General Information
This is just a collection of general information that is always useful to those visiting
Panama. These days people are used to travel with electronic extensions of their lives such
as PDA, computer, hair blowers, cell phones, etc.
Electricity
In Panama we use 110 Volts at 60 Hertz for most appliances. The connectors are of the
The connectors are of the American Type B (2 or 3 pin connectors) Nema 5-15 which have
two flat parallel flat blades and in some instances (grounded) a round pin.
Larger appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines, etc. use a two-phase
220 Volt supply at 60Hz. As a reference, if you have been to the USA or latinamerica,
we use the same type of electrical connector.
Money Matters
Panama's economy is based primarily on a well-developed services sector that
accounts for three-fourths of GDP. Services include the Panama Canal, banking,
the Colon Free Zone, insurance, container ports, flagship registry, and
tourism.
The local currency is the Balboa and has the same value of one US Dollar. In
fact the bank notes are American Dollars. For coins both the American and
Panamanian are in circulation, they have the same denominations and sizes,
weight etc. just different.
Traveller Checks can be exchanged at major banks at the expense of the bank's
commission.
Credit Cards such as Visa, Master Card, American Express, etc. are widely
accepted.
Water Quality
The water in Panama city is one of the best in the world so don't worry, you
will not end up spending most of the day in the toilet feeling sorry for
yourself. Part of the capital (the canal zone area) is mostly supplied by the
former Canal Zone's water treatment plant. The rest is supplied by the
excellent water treatment plant in Chilibre. Both make use of Panama's rich
natural water resources.
Outside the capital, in the country side the water is still drinkable and safe
but may not be as good as the one in the capital.
- IDAAN. Natl. Institute of Aquaducts
Connectivity and Telephony
The Republic of Panama has very good connectivity both at national and
international level. While some years ago the cellular/mobile networks made use
of a different standard, most of today's mobile phones are of the GSM standard.
The GSM network (Global System for Mobile Communications) in Panama operates in
the 850 MHz frequency band. Unfortunately this means that many triple band GSM
mobiles sold in Europe (900, 1800, 1900 MHz) won't operate in Panama. There are
however some quad-band cellulars on the market.
The international dial code to dial to Panama is 507. If you are in Panama and
need to call abroad, the international access prefix is 00.
