Panama (English spelling)

Japanese: パナマ（英語表記）Panamá

Official name: Republic of Panama.
Area: 74,177 ^km2 .
Population: 3,643,000 (2011 estimate).
The capital is Panama City.

A country in southeastern Central America. It occupies the Isthmus of Panama, the southeastern end of the isthmus that connects North and South America. It borders Costa Rica to the west and Colombia to the east, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The country is roughly divided into 2 halves by the Panama Canal. The topography is mountainous, with the Tabassara Mountains running east-west through the central west forming the backbone of the country, and the San Blas and Darien mountain ranges running along the Caribbean coast in the east. The highest peak is the Chiriqui Volcano (3,475m). The coastal plain is narrow, and the relatively wide plain is only on the eastern shore of the Bay of Panama. The climate is generally hot and rainy, with a clear dry season usually occurring from January to April, except in the Caribbean coast and high mountain areas where precipitation occurs throughout the year. When the Spanish entered the isthmus in the 16th century, the area was inhabited by Indian tribes such as the Kuna, Guaymi, and Choco. Later, they intermarried with the Spanish and the blacks brought as slaves, and today the majority of the inhabitants are of mixed race, called mestizo or mulatto. The official language is Spanish, and 80% of the population are Roman Catholics. Since Balboa's discovery of the Pacific Ocean, the isthmus has been the main artery for Spain's conquest, domination, and governance of South America, and has prospered as a trade route for goods. In 1821, it gained independence from Spain, but a few months later it became part of Gran Colombia, and in 1903, it separated from Colombia and gained independence when the Panama Canal was opened. The United States immediately recognized this independence, concluded the Canal Treaty, and acquired the canal zone as a permanent leasehold. The canal opened in 1914. In 1964, riots broke out due to the Panamanian flag incident, and a national movement for the return of the canal gained momentum. In 1977, a new canal treaty was signed, with the expiration date set at the end of 1999. The canal zone was returned in October 1979, and the Panama Canal on December 31, 1999. General Noriega had held real power in national politics since 1983, but in 1989, the United States military invaded Panama, and Noriega was handed over to the United States the following year. Although its share of the country's gross domestic product has been gradually declining, agriculture remains the mainstay of the economy, with bananas, sugar, coffee, and cacao being the main exports. Other major crops include rice, corn, beans, and oranges. Forest resources are abundant, but are largely undeveloped. Fisheries have developed rapidly in recent years, and shrimp is an important export. Industry is centered on agricultural product processing, with other industries including oil refining, cement, paper, textiles, and shoemaking. The trade balance is chronically large, but is partially compensated for by revenues from the canal and the Colon Free Trade Zone, as well as revenues from the flag of convenience system for ships. The main transportation routes are the railway line that runs along the canal between Panama City and Colon, the Pan-American Highway that runs east from Costa Rica to the country, and the Chiriqui Railway in the west.

Panama
Panama

The capital of Panama and the state of Panama. It is a city on the south coast of central Panama, facing the Bay of Panama, near the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. The old city was built by the Spaniards in 1519 on the site of an Indian fishing village, and became the center of the region and prospered as a transit point for trade goods. Goods from the Andes were first transported by sea to the city, then overland across the Isthmus of Panama to Nombre de Dios and Portobelo on the Caribbean coast, from where they were shipped to Spain. Since the late 16th century, it has been frequently attacked by English pirates, and gradually declined, until it was completely destroyed by Henry Morgan in 1671. In 1674, a new town was built at its current location about 10 km west, but it did not develop much, and in 1751 it was incorporated into the territory of New Granada (Colombia). In the 19th century, it was a stage for political turmoil, and in 1903, when the Republic of Panama declared its independence from Colombia, it became its capital. It subsequently developed rapidly, especially after the opening of the Panama Canal (1914). Port functions were transferred to Balboa in the west, but the city still had industries such as beer brewing, oil refining, steel, sewing, and wood processing. Although most of the city has been modernized, the old town, which still retains traces of the colonial era, such as the 17th century cathedral and plaza, was registered as a cultural heritage of the World in 1997 along with the ruins of the old town. It is the educational and cultural center of Panama, and is home to the National University of Panama (1935), the University of Santa María la Antigua (1965), the National Museum, the National Theatre, and the Institute of Tropical and Preventive Medicine. It is also a key transportation point, connected to the main Caribbean port of Colon by the canal, the Panama Railway, and the Trans-Isthmus Highway, and to major cities in the country by the Pan-American Highway. Tocumen International Airport is located nearby. Population: 432,990 (2010).

