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Location:
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Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica
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Geographic coordinates:
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9 00 N, 80 00 W
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Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean
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Area:
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total: 78,200 sq km
water: 2,210 sq km
land: 75,990 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than South Carolina
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Land boundaries:
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total: 555 km
border countries: Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km
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Coastline:
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2,490 km
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
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Climate:
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tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
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Terrain:
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interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan de Chiriqui 3,475 m
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Natural resources:
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copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower
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Land use:
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arable land: 6.72%
permanent crops: 2.08%
other: 91.2% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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320 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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occasional severe storms and forest fires in the Darien area
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Environment - current issues:
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water pollution from agricultural runoff threatens fishery resources; deforestation of tropical rain forest; land degradation and soil erosion threatens siltation of Panama Canal; air pollution in urban areas; mining threatens natural resources
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
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Geography - note:
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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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