Panama
Panama is a country whose geography has shaped its destiny—from Indigenous trade routes and Spanish colonial commerce to the Panama Canal and today's global economy—while retaining an extraordinarily diverse mixture of cultures, landscapes and traditions.
Modern Panama is one of Central America's most internationally connected economies. Its population is roughly 4.5 million, with Panama City serving as the political, financial and commercial center.
The economy is heavily oriented toward services, particularly banking, logistics, shipping, trade and activities associated with the canal. The country uses both the balboa and U.S. dollar, with U.S. currency circulating widely.
Food
Panamanian cuisine reflects the country's extraordinary position as a crossroads between continents and oceans. Indigenous, Spanish, African, Caribbean, Chinese and other immigrant influences have combined to produce a cuisine that is generally flavorful but not necessarily highly spicy.
Staple ingredients include rice, beans, corn, plantains, cassava (yuca), tropical fruits, chicken, pork and seafood. Panama's location between the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean makes fish and shellfish particularly important.
Tourism
Panama is unusual because its tourism identity combines international business, engineering heritage, tropical nature, beaches, Indigenous culture and cosmopolitan urban tourism.Panama
The country's internationally recognized attraction is, of course, the Panama Canal. Visitors can observe enormous ships passing through the locks while learning about one of the world's most important transportation and engineering projects.
Major tourism sectors therefore include cultural tourism, ecotourism, Indigenous tourism, culinary tourism, coffee/agritourism, beach tourism, adventure tourism and business tourism.
Social Entrepreneurship
Panama's strongest social-entrepreneurship opportunity may involve using tourism to ensure that Indigenous and rural communities retain ownership and economic benefits from their cultural and natural resources.
