Panama City
- Filed under: Panama
- Date: May 26,2008
Panama City is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 708,738, with a total metro population of 1,063,000, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, at [show location on an interactive map] 8°58?N, 79°32?W. Panama is the political and administrative center of the country. Juan Carlos Navarro is Panama’s current mayor.
Panama has been for 7 years in the top 5 places for retirement in the world according to International Living Magazine
Panama has a dense skyline, including mostly apartment buildings, but office complexes and hotels as well. Panama is an important hub for international banking and commerce. It has an advanced communications service, Internet use is widespread; and Panama’s Tocumen International Airport offers daily flights to international destinations.
Panama was chosen to be the American Capital of Culture for the year 2003 (jointly, with Curitiba, Brazil).
Panama City is located in the Pacific coast of Panama, east of the Panama Canal. Panama has a rainy season that stretches from May to December, and a dry season from January to April. Annual temperatures range between 21°C (70°F) y 35°C (95°F).
The city has numerous tourist attractions including world-class hotels and restaurants. Particularly interesting for tourists are various sites located in the old quarter (also commonly referred to as “Casco Viejo”, “Casco Antiguo” or “San Felipe”), including
* Las Bóvedas, literally The Vaults, a waterfront promenade jutting out into the Pacific;
* The National Institute of Culture Building and across from it, the French Embassy;
* The Cathedral on Plaza de la Catedral;
* Teatro Nacional, a recently renovated performance center, with outstanding natural acoustics; It provides an intimate performance environment and seating for about 800 guests.
* Museo del Canal Interoceánico (Interoceanic Canal Museum);
* Numerous restaurants located near the French embassy.
* Palacio de las Garzas (Heron’s Palace), the official name of the presidential palace. There are real herons in the compound.
The area immediately east of the Pacific entrance of the canal–known as the Amador Causeway– is currently being developed as a major tourist center. Currently the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute operates a station and a small museum open to the public on Culebra Island, just off the island of Naos (See inset). A new museum, The Bridge of Life Museum, is currently under construction on the causeway. The Bridge of Life Museum was designed by the American architect Frank Gehry famous for the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and the Disney Concert Center in Los Angeles and it is scheduled to be completed in 2009.