Panama

Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. Its capital and largest city is Panama City, whose metropolitan area is home to nearly half the country's over 4 million inhabitants.

Some of the key events about Panama

1501
Spanish colonization of Panama began, leading to the subjugation of indigenous peoples
1513
The Pacific Ocean was first sighted from the Americas
1671
The original Panama City was destroyed by pirates
1821
Panama declared independence from Spain
1821
Panama became part of Gran Colombia, losing its independence
1881
Construction of the Panama Canal began
1903
The United States intervened in Panama's independence from Colombia, establishing significant control over the new nation
1914
The Panama Canal officially opened, revolutionizing maritime trade
1941
A coup d'état overthrew the democratically elected government
1964
Anti-American riots erupted, resulting in the deaths of 21 Panamanians and 4 U.S. soldiers
1968
A military coup established a dictatorship that lasted until 1989
1977
The Torrijos-Carter Treaties were signed, ensuring eventual Panamanian control of the Canal
1981
The leader of the opposition was killed in a suspicious plane crash
1988
Economic sanctions were imposed on Panama by the United States
1989
The United States invaded Panama, causing significant civilian casualties and infrastructure damage
1999
Panama gained full control of the Panama Canal
2007
Construction began on the Panama Canal expansion project
2010
Panama was removed from the OECD's gray list of tax havens
2014
The 100th anniversary of the Panama Canal was celebrated
2016
The expanded Panama Canal opened, doubling its capacity

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