Panama is kind of like, Come on, an Iman.

Yeah, well, come on.

It's essential.

American mixer.

Come on, join the finally What?

What are you doing back there?

By yourself?

Yeah.

No, I'm I'm good.

I'm like, not one of you.

Come on, Costa Rica.

You're the cool one lets districts joint, but I'm kind of one of them.

This classic story.

Embarrass our anniversary party.

No trail.

Okay?

And that's basically it.

I mean, without the gin martinis.

I've lived by a bunch of Guatemalans.

I've never seen them go for that stuff.

Everyone, I'm your host.

Barbs, Panama, The country that links the north and south, the gateway between two worlds and two oceans.

This little sliver of land has and still plays such a powerful role in the entire Western Hemisphere.

No.

Good.

Now let's find it on the map now.

Shall we wait?

Panama has a saying for itself.

Punta del Mondo.

Cortisone or Bridge of the world, Part of the universe.

And with good reason.

First of all, Panama is the narrow isthmus that joins the North and Southern American continents attached to the very end of Costa Rica.

and on top of Columbia straddling the Caribbean Sea in Atlantic Ocean to the east and specific to the West because of its curved shape.

This makes Panama the only place in the world where you can see both a sunrise on the Pacific and a sunset on the Atlantic at its narrowest point, the country is only about 30 miles or 48 kilometres wide.

The country is divided, interestingly, into 10 provinces, three indigenous regions and to indigenous municipalities within two of the provinces.

We'll talk more about this in a bit.

Off their coast.

They have about 1500 islands, including the largest island in Central America.

Cohiba Island, just off the southwest coast.

The capital of Panama is Panama City, of course, where about half the population lives and holds the largest airport to commend International just on the eastern outskirts of the city.

The second largest airport would be the Bocas del Toro Airport on the popular resort island.

Otherwise, remaining airports are mostly just small regional airstrips, unless much of Panama's economy is based on the famous Panama Canal, built by the Americans for shipping and passenger vessels.

The largest ports, of course, being the port of Balboa in Panama City, which connects via canal all the way to the port of Cologne in the north side of the country.

Along the entire canal runs the Panama Canal Railway, the second most vital transport line after the canal, again built by the Americans, predating the canal by about half a century.

Otherwise, Panama is kind of where the famous Pan American highway gets cut off.

People trying to travel the world's longest Mota rubble road to Colombia will have no luck, as this entire area of marshy force known as the Darien Gap is where all the roads for about 60 miles, 400 kilometres cuts off the dense forest area and itself kind of acts as like the border with Colombia as no demarcation line is drawn, the furthest you can go is a town of visa, and from there good luck.

Most people just take a boat off the coast to Colombia.

Two interesting things to note.

The American Society of Civil Engineers has named the canal as one of the modern seven wonders of the world.

The canal was actually once considered US territory and finally relinquished in 1999 Also, Panama is the second largest duty free zone in the world after Hong Kong.

So that's a thing on.

At one point, the Scottish tried to colonize Panama, but they grossly miscalculated the size of the mountains and the heat.

Anyway, I asked some of you guys, the Panamanian jogger peeps to list some of the top notable sites to check out in case if you visit, some of them include places like the Casco Viejo and San Jose Church Gold.

Alter the Panama Canal Museum.

Santa Costa.

Get a town supposedly has the best coffee, the Biodiversity Museum, the soybeans, Tobacco Islands, Anton Valley, Hot Springs in better indigenous villages for San Lorenzo, Plaza de Francia, Cosway Plastic Bottle Village and the seafood markets.

Not just about, does it, of course, we could have mentioned a lot of other crazy amazing waterfalls and force that they have here.

Hey, they even have a forest.

We're square shaped tree trunks, but that's the natural beauty, which means we gotta move on, too.

Panama is one of those countries that just kind of respects nature, you know, they got a good thing going on, so why try to taint it?

