Location:
Central
America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between
Colombia and Costa Rica
Geographic
coordinates:
9 00 N, 80
00 W
Map
references:
Central
America and the Caribbean
Area:
total:
75,420 sq km
country
comparison to the world: 118
land:
74,340 sq km
water:
1,080 sq km
Area -
comparative:
slightly
smaller than South Carolina
Land
boundaries:
total: 555
km
border
countries: Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km
Coastline:
2,490 km
Maritime
claims:
territorial
sea: 12 nm
contiguous
zone: 24 nm
exclusive
economic zone: 200 nm or edge of continental margin
Climate:
tropical
maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short
dry season (January to May)
Terrain:
interior
mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland plains; coastal areas
largely plains and rolling hills
Elevation
extremes:
lowest
point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest
point: Volcan Baru 3,475 m
Natural
resources:
copper,
mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower
Land
use:
arable
land: 7.26%
permanent
crops: 1.95%
other:
90.79% (2005)
Irrigated
land:
430 sq km
(2008)
Total
renewable water resources:
148 cu km
(2000)
Freshwater
withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.82
cu km/yr (67%/5%/28%)
per capita:
254 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural
hazards:
occasional
severe storms and forest fires in the Darien area
Environment
- international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography
- note:
strategic
location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge connecting North and
South America; controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Ocean via
Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean
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