Discover
The identity of the nation
Panama is a narrow isthmus that separates two oceans and links two continents: Central America and South America. This position has made the country one of the most strategic points in the world, crowned by the Panama Canal, the waterway that cuts through the territory and connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. Ships, goods, and people from every continent pass along this route, shaping a people accustomed to welcoming outsiders.
The vast majority of the population identifies as Christian, split between Catholics, historically the majority, and Evangelicals, who are growing with each generation. Freedom of worship is broad, and the church can gather and evangelize without restrictions. Even so, for many Panamanians faith is more a family inheritance than a personal choice: beliefs passed down from ancestors coexist alongside a strong attachment to the easy money that flows through commerce and finance, which does not always translate into a life truly transformed by the gospel.
Seven indigenous peoples, among them the Guna, the Ngäbe, and the Emberá, live in comarcas, self-governing territories within the country. In many of these communities the gospel has already arrived, but a complete Bible in the mother tongue and deeper discipleship remain real needs. Traditional beliefs about nature spirits still persist alongside the Christian faith in much of these regions.
In recent years, Panama has become an obligatory passage for thousands of people from various countries who cross the Darién jungle on foot, a dense forest on the border with Colombia, in search of a better life farther north. This multitude in transit, exhausted and often wounded by the journey, represents an enormous field for Christian care and compassion.
With its unique geographic position and a growing evangelical church, Panama has the potential to be a bridge of hope: among the indigenous peoples who still await the Scriptures in their own language, among the migrants passing through who need welcome, and among the nations that cross its waters every day. The greatest challenge for the Panamanian church is to turn a faith of tradition into a living, generous discipleship.
- Indigenous peoples such as the Guna, the Ngäbe, and the Emberá inhabited the isthmus long before the arrival of the Europeans.
- 1501 The first Spanish explorers arrive on the isthmus's coast.
- 1513 Spanish explorers cross the isthmus on foot and catch their first sight of the Pacific Ocean.
- 1538 The isthmus becomes the seat of one of the main Spanish colonial courts, a central route of trade between Europe and Peru.
- 1821 Independence from Spain and voluntary union with Gran Colombia.
- 1903 Separation from Colombia and the birth of the Republic of Panama.
- 1904-1914 Construction of the Panama Canal by the United States, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
- 1977 An agreement signed with the United States provides for the gradual return of the canal to Panama.
- 1999 Panama takes full control of the canal, a milestone of national sovereignty.
- Today A majority-Christian country and global logistics hub, today also a route for thousands of migrants crossing the Darién jungle.
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Spanishofficial language, spoken by nearly the entire population
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Ngäberelanguage of the Ngäbe people, the country's largest indigenous group
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Guna (Dulegaya)language of the Guna people, spoken in the Guna Yala comarca, a self-governing indigenous territory on the Caribbean coast
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Emberá and Wounaanlanguages of the Emberá and Wounaan peoples, in the Darién region
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Buglerelanguage of the Buglé people, distinct from Ngäbere, spoken in the Ngäbe-Buglé comarca
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Naso (Tjërdi)language of the Naso people, spoken along the Teribe River, in Bocas del Toro province
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Creole Englishspoken by part of the Afro-descendant population of Caribbean origin
Panama is a narrow isthmus linking Central America to South America, with the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The Panama Canal cuts through the country from side to side, joining the two oceans and making it one of the most strategic points in world trade. Mountain ranges cross the territory, culminating in the Barú volcano, the country's highest point, while the dense forest of the Darién region, in the east, forms one of the last great natural barriers between Central America and South America.
Major cities
- Panama CityCapital and largest city, the country's financial and commercial center
- ColónCaribbean port, home to the Colón Free Trade Zone, one of the largest free trade zones in the world
- DavidMain city of the interior, an agricultural and commercial hub in the west of the country
- La ChorreraFast-growing city on the outskirts of the capital
- SantiagoCenter of the central region, known for agricultural and coffee production
Climate and temperature
Sancocho
Chicken soup with yam, corn, and culantro (a coriander-like herb), considered the national dish.
Ropa vieja
Shredded beef braised with vegetables, served over white rice.
Patacones
Slices of green plantain fried twice, crispy outside and soft inside.
Ceviche panameño
Fish or shrimp marinated in lime, onion, and cilantro, popular in coastal cities.
Tamales
Corn dough filled with meat, cooked inside a banana leaf, common at festivities.
Carimañola
Cassava fritter filled with ground meat, fried until golden.
Understand
Culture and spirituality
2a · The culture
Warmth and hospitality
Panamanians value personal contact and good humor, and welcome visitors from outside.
Ethnic diversity
Indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, people of mixed heritage, and immigrants live side by side, each group with its own traditions.
Family as the center of life
Important decisions go through the extended family, and elders are respected.
Music in everyday life
Salsa, Spanish-language reggae, and the tamborito, a traditional dance set to drumbeats, mark festivals and gatherings.
