Follow the jump links to learn more about Panama:
Lifestyle and Family Living
Teen Life
Dress and Appearance
Diet and Meals
Educational System
Geography and Climate
Population
Language
Government
Religion
Spending Money
Safety and Support
Fun FactsLifestyle and Family Living
Panamanian families are usually very close and quite large. Aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents often live nearby and see each other frequently. Privacy can thus be limited and children often must share rooms. Children remain close to their families even when they are grown, often living at home until they marry.
The father is the head of the household; parental authority is recognized and children are expected to follow their parents’ wishes. Because both parents often work outside the home, children (especially daughters) are expected to help with running the house, which is kept very neat.
Most Panamanian host families are middle-class which means that their homes have the modern conveniences but few luxuries.
About 10% of AFSers will be placed in Panama City, 35% in small cities, and the rest in rural towns.
Panamanian host families, like all AFS host families worldwide, are volunteers and are not paid. They open their homes to students in order to share their community and culture as well as to enrich their own family lives.Teen Life
Most teenagers are involved with their homework during the week, so weekends are the time for parties and socializing.
Teens like to go out in groups, go to dances, play sports, go to movies or just hang out in the park.
Baseball, soccer and basketball are favorite sports.
Many families do not allow their daughters to go out to discos or to drink alcohol.
Teenage life is influenced by specific Panamanian culture, which derives fundamentally from European musical, artistic, and literary traditions brought by the Spanish. Important African and Native American influences have been added to these, however, creating hybrid forms unique to Panama. Popular music, while influenced by international recordings, draws heavily on Afro-Caribbean music.Dress and Appearance
Panamanian teenagers dress casually, but neatness is important. Jeans and t-shirts are common, as are shorts (longer shorts for girls). Also bring comfortable walking shoes, sneakers, a swimsuit and towel. Students are encouraged to bring one or two nice outfits (dress shirts and long pants for boys, dresses for girls) for special occasions.
Personal cleanliness is very important, and everyone takes a shower in the morning. The use of antiperspirant or deodorant is essential as Panamanians find body odor very offensive.
All schools require students to wear uniforms, which consist of black leather shoes, blue or white socks, white shirts or blouses and dark blue pants or skirts. The cost of a uniform is about US$70 and is paid for by the student.Diet and Meals
Panamanian food reflects the influence of the different cultural groups that have settled the country. Rice is the staple of the diet and is eaten twice a day.
Meals include meat, beans, platanos (a type of starchy banana) and vegetables like tomatoes, carrots and cabbage.
Spicy foods are rare. Meals are often accompanied by sweet cold fruit drinks called chichas.
Family members may eat informally and at different times. Few families have the habit of gathering at the dinner table every evening. That is something which is reserved for special occasions or when they have visitors.
Panamanians often offer food as a sign of friendship. Educational System
The school year runs from early-March to mid-December.
In the large cities, school transportation is usually provided by private bus service. (AFS Panama will arrange your school transportation.)
Panamanian schools are academically oriented. Classes are given mostly as lectures, and students are expected to take detailed notes. Homework is given almost daily. All high schools have an average of 10 compulsory subjects, and each day of the week has a different schedule of subjects.
School friends usually form study groups that meet after school in their homes, especially before important exams. In addition to studying, these groups also organize outings to the movies, parties, and other activities. You can easily be invited to these groups if you take your schoolwork seriously.
Panama has one of the highest literacy rates in the region: 97%. Wealthier families usually send their children to private schools or to study abroad.
Although it may be possible for you to obtain academic credit for the coursework you successfully complete while abroad, AFS cannot guarantee this. Please discuss your plans with your school before you go abroad.
Geography and Climate
The Republic of Panama is about the size of the South Carolina. It forms a link between Central and South America on the narrowest part of the Central American isthmus. It borders both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean and lies between Colombia to the Southeast and Costa Rica to the Northwest.
The climate is tropical and daily temperatures range between 21°C and 32°C (70°F and 90°). It is cooler in the mountains (between 10-18°C/50-64°F). The rainy season is from mid-April to December; the dry season is from January through early April.
Panama’s flourishing jungles are filled with exotic native animals, and with two oceans washing its shores, it is also rich in marine life. In fact, the country’s indigenous name means “abundance of fish” and “abundance of butterflies.”
Population
The population is 3 million. People of mixed descent, called mestizos, make up 70% of the population. American Indians represent 6% and they are concentrated in three tribes: the Kunas, Ngobe-Bugles and Emberás.
Panama City, the capital city, has a population of approximately 700,000.
Language
Spanish is the official language of Panama. English is also spoken by approximately 10% of the population.
Government
The country has had a democratic form of government since 1989. The president is elected by popular vote every five years. There is also the Assembly, consisting of 67 legislators, and the Supreme Court.
Religion
The majority of Panamanians are Roman Catholic (85%) followed by Protestant (10%) and Muslim (5%).
Spending Money
The Balboa and the US Dollar are the official currency in Panama.
Your program and country information packet (provided in the months prior to your departure) will give you an idea of how much spending money is appropriate and whether you should arrive with any amount of the local currency in hand.
Host families pay only for ordinary family events in which you are expected to participate. When you do such things as shopping for yourself or going out with friends, the expenses are your responsibility. Depending on the cost of living in your host country, we recommend you budget about $100-$300 per month.
Remember: never travel with large amounts of cash. Instead, bring travelers checks or follow the advice in the country and program information packet. Another option for obtaining money while overseas is to use a debit card linked to a checking account back home (but try not to use a debit card for daily purchases since there are ATM and currency exchange fees). Or, you can transfer money using wiring services such as Western Union.
You and your parents should determine a budget and preferred money transfer plan before you depart so that you are not caught without spending money while abroad.
Be conscientious of your spending since conspicuous consumption may not be viewed favorably and spending more than your peers and family may create a distance between you and them.
Safety and Support
AFS has the utmost concern for the welfare, safety, and security of our participants. We’ve been exchanging participants throughout the world for 60 years—that’s six decades of history and experience in international education with an exemplary record of safety, security, and service.
AFS maintains a network of experienced staff and trained volunteers who provide support in each country. In the event of an emergency, 24-hour assistance is available to students, their parents, and the host families. Furthermore, your AFS tuition includes comprehensive medical insurance coverage to ensure that medical care is available to our participants anywhere in the world and at all times.
While we have the above support structures in place, we also encourage you to take responsibility for your own safety and we give you the guidance to do so. Many of the AFS orientation activities, both at home and abroad, are intended to give you the tools to stay safe. We also provide country-specific safety tips to each participant prior to departure.
Learn more about the AFS safety and support network.
Fun Facts
- Panamanians use many gestures. Making a circle in the air means that the person is coming back. Wrinkling the nose means that the person does not understand.
- Until Lake Mead was formed by the building of the Hoover Dam in the United States, Panama’s Gatun Lake was the largest artificial body of water in the world.
- Panama is the youngest country in Central America.
- Motorists can drive the Pan-American Highway all the way from northern Alaska to Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of South America—except for a stretch known as the Darien Gap in Panama. To protect the rainforest along the border of Panama and Colombia, the two country’s Presidents have signed agreements that they will not complete the road through the Darien National Park.
- Seventy-five thousand workers labored for 10 years to build the Panama Canal. Rather than cut directly across the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans, the workers built locks that lift ships 26 m. (85 ft.) up to an artificial lake. Additional locks at the opposite end of the lake lower the ships to the other ocean.
