Despite the fact that Panama takes up little space on the world map, it is gaining more and more popularity among tourists. Thanks to its unique location, here you can swim in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean in one day.
Panama: geographic location
If you take a close look at the map of the world, or rather at the part of it where North and South America is located, you can see that these two continents are connected by a narrow strip of land. The narrowest point of this strip is called the Isthmus of Panama. This is where the small state of Panama is located. Exact geographical coordinates: 9 00 N, 80 00 W. On the north side, Panama is washed by the Caribbean Sea, which belongs to the Atlantic Ocean, in the south - the Panama Gulf of the Pacific Ocean.
A unique structure passes through the entire territory of the state - the Panama Canal, which connects the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic. The device of this channel is one of the most complex construction projects in the history of mankind. It is considered one of the longest artificial waterways. Its length is more than 80 km. The Panama Canal has had a huge impact on the development of shipping and economics, not only in the Western Hemisphere, but throughout the world.
On the east side, Panama's closest neighbor is the state of Colombia (until 1903 Panama was part of this state). And on the west side, Panama borders Costa Rica.
In addition to the territory that lies on the mainland, Panama owns the islands of Coiba, Taboga, Isla Grande and many small islets. One of the largest archipelagos, Bocas del Toro, is located off the coast of the Caribbean Sea, while the Las Perlas archipelago and most of the other islets are scattered along the country's Pacific coast. The total area of Panama's territory is about 78,000 square kilometers.
Panama is a land of seas and mountains
The map clearly shows that in the central regions of Panama, mountainous relief prevails. Mountain ranges stretch across the country - the Cordillera de Varagua (in the west) and the Cordillera de San Blas (in the east), with a height of 800 to 1300 meters. The highest point on the map of Panama is the Baru volcano (3475 m), which is also called Chiriqui: after the name of the province where it is located.
The mountain slopes are covered with dense evergreen forests. The coastal areas of Panama are mostly hilly and flat.
Since the country is located near the equator, the climate here is subequatorial: it is warm all year round, high humidity and cloudiness, seasonal temperature fluctuations are insignificant. The warmest region is the Pacific coastal zone.
