Costa Rica W N S E Panama is the bridge of the Americas The country is a narrow S-shaped isthmus connecting North and South America Costa Rica borders Panama’s west and Colombia its east Its northern border bends around the Caribbean Sea The Pacific Ocean lines Panama’s southern edge 4 Where Is Panama
Did you know No one knows exactly what the word Panama means One idea is that it means abundance of fish Caribbean Sea Panama City Panama Canal Panama Pacific Ocean Colombia This small country covers just 29,120 square miles 75,420 square kilometers It is slightly smaller than the U S state of Maine Panama City is both the capital and largest city It sits near the Panama Canal This large waterway connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans It has brought travelers from around the world to settle in Panama 5
Did you know Panama’s climate differs depending on which side of the mountains you are on The Caribbean coast gets a lot of rain The Pacific coast is drier Tabasara Mountains 6 The Land
Even though it is small Panama has a variety of landforms Mountains form a line across most of the middle of Panama The highest point Volcán Barú is in the Tabasara Mountains Many short rivers run down the mountains to shores Rain forests cover much of the land Plains and lowlands form around the coasts Ocean waves crash against Panama’s islands and peninsulas Panama has a tropical climate It has a rainy and a dry season Temperatures are usually warm all year at around 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit 21 to 32 degrees Celsius One of Panama’s many rain forests is within Panama City limits 7
