Panama is a country in North America, in Central America and the Caribbean, with about 4.57 million people (2025) and an area of 75,320 square kilometres. Its capital is Panama City, and it shares land borders with 2 countries.
By Team Geography·Last reviewed
Flag of PanamaPanama in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.
The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of Panama's 19, in full.
PLACELens 1 of 19
The isthmus where two continents meet and two oceans almost touch
Panama is an S-shaped isthmus only 60 kilometers wide at its narrowest point, connecting Central and South America while separating the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The 82-kilometer Panama Canal cuts through this landbridge, using a system of locks that raises ships 26 meters above sea level to cross the continental divide via Gatun Lake. Panama's unique east-west orientation means the Pacific entrance is actually southeast of the Caribbean entrance, a fact that surprises most people looking at a map.
More on Panama Canal
Opened in 1914 after a decade of construction that killed over 25,000 workers, the canal was controlled by the United States until its transfer to Panama on December 31, 1999. The expanded canal, completed in 2016, can now handle ships carrying up to 14,000 containers.
18 more lenses on Panama in the app
STORY A nation built around a canal it did not control
NOW The world's most important shortcut runs on rainfall
NOW A financial hub with an offshore reputation
THREAD The chokepoint where global trade meets migration
PLACE The country shaped by a canal
STORY The night Roman Torres stopped a nation
NOW From baseball to the football team
THREAD The long climb up the CONCACAF ladder
PLACE The capital between two oceans and a canal
STORY A canal, then a country in full
NOW The return that ended without a goal
THREAD The isthmus that joins a region
PLACE The land bridge that rewrote two continents
STORY The revolt that lasted two weeks and won
THREAD The canal was dug by the eastern Caribbean
PLACE A volcano where both oceans appear at once
THREAD A canal, a registry, and other people's money
THREAD Two shortcuts, and the capes they replaced
Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.
Compare Panama with another country
Opens the country comparison tool with population, area, income and more side by side, every figure dated.
Common questions
What is the capital of Panama?
The capital of Panama is Panama City. Panama City lies at about 9.0 degrees north and 79.5 degrees west. Panama is in North America, in the region often called Central America and the Caribbean. It is home to about 4.57 million people.
What is the population of Panama?
About 4.57 million people live in Panama, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 127th most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 75,320 square kilometres, that is about 61 people per square kilometre.
What countries border Panama?
Panama shares land borders with 2 countries: Colombia and Costa Rica. The map on this page outlines each of them around Panama. The count includes only borders on land, not neighbours across a sea or a lake. Borders here follow Natural Earth at the 1:50 million scale, with Crimea shown as part of Ukraine and Western Sahara as a separate territory.
How big is Panama?
Panama covers 75,320 square kilometres, or about 29,081 square miles. That makes it the 118th largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 4.57 million gives a density of 61 people per square kilometre.
Panama is a country in North America, in Central America and the Caribbean, with about 4.57 million people (2025) and an area of 75,320 square kilometres. Its capital is Panama City, and it shares land borders with 2 countries.
Capital
Panama City
Continent
North America
Region
Central America and the Caribbean
Population
4,571,189 2025, World Bank. 127th of 195.
Area
75,320 km² (29,081 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 118th largest of 195.
Population density
61 people per km²
Land neighbours
2: Colombia, Costa Rica
Official name
Republic of Panama
UN status
Member state
PLACE · from the Geography app
The isthmus where two continents meet and two oceans almost touch
Panama is an S-shaped isthmus only 60 kilometers wide at its narrowest point, connecting Central and South America while separating the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The 82-kilometer Panama Canal cuts through this landbridge, using a system of locks that raises ships 26 meters above sea level to cross the continental divide via Gatun Lake. Panama's unique east-west orientation means the Pacific entrance is actually southeast of the Caribbean entrance, a fact that surprises most people looking at a map.
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/panama/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
Geography · Country report
Panama
NameDate
Draw the flag
Colour Panama on the map, then fill in what you find.
Capital
Continent
Population
Area
Languages
Currency
Neighbours
Landmarks
Rivers or mountains
Three things I learned
1
2
3
One question I still have
?
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/panama/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