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

正式名称　パナマ共和国 República de Panamá。
面積　7万4177km²。
人口　364万3000（2011推計）。
首都　パナマ市。

中央アメリカ南東部にある国。南北アメリカ大陸を結ぶ地峡部の南東端，パナマ地峡を占める国で，西はコスタリカ，東はコロンビアと国境を接し，北はカリブ海，南は太平洋に面する。国土はパナマ運河により東西にほぼ2分される。地形は山がちで，西部中央を東西に延びるタバサラ山脈が脊梁山脈をなし，東部ではカリブ海沿岸にサンブラス，ダリエン両山脈が連なる。最高峰はチリキ火山 (3475m) 。海岸平野は幅狭く，比較的広い平野はパナマ湾東岸にある程度である。気候は概して高温多雨で，年間を通して降水をみるカリブ海沿岸と高い山地以外では，通常1～4月に明瞭な乾季が現れる。 16世紀スペイン人が地峡部に入ったときはインディオのクナ族，グアイミ族，チョコなどの部族が住んでいたが，その後スペイン人や奴隷として連れてこられた黒人との間で混血が進み，現在住民の大半はメスティーソ，あるいはムラットと呼ばれる混血である。公用語はスペイン語で，ローマ・カトリック教徒が 80%を占めている。バルボアによる太平洋発見以来，この地峡部はスペインによる南アメリカの征服，支配，統治の大動脈となり，物資の交易路として繁栄。 1821年いったんスペインから独立したが，数ヵ月後大コロンビアの一州となり，1903年パナマ運河開設に際してコロンビアから分離，独立。アメリカ合衆国はただちにこの独立を承認し，運河条約を締結，運河地帯を永久租借地として獲得。 1914年運河開通。 1964年パナマ国旗事件から暴動が起こり，運河返還の国民運動が高揚。 1977年に有効期限を 1999年末とする新運河条約が結ばれ，運河地帯は 1979年 10月に，パナマ運河は 1999年 12月 31日をもって返還された。 1983年以来ノリエガ将軍が国政の実権を握っていたが，1989年アメリカ合衆国軍がパナマに侵攻，翌年ノリエガは合衆国に身柄を引き渡された。国内総生産に占める割合は次第に低下してきているが，農業が依然として経済の主柱で，バナナ，砂糖，コーヒー，カカオが主要輸出品となっている。主要作物はほかにイネ，トウモロコシ，豆類，オレンジなど。林産資源は豊かであるが，大部分未開発。漁業は近年急速に発展，エビは重要な輸出品である。工業は農産物加工が中心で，ほかに石油精製，セメント，製紙，繊維，製靴などの工業が立地。貿易収支は慢性的に大幅な入超であるが，運河およびコロン自由貿易地区からの収入や，船舶の便宜置籍制による収入で一部補填されている。主要交通路は運河に沿ってパナマ市とコロンを結ぶ鉄道，道路，コスタリカから東へ国土を縦断するパンアメリカン・ハイウェー，西部のチリキ鉄道。

パナマ
Panamá

パナマの首都。またパナマ州の州都。パナマ中部南岸，パナマ湾に面する都市で，パナマ運河の太平洋側の出入口の近くに位置する。旧市は 1519年，インディオの漁村があった地にスペイン人によって建設され，この地方の中心地とされ，交易物資の中継地として繁栄。アンデス地方の財貨はまず海路で市に運ばれ，ここから陸路パナマ地峡を横断，カリブ海沿岸のノンブレデディオスやポルトベロへ運ばれ，そこからスペインに向け積み出された。 16世紀後半以降しばしばイギリスの海賊に襲撃され，しだいに衰退，1671年ヘンリー・モーガンにより完全に破壊された。 1674年西約 10kmの現在地に新しい町が建設されたが，あまり発展せず，1751年ヌエバグラナダ (コロンビア) 領に編入された。 19世紀には政治的混乱の舞台となり，1903年パナマ共和国のコロンビアからの独立が市で宣言されるとともに，その首都となった。その後，特にパナマ運河開通 (1914) 後急速に発展。港湾機能は西のバルボアに移ったが，市内にはビール醸造，石油精製，製鋼，縫製，木材加工などの工業が立地。市街は大部分近代化されているが，17世紀の大聖堂や広場など，植民地時代の面影が残る旧市街は，旧市遺跡とともに 1997年世界遺産の文化遺産に登録。パナマの教育・文化中心地で，国立パナマ大学 (1935) ，サンタ・マリア・ラ・アンティグア大学 (1965) ，国立博物館，国立劇場，熱帯・予防医学研究所などがある。また交通の要地で，運河，パナマ鉄道，地峡横断道路によりカリブ海側の主要港コロンと結ばれるほか，パンアメリカン・ハイウェーにより国内主要都市と連絡。近郊にトクメン国際空港がある。人口 43万299（2010）。

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