Irrigated land: 320 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment-current issues: water pollution from agricultural runoff threatens fishery resources; deforestation of tropical rain forest; land degradation
Environment-international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
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: 2,735,943 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 32% (male 446,001; female 428,532) 15-64 years: 62% (male 864,382; female 841,870) 65 years and over: 6% (male 74,529; female 80,629) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.56% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 21.99 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)