Panama, Country in Central America between Costa Rica and Colombia.
Panama is a country in Central America lying between the Caribbean and the Pacific, connecting both sides of the continent. The territory extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean across a narrow land bridge where mountains, rainforests and coastal regions alternate.
Spanish conquistadors founded the first city on the Pacific mainland of the Americas in 1519. Separation from Colombia occurred in 1903 under United States influence, which then controlled the canal zone until it was handed over to Panama at the end of 1999.
The name comes from a Cueva word meaning abundance of fish. Markets offer local crafts such as molas, colorful textile pieces made by Guna communities, while traditional pollera costumes appear at religious festivities in rural areas.
The rainy season between May and November brings afternoon showers that often last only briefly. Travelers should wear closed shoes when hiking in forested areas and carry enough drinking water, as humidity levels can be very high.
Two oceans lie only a few dozen kilometers apart, so at certain locations it is possible to swim in the Atlantic in the morning and the Pacific in the afternoon. The capital is one of the few in the world where rainforest reaches the city limits and wild animals such as sloths or toucans appear in parks.
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