Covering an area of 77,082 km2, the Republic of Panama is located on the stretch of land between Central and South America, bordered on the East by Colombia and on the west by Costa Rica. The geography of the country is very diverse, characterized by mountains, plains, ridges, and coastal areas.
The Cordillera mountain range cuts the country to the west into two plains: jungle on the Atlantic coast with forests on the Pacific side. The range includes peaks that reach 3,475 meters in altitude. To the south, are the plains of Chiricana and the central plateau that, with the other mountain range circles around, creating the Gulf of Panama.
The Pacific coast has many indentations, such as the Bay of David to the west and the Peninsula of Azueri on the extreme west of the Gulf of Panama, which includes the Pearl Islands. The marine life that inhabits the oceans offers a wonderful variety of seafood to the population and visitors alike: lobster, shrimp, mussels, and many unique fish such as the marlin, sail-fish, swordfish, tuna, bonito, corvina, barracuda, tintorera, sardines, pargo and the saw-fish among many others.
The flora and fauna of the country also are attractions in and of
themselves. Between April and June, the country explodes in color to the extreme delight of any spectator. One can find yellow and pink acacias, purple poinciana, the lagerstroemia, purple jacaranda, and many varieties of orchids.
Animal life includes monkeys, wild cats, pumas, ocelots, armadillos, wild boars, anteaters, rabbits, deer, and many others whose native habitat is the central region. Over one thousand different species of birds nest in this country.
The Panama Canal is the principal attraction in the country. At 82 km in length, it stretches from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific where Panama City is located. The canal has two groups of water gates on the Pacific side, and one on the Atlantic.
These unique gates are double and allow ships to pass in both directions. The Pacific side is 24 centimeters higher than the Atlantic side, and has much higher tides. To travel through the canal takes approximately 20 hours.
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