First of all, the country is actually located and its own many tectonic plate, known as the Panama Plates, smashed in between the cocoas, NASCAR and Caribbean plates.

This, in return subjects Panama to occasional earthquakes, but not much.

Volcanic activity.

The tallest peak in the country is actually a volcano, Vulcan Bahru, but it is not erupted in hundreds of years is part of the tip Asada Mountain chain, the longest in the country.

And on the east side you find the sunglass, SAPO and dairy and mountain chains, which extend all the way to Colombia.

Otherwise, just a small skip east.

You confined the largest lake.

The manmade artificial lake got tune created by the got to end damn on the Cha Gris River.

This lake, of course, assist the transporting of ships along the canal across the country.

Skip further east, you find the longest river, though the chicken AKI, which flows south into the unknown thick force of the Darien Gap.

Otherwise, the country is three main gulfs, a mosquito gulf in the north, and the S Radio Peninsula splits off the Gulf of Cherokee and the Gulf of Panama from each other, effectively making the country look like the shape of a limp hammer.

Now, of course, the abundance of nature and landforms gives Panama much more of an advantage than just the canal.

And with that, it's time for my triple shot espresso break, which means it's time for Noah.

Let's do it shall way.

Panama hasn't reason.

Decades seen a massive construction in business boom, with a huge expat community moving in.

They had 12 of the 15 tallest skyscrapers in Latin America.

I still have the tallest one, though for now, anyway.

Not only are they one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America, they're an incredibly popular spot for retirees.

This is one reason why you don't see too many Panamanians leaving their country.

There's kind of more stability and opportunity available.

In contrast to some of their neighbors.

Most the economic activity in Panama, at about 80% is based in the service sector, and the canal alone revise a significant portion, mostly through tolls.

Almost that Truls holds are based on size, cargo and type of vessel cross, and the most ever paid was over $376,000 on a Norwegian cruise ship.

Agriculture only makes up about 7% of their GDP, with crops like coffee, bananas, sugar cane and coconuts.

Country as the 1000 bird species, including the national animal of the Harpy Eagle, as well as hundreds of mammal species ranging from giant ant eater to slop over 1/3 of Panama's natural park, which helps assist these animals from going endangered is even a cool turtle sanctuary run by this guy in a top it all off.

They have nine months of rain, which is why building that canal was so difficult to kept getting flooded and people died anyway.

Food Some of the top dishes, you guys, a Panamanian Johner Peep suggested we mentioned include things like Boyo, Carly Manola, Panamanian styled thick tortillas, Ropa vieja bien may sob fried fish like Pargo, Frito with Patagonia south south south.

It was the interesting epic meal time.

They would do that like we got some sowles in the national dish song culture.

You look close.

You can tell some of these dishes have a somewhat Caribbean flair, and that's what the story gets interesting because now we talk about the people in thank you know Panama sticks out from the rest of Latin America because it doesn't really quite belong or identify with either Central America or South America.

They never were part of the Federated States of Central America, and they fought to break away from Colombia back when it was Gran Colombia.

So it's like they wanted space from everyone.

In any case, the country is made up of about four million people and is the least populated nation in Central America.

About 65% of the population is misty, so that's mixed with native and European.

To some extent, about 13% of the population is native Amory Indian largest groups being the knob, kuna and Embera.

About 16% of population is black or mixed black, and the remainder at about 6% are white Panamanians.

They use the U.

S dollar, but Bob Bullock coins as their currency.

They used the American Type A and B plug outlets, and they drive on the right side of the road.

Now, if you notice in the political section, we mentioned how the country has three indigenous regions and to indigenous municipalities.

These areas are designated for the native population of Panama, which has one of the highest percentages of Amer Indians per population in the Americas, after Bolivia and Guatemala.

These groups still live in traditional communities to varying degrees of modernization.

Of course, Spanish is the official language.

Panamanians, though, do have their own distinct dialect.

For example, here are some of you guys, the Panamanian jogger Peeps, explaining, My name is home.

