PanamaRefugees

 Country Profile:  A.  PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY  1.  Panama  2.  tropical maritime, hot humid. Has a rainy season.  3. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">map <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> 78,200 km2 <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">a. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">9 00 N, 80 00 W. Borders Columbia and Costa Rica <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">b. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills. There is a canal that runs through the middle. Lago Bayano is a body of water in it. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">c. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Panama has 78,200 square km. <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">B. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">4. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Constitutional Democracy, The president is Martin Torrijos Espino. The vice presidents are Samuel Lewis Navarro and Ruben Arosemena Valdes. The Political parties include Democratic Change or CD [lead by Ricardo MARTINELLI], Democratic Revolutionary Party or PRD [lead by Hugo GUIRAUD], Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement or MOLIRENA (lead by Gisela CHUNG), Panamenista Party or PA [lead by Juan Carlos VARELA], Patriotic Union Party or PU [lead by Jose Raul MULINO and Anibal GALINDO], Popular Party or PP [lead by Rene ORILLAC]. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">5. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Panama <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">6. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Panama is affiliated with these International Organizations: BCIE, CAN (observer), CSN (observer), FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">7. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Panama has no military but about 670,000 are qualified to be in military. <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">C. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">8. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Spanish is the official language. English is also spoken. The ethnic is comprised of mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 70%, Amerindian and mixed (West Indian) 14%, white 10%, Amerindian 6%. Roman catholic is the main religion followed by Protestant. <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">9. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">The population is about 3,300,700 people. The growth rate is 1.544%. Approximately 1.02 of the people are males. <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">10. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Some major cities include Panama City, Cristobal, Coco Solo, El Porvenir, Yaviza, La Palma, Balboa, Vacamonte, Chitre, Santiago, David, and Bacas del Toro. <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">11. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">The infant mortality rate is about 13.4 deaths out of 1,000 births. <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">D. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">13. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">The GDP is $10,700 per capita <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">14. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">7.26% of the land is arable <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">15. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Natural resources include copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, and hydropower. <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">16. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">major agricultural and industrial products include construction, brewing, cement and other construction materials, sugar milling, bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane, vegetables; livestock, shrimp. <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">17. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">major exports include bananas, shrimp, sugar, coffee, and clothing. Major imports include capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, and chemicals. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">18. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">The currency consists of baloa and US dollars. The rate is 1 balboa per US dollar. <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">19. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">? <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">20. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">---1989 With US help, Dictator Manuel Noriegan was deposed. ( <span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">[|https://www.cia.gov] <span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">) <span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">---1999 The entire Panama Canal, the area supporting the Canal, and remaining US military bases were transferred to Panama. (same) <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> --- <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">2006, Panamanians approved an ambitious plan to expand the Canal. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">II. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Background: <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">a. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Refugees are people that have to leave their homeland and live somewhere else usually in refugee camps. <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">b. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Refugees have been around for a very long time. Refugees are people who would flee to a holy place or to seek asylum. When World War II happened there were a bunch more forced refugees. The United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, or UNRRA, was created by the Allies to help with the issue of Refugees. They returned over seven million displaced people. Many refugee camps have been set up but usually have poor living conditions. In history boats have been crammed with people trying to escape islands. <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">c. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">To this day there are still refugees all over the globe. <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">d. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">One of the biggest refugee events were the Jewish people who fled during the holocaust. A lot of Jews fled to Palestine and Israel who welcomed them with citizenship. Because of the Arabs intolerance of Jews most of the Jewish population in Arabia fled to Israel. Many Africans have illegally fled to Israel. The Lebanese civil war caused a bunch of people to become refugees. <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">III. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">UN Involvement: <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"> a.  <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/country?iso=pan <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"> b.  <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">http://equaljusticefoundation.blogspot.com/2008/07/united-nations-high-commissioner-on.html <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">b. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">germane committees? <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">c. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">The U.N. has not given much aid to Panama but has supported us in our decisions to allow refugee status to some Columbians. <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">d. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">regional/international organizations? <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">IV. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Country Policy/Possible Solutions: <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">a. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">resolutions your country has passed/signed <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">b. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">There hasn’t been very much action in my area until Columbia started to have problems. Now a bunch of Columbians come illegally to Panama seeking asylum. <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">c. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">We can’t afford to accept all of the Columbians and put them as refugee status. We have accepted some. <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">d. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">We would support a resolution to have the refugees transported to another country. <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">e. <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Panama will give a few people refugee status. <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">