Geography - note: strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean
@Panama:People
Population: 2,693,417 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 32% (male 444,673; female 426,823) 15-64 years: 62% (male 846,707; female 824,690) 65 years and over : 6% (male 72,472; female 78,052) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.58% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 22.27 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 5.15 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years : 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 24.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)