Facts

• Official name: Republic of Panama
• Population: 3,851,000
• Capital: Panama City
• The government of Panama does not collect statistics on the religious affiliation of citizens, but multiple sources estimate that 75 to 85 percent of the population identifies itself as Roman Catholic and 15 to 25 percent as evangelical Christian.
• Roman Catholicism- 84%
• Protestant- 15%
• Tribal religions- 1%

CURRENCY

• Panamanian Balboa, The official currency of Panama is the Balboa, named after the Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa One Balboa is divided into 100 cents. Since 1904 one Balboa equals one dollar so the dollar has legally circulated into Panama.

The most outstanding festive days are those dedicated to the Patron Saints: the Sabbath of Glory, the Day of the Cross, La Mejorana Festival, La Pollera Festival, Saint Sebastian in Ocú, Corpus Christi and other interesting celebrations.

There is a variety of dances for example a dance called "Gran Diablo" representing the underworld struggle between good and bad
Good= Saint Michael
Bad= the devil

The accordion is one of the most important instruments in Panamanian folk music. Other notable instruments include la mejoranera (a five-stringed guitar), la bocana (a four-stringed guitar), los tambores (wooden drums), and la guáchara (an instrument played by running a stick across carved notches). Singing can accompany folk music and will sometimes include a type of singing known as the saloma, which is similar to yodeling. Panamanian folk music has evolved over the years and is today mixed with modern styles.

There are several indigenous groups that live in semi-independent territories where they can practice their traditional customs. They maintain musical and dance traditions that date back centuries and their biggest cultural contribution is their folk art.

FOODS

• Typical Panamanian foods are mildly flavored. Normal ingredients are maize, rice, wheat flour, plantains, yuca (cassava), beef, chicken, pork and seafood. It’s hard to tell exactly what Panamanian cuisine is because like the Panamanian people, it is very diverse. Panamanians mix of latinos, afro-antilleans, asians and indigenous people. Each ethnic group brings its own variety of spices, recipes, ingredients and cooking methods.

Orejitas are sweet, buttery, dough-like cookies.

Fried simple dough, not sweet

Arroz con pollo- often served at celebrations or holidays; rice with chicken.

Casco Viejo (Spanish for Old Quarter), also known as Casco Antiguo or San Felipe, is the historic district of Panama City. Completed and settled in 1673, it was built following the near-total destruction of the original Panamá city, Panamá Viejo in 1671, when the latter was attacked by pirates. It was designated a World Heritage Site in 1997.

Biomuseo is located on the Amador Causeway in Panama City, Panama. It was designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry. This is Gehry's first design for Latin America. The design was conceived in 1999 and the museum opened in October 2014.

Metropolitan Natural Park- Metropolitan Natural Park is a park in Panama City, Panama. It is the only wildlife refuge in the city. Wildlife found in the park include bird species and Geoffroy's Tamarin. The park was first proposed in 1974 and was inaugurated on June 5, 1988.

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