Author:
María Daniela Thurber, Reference Librarian, Hispanic Reading Room, Latin American, Caribbean, and European Division
Created: January 19, 2021
Last Updated: February 1, 2021
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The Library of Congress holds thousands of collection materials about and from Panama Curated by librarians in the Hispanic Reading Room, this guide is part of a series of Country Guides that provide quick references for countries and regions from the Luso-Hispanic world. The Hispanic Reading Room is the Library’s portal to the Caribbean, Latin America, Spain and Portugal; the indigenous cultures of those areas; and peoples throughout the world historically influenced by Luso-Hispanic heritage, including Latinos in the U.S. This guide offers links to diverse resources on Panama from across the Library including digitized primary sources, selected books and periodicals, online databases, and tips for searching. For specific questions or assistance using the Library’s resources, use the Ask a Librarian service to contact a reference librarian.
Official Name: Republic of Panama (República de Panamá)
Capital: Panama City (Ciudad de Panamá)
Date of Independence: November 28, 1821
Head of State/Government: Laurentino Cortizo (President)
Population: 3.9 million (July 2020 est.)
Languages: Spanish, indigenous languages, predominantly: Ngäbere, Buglere, Kuna, Embera, and Teribe. Many Panamanians are bilingual and speak English.
States: Panama is divided into 10 provinces: Bocas del Toro, Chiriquí, Coclé, Colón, Darién, Herrera, Los Santos, Panamá, Panamá Oeste, and Veraguas.