Panama, most famous for the Panama Canal Zone, iscompleted in 1914, and became an American Protectorate. By 1999, the defining event in recent Panamanian history took place – the return of the Panama Canal Zone to Panama under the terms of the agreement negotiated by the Panamanians and the US Carter administration in 1980. Quite groundbreaking too was that the event was overseen by Panama's first female president, Elisa Moscoso Rodriguez, who won the race that same year.
Panama is thus a curious but exhilarating combination of cultural influence. It lies at the centre of the world, its isthmus constituting the last part of a natural land-bridge between the North and South American continents. Its strategic position and glorious terrain – from jungle to beach- suggests that it will remain an important country for a long time yet.
