LOCATION:
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica

POPULATION:
3,191,319 (July 2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$25.29 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (real growth rate):
6.3% (2006 est.)

GDP (per capita):
$7,900 (2006 est.)

INDUSTRIES:
construction, brewing, cement and other construction materials, sugar milling

AGRICULTURE PRODUCTS:
bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane, vegetables, livestock, shrimp

EXPORTS - PARTNERS :
U.S. 44.9%, Spain 8.9%, Sweden 5.6%, Netherlands 4.9%, Costa Rica 4% (2005)

EXCHANGE RATE:
balboas per U.S. dollar = 1