Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
FACT FILE
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Though Panama has the highest growth rate in Latin America at around 8.5 per-
cent, over a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line - the majority
from indigenous communities.
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Panama hosts almost 1000 species of bird, including the odd-looking three-wattled
bellbird, resident in the Chiriquí Highlands, whose extraordinary “bonk” call can
be heard almost a kilometre away.
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Panama City's new 14km Metro line cost an estimated $1.88 billion dollars to
build, with likely annual maintenance costs of around $56 million - the country's
second most expensive project after the Panama Canal expansion.
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The Panama Canal took over 60 million pounds of dynamite to blast through the
rock; the ships laden with the explosives each contained 20,000 boxes that all had
to be unloaded by hand.
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The Guna, Panama's most high-profile indigenous people, have one of the highest
rates of albinism in the world with one in 150 being born a “moon child”.
COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE, PANAMA CITY
