About Panama

Panama holds one of the modern wonders in the World, the Panama Canal, however, Panama is more than just the Canal. Panama is a banking center, Panama holds the United Nations Regional Offices of Latin America and the Caribbean and Panama enjoys of a rich Fauna and Flora because of it geographical position. Panamanian People are very friendly and are use to hosting people from around the world that come to visit, work, study or retire. Panama maintains its culture and traditions while at the same time hosts a multicultural transit of people and goods.

Location
The Republic of Panama is located in the center of the Western Hemisphere under the following coordinates: 7º12’07" and 9º38’46" North, 77º09’24" and 83º03’07" West. Its Borders are: to the North, the Caribbean Sea; to the East, the Republic of Colombia; to the South, the Pacific Ocean, and to the West, the Republic of Costa Rica.

Panama is the link between Central America and South America, an isthmus 80 km. wide in its narrowest section.

Area, Population and Density
75,517 square Km; the total population is 3.2 million people.

Age Distribution (%)
0-14 years 37.0%, 15-59 years 56.3%, 60+ years 6.7%

Political Division
9 provinces and 5 indigenous communities.

Government
Constitutional Democracy, Centralized Republic

Legal System
Based on the civilian legal system, judicial revision of legislative acts in the Supreme Court, and accepting of international tribunal jurisdiction, except in some instances.

Language
The official language is Spanish. However, many Panamanians speak English.

Literacy Rate
90%

Weather
Panamanian weather is tropical and uniform throughout the year. The average temperature is 27 degrees Celsius.

Religion
There is an absolute freedom of religion in Panama. Most Panamanians are Roman Catholic. However, due to the diversity in the country, you can find all kinds of temples of worship throughout the country.

Time Zone
The time in Panama all year long is the same as the EST (GMT -5). We do not observe Daylight Savings Time.

Currency
The U. S. dollar. The Panamanian currencies are equivalent in size and value to those of the U.S.A.

Commerce
They are generally open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. Some open on Sundays.

Gratuities
From 10% to 15% of the bill is the suggested amount.

Driver’s License
The visitors can drive up to 90 days with foreign license.

Electricity
110 volts; 60 cycles.

Dress Code
Light clothing is recommended. Dress attire for business is formal: we recommend a light suit for men and for women a light skirt or pants outfit. You should consider a straw hat and sunglasses if you are going to the beach.

How to get to Panama
The best way to get to Panama is through air travel. Panama is only 2.5 hours away from Miami. American, Copa Airlines and Continental Airlines have lots of flights every day coming from Miami, Orlando, Houston, Atlanta, New York, DC, Los Angeles and other cities. A round-trip plane ticket to Panama may be as low as $350.00. If you are driving, you can get here through the Inter-American Highway that runs through Central America. If you are coming by sea, you can disembark in one of our many ports.

Taxis: Panama has lots of taxis you can stop on the street. A ride from your condo to the university will costs no more than $1.50 regardless of how bad the traffic congestion may be. The taxi ride from the City of Knowledge to our university may costs from $3.00 to $5.00, depending upon the student`s bargaining skills.

Cost of Living in Panama
Cost of living in Panama is one of the cheapest in Latin America. The total cost, including their plane ticket and tuition, may even cost them less than the regular expenses and tuition they pay in a regular semester at their home institution.

Taking three courses of 3 credits each during the mornings, plus doing an internship of 3 credits in the afternoons, plus the cost of housing, meals, living expenses and the plane ticket, may cost students no more than $4,500.00 for the stay.

Safety
Panama is one of the safest countries in Latin America. Yes, you are probably safer here than in your city in the USA. In more than 10 years of experience bringing students and professors from the USA to Panama, we have not had a single incident. That is a great record and we will work hard to keep it this way . Students are briefed on safety precautions and what places are off-limits. They also given a cell phone for emergencies, a map with instructions where to go, and a list of cell phone numbers to call if they have an emergency.

Housing
Students have different options of housing for a Semester Abroad.

Local host-family
If students what a full immersion in the Spanish culture this is the perfect accommodation. They will be living in a Spanish speaking environment (even though some family members may speak English and in some cases English may be their first language) and experiencing Panamanian culture on a daily basis.

Apartments
These are located in nearby areas such as Bella Vista, El Cangrejo and San Francisco. We will help students find the apartment they need and will fit their budget. Sharing a condo with one, two or three more students will make housing very affordable. Most condos have private security personnel, social areas and swimming pools.

Dorm/Room
A third option is renting a room in student housing at the City of Knowledge at former Fort Clayton, U.S. Army Base. The City of Knowledge hosts many international organizations, technological multinational companies and some academic programs from other universities around the world. The campus has a large variety of amenities to include sports installations, Olympic swimming pools, gyms, broadband wireless internet, cafeterias and lots of green areas.

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