama Canal Zone. This erupted in the 9 January 1964 events, known as Martyrs' Day.

In the late 1970s through the 1980s the city of Panama became an international banking center, bringing a lot of undesirable attention as an international money-laundering locale. In 1989 after nearly a year of tension between the United States and Panama, President George H. W. Bush ordered the invasion of Panama to depose General Manuel Noriega, the country's de facto dictator. As a result, a portion of the El Chorrillo neighborhood, which consisted mostly of old wood-framed buildings dating back to the 1900s (though still a large slum area), was destroyed by fire. In 1999, the United States officially transferred full control of the Panama Canal to the Republic of Panama, which remains in control today.^[16]

The city of Panama is still a banking center, although with very visible controls in the flow of cash. Shipping is handled through port facilities in the area of Balboa operated by the Hutchison Whampoa Company of Hong Kong and through several ports on the Caribbean side of the isthmus. Balboa, which is located within the greater Panama metropolitan area, was formerly part of the Panama Canal Zone, and the administration of the former Panama Canal Zone was headquartered there.

The Panama Canal is one of the main attractions to the Panama City area. The Centennial Bridge spans the area near Gold Hill on the left and Contractor Hill on the right. This is the site of the highest elevation of the Panama Canal construction.

Panamá is located between the Pacific Ocean and tropical rain forest in the northern part of Panama. The Parque Natural Metropolitano (Metropolitan Nature Park), stretching from Panama City along the Panama Canal, has unique bird species and other animals, such as tapir, puma, and caimans. At the Pacific entrance of the canal is the Centro de Exhibiciones Marinas (Marine Exhibitions Center), a research center for those interested in tropical marine life and ecology, managed by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

Tropical forests around Panama are vital for the functioning of the Panama Canal, providing it with the water required for its operation. Due to the canal's importance to the Panamanian economy, tropical forests around the canal have been kept in an almost pristine state; the canal is thus a rare example of a vast engineering project in the middle of a forest that helped to preserve that forest. Along the western side of the canal is the Parque Nacional Soberanía (Sovereignty National Park), which includes the Summit botanical gardens and a zoo. The best known trail in this national park is Pipeline Road, popular among birdwatchers.^[17]

Nearly 500 rivers lace Panama's rugged landscape. Most are unnavigable; many originate as swift highland streams, meander in valleys, and form coastal deltas. However, the Río Chepo and the Río Chagres, both within the boundaries of the city, work as sources of hydroelectric power.

The Río Chagres is one of the longest and most vital of the approximately 150 rivers that flow into the Caribbean. Part of this river was dammed to create Gatun Lake, which forms a major part of the transit route between the locks near each end of the canal. Both Gatun Lake and Madden Lake (also filled with water from the Río Chagres) provide hydroelectricity to the former Canal Zone area. The Río Chepo, another major source of hydroelectric power, is one of the more than 300 rivers emptying into the Pacific.

As the economic and financial center of the country, Panama City's economy is service-based, heavily weighted toward banking, commerce, and tourism.^[25] The economy depends significantly on trade and shipping activities associated with the Panama Canal and port facilities located in Balboa. Panama's status as a convergence zone for capital from around the world due to the canal helped the city establish itself as a prime location for offshore banking and tax planning. Consequently, the economy has relied on accountants and lawyers who help global corporations navigate the regulatory landscape.^[26] The city has benefited from significant economic growth in recent years, mainly due to the ongoing expansion of the Panama Canal, an increase in real estate investment, and a relatively stable banking sector.^[27] There are around eighty banks in the city, at least fifteen of which are local.

Panama City is responsible for the production of approximately 55% of the country's GDP. This is because most Panamanian businesses and premises are located in the city and its metro area.^[28] It is a stopover for other destinations in the country, as well as a transit point and tourist destination in itself.

Tourism is one of the most important economic activities in terms of revenue generation. This sector of the economy has seen a great deal of growth since the transfer of the Panama Canal Zone at the end of the twentieth century. The number of hotel rooms increased by more than ten-fold, from 1,400 in 1997 to more than 15,000 in 2013, while the number of annual visitors increased from 457,000 in 1999 to 1.4 million in 2011.^[29] The city's hotel occupancy rate has always been relatively high, reaching the second highest for any city outside the United States in 2008, after Perth, Australia, and followed by Dubai.^[30] However, hotel occupancy rates have dropped since 2009, probably due to the opening of many new luxury hotels.^[31] Several international hotel chains, such as Le Méridien, Radisson, and RIU, have opened or plan to open new hotels in the city,^[32] along with those previously operating under Marriott, Sheraton, InterContinental, and other foreign and local brands. The Trump Organization built the Trump Ocean Club, its first investment in Latin America,^[33] in 2006 and it is the tallest building in the city. In 2018 it was renamed The Bahia Grand Panama following falling occupancy rates associated with the declining brand value of the Trump name.^[34] Meanwhile, it is a JW Marriott property. Hilton Worldwide opened a Hilton Garden Inn in El Cangrejo, and in 2013, The Panamera, the second Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Latin America.^[35]

Land reclamation projects have created additional new land for highways, housing, and parkland developments, Cinta Costera.^{[36] [37] [38]}

