Geographical Location: the Republic of Panama is located in the center of the Western Hemisphere, between the following coordinated ones: them 7º12 ‘ 07 ” and 9º38 ‘ 46 ” of North Latitude and them 77º09 ‘ 24 ” and 83º03 ‘ 07 ” of Longitude west.
It borders to the North on the Caribbean Sea, to the East on the Republic of Colombia, on the South on the Pacific Ocean and on the West on the Republic of Costa Rica.
Panama forms a link between Central America and South America, constituting an isthmus of 80 km wide in his narrowest section.
Political division: 10 provinces and 5 regions.
Government: constitutional democracy, centralized Republic.
Language: the official language is Spanish, nevertheless, many people speak English.
Climate: Panama is tropical and the temperature is usually uniform throughout the whole year. The average of the temperature is 27 grades C.
Religion: absolute freedom of worship exists in Panama. The majority of the Panamanian are Roman Catholics. Nevertheless, due to the big diversity of the country, there are numerous churches, temples and synagogues.
Schedule: the hour of Panama is the whole equal year to the standard time of the East of the United States (GMT – 5)
Currency (US$): the dollar E.U.A. The proper coins of Panama are equivalent in size and in value to those of the E.U.A.
Tips: From 10 % to 15 % of the amount.
Driving License: the visitors can handle up to 90 days with foreign license.
Clothing: pledges are recommended of dressing light. The clothes for the business are formal: there is recommended a light sack for the men and a suit or set of trousers for the women. A sombrero of wide wing and glasses for the sun are necessary if it goes to the coast.
How to come? The best way of coming to Panama is across air lines. COPA Airlines, Continental Airlines, American Airlines and Iberia have several flights to the country every day. If you can handle, you can come for the Inter-American Route, which covers Central America. If you come for the seaway, you can disembark in one of our ports.
Requisites of entry to the country
Extending your Visa of Tourism
Go to the offices of Migration: In Panama these are in the Avenue Cuba and Street 29, another one is located in Tumba Muerto, also there are offices in David (Province of Chiriqui), Chitre (Province of Herrera), Changuinola (Province of Bocas del Toro) and Santiago (Province of Veraguas). You have to bring your passport, US$10, a passport photocopy of the page with your particular information and one of the page where there registered your most recent entry to Panama, a letter in Spanish requesting a tourist’s extension and your ticket of comeback for plane. In Panama, when you come to Migration, you will ask for a “tourist’s extension ”, which is a form that it will have to fill. The whole process takes generally two hours.
Arriving to Panama
On having come to the International Airport of Tocumen, it is good to know the particular characteristics of the same one. The passengers who come have access to a magnificent free zone of taxes, some shops are opened 24 hours of the day. It is in the top, very accessible level to realize buys before continuing to immigration and customs in the low level. The ATP (Authority of Tourism of Panama) supports an office of information in the field of customs, opened of 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
A position of taxis exists in the field of exit of the Airport once you pass for the Customs. The trip of 30 minutes in taxi from the Airport of Tocumen towards the city of Panama can cost him about US$20 or more. The official fee is US$10.00 for person if you share the taxi with four passengers, US$14.00 for person if you share it with two passengers and US$25.00 for private taxi.
There are buses but they do not transit next to the terminal and the stop of buses is at considerable distance on foot. It is not advisable to take a bus.
Airport valuation
For commercial international flights, going out of Panama it is necessary to pay US$20.00 of tax of exit of the airport.