Banks:
Most banks are open Monday thru Friday from 8:00 a.m, to 1:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. There are a few that are open on Saturday.

Religion: Catholic

Climate:
Panama lies very close to the equator and enjoys a tropical climate Temperatures vary between 80-90 Fahrenheit (25-30 celsius). Humidity is very high. Panama has two seasons. The dry season lasts from January to mid-April and the rainy season from mid-April to December.

Clothing:

Bring light-weight clothing A wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses are important if you are hiking or at the coast. Dress for business is formal so bring your suit - lightweight if you have one.

Communications:
Telecommunications are first-class and direct-dial service to anywhere in the world is available. Fax, telex. internet and other telecommunication services are available.

Credit Cards / ATMs
All major credit cards are accepted throughout the country and in most of the tourist areas.
ATM machines operates in bank facilities, shopping centers, drugstores, major supermarkets.

Currency
The official currency is the Balboa and is equivalent to one US dollar. US dollars are widely accepted everywhere in Panama.

Departure Tax
A US $20 departure tax is charged when you exit the country.

Electricity: 110 Volts

Entry Requirements:
A valid passport is needed to enter. The requirement for visas to enter Panama has been waived for many countries. It is best to check with a Panamanian consulate before traveling. A tourist card is sometimes needed to enter and can be bought at the airline counter or before entering immigration if you are going to overstay your allotted time extend your visa or tourist card with immigration. Heavy fines are levied for late exiting.

Government:

Time Zone:
Panama is in the Eastern time zone and does not observe daylight savings time.

Population: 3.1M

The population is a variation of many different cultures, 62% mestizo, 14% African descent, 10% Spanish descent, 5% mulatto and 5% Indian.

Topography:
Panama consists of three different landscape areas. The lowlands (below 2,300 ft.), make up over 85 percent of the country's territory, the temperate lands (2,300 to 4,900 ft.) and the highlands at elevations higher than 4,900 feet above sea level. There are more than 1,600 islands within the territorial area of Panama Over 500 rivers run through the country and more than half of Panama is still forested.

Weather: Warm weather all the year round, with temperatures between 80 F and 90 F in most of the areas. Chill weather is present in the highland areas (45F to 70%). Due to the tropical latitudes, Panama offers only a two weather season.  A dry season that runs from January to march, on the other hand, the rainy season runs from april to December.