The city proper has approximately 1,086,990 inhabitants in 26 boroughs.^[7][39] The inhabitants of Panama City are commonly referred to as capitalinos and include large numbers of mestizos (70%), Amerindian and mixed people (West Indian) (14%), white people (10%), Amerindians (6%), as well as Afro-Panamanians.^[40] There is a great deal of cultural diversity within the city, which manifests itself in the wide variety of languages commonly spoken, such as German, Portuguese, French, Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew and English, in addition to Spanish.^[29]

Throughout the 20th century, Panama City has excelled in boxing, baseball, basketball, and soccer. These sports have produced famous athletes such as Roberto Durán, Rommel Fernández, Rolando Blackman, Julio Dely Valdés, Mariano Rivera, and Rod Carew. Today, these sports have clubs and associations that manage their development in the city. Panama Metro is the city's baseball team. There are boxing training centers in different gyms throughout the city's neighborhoods. There are also many football clubs, such as:

• Alianza
• Chorrillo
• Plaza Amador
• Tauro
• Chepo
• San Francisco F.C.

The city has four professional teams in the country's second-level league, Liga Nacional de Ascenso:

• Atlético Nacional
• Deportivo Genesis
• Millenium
• Río Abajo

There are two main stadiums in Panama City, the National Baseball Stadium (also known as Rod Carew Stadium) and the Rommel Fernández Stadium, with capacities of 27,000 and 32,000 respectively. Additionally, the Roberto Durán Arena has a capacity of 18,000.

The city has both public and private schools. Most private schools are bilingual (English and Spanish). Higher education is headed by two major public universities: the University of Panama and the Technological University of Panama. There are private universities, such as the Universidad Católica Santa María La Antigua, the Universidad Latina de Panama, the Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnología (ULACIT), the Distance and Open University of Panama (UNADP), Universidad del Istmo Panama, the Universidad Maritima Internacional de Panama, and the Universidad Especializada de las Americas. Also, there are Panama Branches of the Nova Southeastern University (its main campus is in Ft. Lauderdale in Broward County, Florida); the University of Oklahoma; the Central Texas University; the University of Louisville which runs a sister campus in the city,^[50] and the Florida State University, which operates a broad curriculum program^[51] in an academic and technological park known as Ciudad del Saber.

Panama City is home to at least 14 hospitals and an extensive network of public and private clinics, including the Hospital Santo Tomás, Hospital del Niño, Complejo Hospitalario Arnulfo Arias Madrid, Centro Médico Paitilla, Hospital Santa Fé, Hospital Nacional, Clinica Hospital San Fernando, and Hospital Punta Pacifica.

About 45% of the country's physicians are based in Panama City.^[52]

Panama's international airport, Tocumen International Airport is located on the eastern outskirts of the city's metropolitan area. Two other airports serve Panama City: Panamá Pacífico, previously the Howard Air Force Base, and Marcos A. Gelabert, previously the Albrook Air Force Base. Pacífico serves Wingo, while Marcos A. Gelabert Airport is the main hub for AirPanama. Most other flights are served by Tocumen.

The Panama Metro is a rapid transit system in Panama City, which links the north and east sides of the metropolitan area to the city center. The Panama Metro currently has two operating lines.^[53] There is a third line currently under construction.^[54]

There are frequent traffic jams in Panama City due to the high levels of private transport ownership per kilometer of traffic lane. In an attempt to curb traffic jams, the Panama Metro, initially 14 km (9 mi) long and funded an increase in taxes, began operation in 2014.^[55][56]

The bus terminal located in Ancon offers buses in and out of the city. Bus service is one of the most widely used forms of transportation in Panama. The terminal receives thousands of passengers daily from locations like David, Chiriqui, and the central provinces of Herrera and Los Santos. The terminal also receives international passengers from Central America via the Pan-American Highway.

Panama City offers transportation services through yellow taxis. Taxis do not use a meter to measure fares, instead using a zone system for fares that is published by the Autoridad de Transito y Transporte Terrestre, Panama's transit authority. Taxis used to be red. Taxi drivers that charge more than usual are not uncommon. Many also participate in InDriver and Cabify. Uber has been the subject of controversy, with many taxi drivers demanding its cessation of operations in Panama City.

Panama City is twinned with:^[57]

• 
  Architecture in Casco Viejo (Old Quarter)
• 
  The belltower of the San Francisco de Asis Church.
• 
  The Bahá'í House of Worship
• 
  Plaza Bolivar in Casco Viejo
• 
  Ruins of the Old Panama Cathedral
• 
  Santa Ana Park
• 
  Causeway connecting Naos, Perico, and Flamenco Islands to the mainland
• 
  The Bridge of the Americas, at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal
• 
  The Palace of the Herons, the official residence and office of the President of Panama
• 
  Plaza de Francia, a square in honor of the workers and French engineers who participated in the construction of the Panama Canal.
• 
  Obario neighborhood seen from San Francisco neighborhood
• 
  Skyline seen from Casco Viejo
• 
  The former Balboa Avenue
• 
  Panama skycrapers
• 
  Panama Bay
• 
  View of part of the metropolitan area of Panama
• 
  Panama City at night
• 
  Panama City at night
• 
  Iglesia Nuestra Sra. del Carmen
• 
  Interior view in Iglesia de la Merced
• 
  Plaza de Bolivar
• 
  Iglesia de la Merced
• 
  Street view
• 
  Street in old city
• 
  Fishing boats outside Mercado De Marisco Cinta Costera

• Panamá Viejo
• La Joyita Prison
• List of cities with the most skyscrapers
• Manhattanization
• Panhattan