Here in Panama, people likes to mix English with Spanish, for example, guess Oba.

They also use many English birds today, like friends or pretty.

So you could say, Hey, bring gets open, Come on, stick around Monrovia, some people said, When you are Prairie Fres, you are chan yell.

There are also many expressions that describe sadness or disappointment.

For example, Yella, Vera or two.

So thank you.

However, like Costa Rica, it is not uncommon to hear English spoken, especially by the younger people and people in the cities.

Panama is one of the most English proficient countries in Latin America, and it all kind of has to do with the fact that the US kind of well, yeah, Oh, wouldn't it be great if we could build a canal?

Come on, come on.

Maybe later, I tried to give it the goal, But it's not possible.

The maintains air too tall and they're in too much.

I'll give it go.

Too many people have died and the rain keeps messing it up.

I'm abandoning this gig.

Okay, Panama, you're part of our country now.

Can we finally build that canal?

Most likely not.

Are you kidding me?

Hey, Panama USA here.

Bam!

1903 Now, I just ask that you give me the rights to the canal in a sovereign zone.

We'll split the profits.

Did you just, like, forcibly asked me out on a date?

Yeah.

Yeah, I do that all the time.

But, you know, we'll break up in a few decades and Indian.

You'll thank me.

That's basically how Panama started speaking English Better.

Otherwise, what does it mean to be Panamanian?

Well, that question comes from a lot of back story, because even for a small population, Panama is an incredibly diverse nation, and the quickest way I can summarize it, they have the Hispanic, the black and the Emory Indian groups that all dominate the culture and give you a quick rundown.

Here's Hanna with culture stuff.

You're still here?

Marriage.

I guess.

We're doing this together again with in Panama, The black and mixed spot communities are descendants from either slaves brought over from the 16th century or Afro Antillean that immigrated from places like Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad to work on the rail lines back in the 18 forties.

Since then, they've played an important role in society and have brought much to the Panamanian identity through things like music and art.

Many have become famous figures, including Princess Angela of Liechtenstein.

The indigenous community is made up of many groups and tribes, but about half of them are comprised of these two groups.

The KUNA and Embera Woonam are very famous people's that gets lots of attention as well for their colorful textiles and rituals.

Most of these people live the three indigenous regions or two indigenous municipalities.

They have their own languages, housing and lifestyles set apart from the rest of Panama's Westernized society.

If you're lucky, you might be able to witness a new trick on a healing ritual with wooden figurines for the kuna.

People in Tal Gannett or vegetable ivory carvings by the IMF era people are highly prized as it is a sustainable and safe substitute for ivory.

The knob People have a game called False area, which is technically outlawed by the government, but it involves throwing sticks at your opponent's legs until they give up.

Ouch!

Quick side note.

The Panama hat was not invented in Panama, but rather Ecuador.

Baseball is their favorite sport.

However, soccer or football has always been number two.

And in fact they were so happy.

It was kind of like, Hey, congrats, Panama.

You made it to FIFA.

Yeah, I did.

I owe you, man.

You gonna help me get there?

I should I should probably give you my cheeky province in gratitude.

Well, actually, I could always use not gonna happen.

And it is said that out of the whole year, only about 30 days do not have some kind of national festivity, depending on the province.

Yeah, Panamanians love partying with music.

Which brings us to Keith's music segment.

What is wrong with Keith?

Everything.

Although you confined all genres in Panama, it's interesting to see how they fused everything together from all their people groups.

For one, a Caribbean undertone will always kind of be around.

Reggae, salsa, Scott Calypso and Dance Hall have all been around since the 20th century, although cumbia and salsa have always been there, go twos with this dude being probably the most famous Panamanian salsa musician.

Nonetheless, folk music known as T.

PICO is always go to with notable artists like these guys.

And the Tom Burrito dance with costumes can always be seen, especially at festivals.

Although Reggae Town is it's said to have been vented in Puerto Rico.