Panama

A

Ethnic Groups

About 70 percent of Panamanians are mestizos, people of mixed European and Native American descent, or mulattoes, those of European and African heritage. Exact percentages are impossible to assign because of extensive racial mixing, but these groups form the majority in most rural regions and in cities. Blacks, mostly from the West Indies, make up about 14 percent of the population, whites are about 10 percent, and Native Americans about 6 percent.

Panama’s cities contain sizeable minorities of whites from Europe and North America, Asians, Jews, Caribbean blacks, and people of Middle Eastern descent. In Colón and along the northeast coast, Panamanians of African descent form the majority.

In some regions Native Americans predominate. The largest group, the Ngobe-Buglé, live in the mountains of the Bocas del Toro region, while the Chocó people live in the Darién jungle on both sides of the Colombian border. The Kuna people live in the San Blas Archipelago and the coast east of Colón, in an autonomous territory known as the Comarca of San Blas.

Most of the indigenous peoples live apart from the majority of Panamanians, and relations between the two groups are often hostile. The Kuna have the most interaction but preserve their culture, even when living away from their ancestral region. The native peoples, especially the Ngobe-Buglé, tend to be taken advantage of by farmers and ranchers who encroach on their lands. Most indigenous groups farm, hunt, collect hardwood and other forest products, and sometimes produce crafts, such as the Kuna textiles known as molas. But they are generally very poor compared to the rest of Panama’s population.

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B

Language and Religion

Spanish, the official language of Panama, is spoken by all but a few Native Americans. About a quarter of the population also speaks English, the language of the West Indian minority and the international business community. Many other languages can be found in immigrant communities.

Seventy-seven percent of Panamanians are Catholic, although the proportion that practices is smaller. Protestant denominations account for 12 percent of the people. The constitution does not specifically separate church and state but guarantees freedom of worship. Religious faith and practice have not created conflict in Panama.

C

Education

Education is compulsory for 6 years and is provided free by the government through the university level. The government spent 16.6 percent of its budget on education in 2000. Wealthier families usually send their children to the numerous private schools in the cities. In 2000, 400,400 elementary and 234,200 high school students were enrolled in the country. School attendance by elementary-age children is nearly universal. Panama has one of the highest literacy rates in the region, 93 percent.

In the early 1990s about 60,000 people attended the national University of Panama (founded in 1935), its associated Technological University, and the University of Santa María la Antigua (1965), a Roman Catholic institution. Many others enroll at the private colleges and trade schools that have sprung up in recent years.

D

Way of Life

Panamanians work hard and take part in public affairs, but they also enjoy leisure activities. Traditionally, Panamanians have preferred to work in commerce, finance, brokerages, and services in general. Government employment, teaching, journalism, and careers in law, medicine, religion, and the arts also attract many who are able to secure appointments or the necessary training. To work in the upper echelons of government and business, study in Europe or the United States is essential. The military has rarely been a popular calling.

Leisure time is spent in family outings to the beaches, at country homes (often where the family originated), or in social clubs in the cities. Family gatherings provide frequent opportunities for parties, with music, dancing, food, and conversation.

The biggest festivities in Panama occur at Christmas—usually within the family—and during Carnival, the celebration analogous to Mardi Gras and Brazil’s Carnival that occurs before the Christian season of Lent. Carnival includes parades, street dancing, parties at private clubs, and special religious services. Other important holidays include independence day on November 3 and Firemen’s Day on May 5.

Participatory sports draw fewer people than do spectator ones, and Panamanians support fellow citizens who have successful careers abroad. U.S. sports, especially baseball and basketball, can be followed on local cable television stations.

Typical meals include sancocho (a chicken soup with native cereals and tubers), tamales (made with mashed corn), plantains, and native fruits. In addition, meals usually include rice, beans, broiled meat, potatoes, and fried bananas.

E

Social Issues

Panama’s society became complex in the 20th century, due to the influx of foreigners, the global reach of its commerce and services, and its strategic political importance. The oldest elite families, descended from colonial times, control wealth, power, and prestige to a far greater degree than those in most Latin American countries. These people, mostly light-skinned and of European descent, are called the rabiblancos (Spanish for “white-tails”). Most presidents, cabinet officials, and governors have come from this class. Since the 19th century, foreigners, especially educated immigrants, have become part of this class through marriage or business partnerships. The upper-class population is small and concentrated in several cities, so members all know each other and keep abreast of one another’s activities. Membership in the exclusive Union Club is roughly the same as this elite class.

About a quarter of Panama’s society enjoys a middle-class standard of living, which includes owning a home or apartment, one or two automobiles, and modern appliances. These people usually live in Panama City, are mostly of European descent, and work for the government, the canal, or major foreign corporations. Middle-class families send their children for university training, usually in Panama. Some middle-class families operate rural businesses and are well off, although they lack access to urban amenities. They produce food and raw materials for urban markets and for export.

Wealth is highly concentrated in the hands of the elite, so the majority of working-class people have very little property and income. Some families managed to acquire land or homes and are fairly comfortable. But millions of Panamanians live in severe poverty, working as day laborers, domestics, and menial employees. The government has subsidized construction of thousands of modest homes on the outskirts of the leading cities. The working classes tend to come from mixed racial background, either mestizo or mulatto.

Panama has low rates of violent crime, yet families with substantial property take great pains to protect it, often hiring private security. Businesses also employ thousands of guards, especially since the army was dismantled in 1989.

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