Panama was officially known as the Republic of Panama, and is the southernmost country of Central America. The capital of Panama is Panama City which was discovered during the 16th century by the Spanish. From the help of the United States in 1903, Panama seceded from Colombia. This allowed the Panama Canal to be built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with construction beginning in 1904 and lasting ten years. In the end, the Panama Canal was given back to the citizens of Panama in 1977 when an agreement was signed to complete the transfer from the United States to Panama.
A large portion of Panama's GDP is accumulated from the Panama Canal, so it is no surprise that Panama has the third or fourth largest economy in Central America. Panama is located in Central America bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The Panama Canal connected the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean.
Geographically, Panama is filled with a vast variety of landmarks. In some areas, Panama is full of jungles with tropical plants, animals, and birds. In other areas there is a large formation of mountains and hills that form the continental divide.