Faith as part of identity
Daily life is interwoven with Christian religious practices and, in some regions, with traditional indigenous beliefs.
Pride in the Canal
The Panama Canal is a source of national pride, a symbol of sovereignty won over the country's own territory.
- Treating indigenous peoples as a tourist attraction The Guna, Ngäbe, and Emberá comarcas are self-governing territories with real communities, not backdrops for photos.
- Reducing the country to just the canal Panama has music, cuisine, and peoples far beyond the waterway that made it famous.
- Rushing through meetings Panamanians value cordiality and conversation before getting down to business.
- Ignoring the difference between the capital and the interior Life in Panama City is very different from rural reality and the indigenous comarcas.
- Careless comments about the Canal Sovereignty over the waterway was won through political struggle, and the topic stirs strong national pride.
- Lumping indigenous peoples together as a single block The Guna, Ngäbe, Emberá, and others have their own languages, territories, and customs, and are not interchangeable.
2b · The field
Areas of spiritual battle and cultural captivity to cover in prayer. Tap each point to understand:
A large share of the population calls itself Christian but lives without real, day-to-day commitment to Jesus.
Indigenous and Afro-Caribbean spiritual practices blend with the Christian faith, often emptying it of its transforming power.
Distrust in public institutions feeds cynicism and weakens hope for change.
Easy money from commerce and finance can overshadow what truly matters in life.
Indigenous peoples living in comarcas, self-governing territories, remain on the margins of investment and often of the gospel itself.
Beliefs in spirits and witchcraft practices still influence part of the population, especially in rural areas.
The fast pace of the capital weakens the community bonds so valued in Panamanian culture.
Thousands crossing the country in search of a better life are often met with fear or indifference.
Young people grow up amid consumerism and a lack of purpose, distant from the church.
Rivalry between denominations and leaders weakens the Christian witness before society.
Religious freedom is guaranteed by Panama’s Constitution, and Christians of all denominations can gather, evangelize, and build churches without legal hindrance. Catholicism retains a historic position of prominence, including religious education in public schools, but the Constitution protects the right of Evangelicals, Muslims, Jews, Baha’is, and other traditions to practice their faith freely.
The greatest challenge for the Panamanian church does not come from state persecution but from spiritual shallowness: a faith received from family, coexisting with beliefs inherited from ancestors and a strong attachment to money, which does not always produce deep life transformation. In some indigenous communities, the gospel still meets resistance from traditional leaders who view conversion as abandoning ancestral culture.
Among religious minorities, such as the Jewish and Muslim communities, there are occasional reports of social discrimination, but without government backing. Overall, Panama is a country where the church can grow and serve freely, but where the greatest calling is to deepen discipleship and reach those still on the margins, from indigenous peoples to the thousands of migrants crossing the territory toward the north.
The persecution score runs from 0 to 100: the higher it is, the greater the pressure on Christians.
Panama has 27 catalogued people groups. Thanks to the church's historic presence in the country, most are already significantly reached by the gospel, but three groups remain without effective reach: the deaf community, which faces communication barriers to hearing and reading the Scriptures, and the Jewish communities of Sephardic and Syrian tradition, historically closed to the Christian gospel. Among the largest indigenous peoples, such as the Ngäbe-Buglé and the Guna, the church is already present, but a complete Bible translation in the mother tongue and deeper discipleship remain real needs.
- 24K Unreached 0,5%
- 33K Minimally reached 0,7%
- 121K Superficially reached 2,7%
- 635K Partially reached 14%
- 3.7M Significantly reached 82,1%
- 3 Unreached 11,1%
- 3 Minimally reached 11,1%
- 5 Superficially reached 18,5%
- 8 Partially reached 29,6%
- 8 Significantly reached 29,6%
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Arab Lebanese Muslim
Árabe Palestino
Árabe Sírio
Hindi
Judeu
Judeus de fala espanhola
Deaf Frontier
Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.
Pray
Intercede for this nation
Every nation carries a redemptive purpose. Marks that seem woven into the identity God desires to restore:
Go
Practical details for those who want to go
Local time
Cost of living
cheaper than major US cities, but more expensive than many Central American neighbors
Cost by city
Reference values (source: Numbeo). Confirm before traveling.
Practical points for those who go
- The US dollar circulates alongside the balboa, the country's official currency.
- Clothing should be light: the climate is hot and humid year round, with heavy rain during the wet season.
- Spanish is essential outside the capital's tourist circuits.
- Respect the indigenous comarcas as self-governing territories, not as tourist attractions.
- Conversation before business is valued; meetings rarely start straight on topic.
- Panama City's Metro is modern and helps avoid the capital's heavy traffic.
- WhatsApp is the main channel for everyday communication.
- Be extra careful with safety at night in central areas of Colón and in working-class neighborhoods of the capital.
Send and sustain
Not everyone goes, everyone takes part
Not everyone goes. Everyone takes part.
Behind every worker among these peoples stands a network of people who pray without ceasing, care for the family left behind, and faithfully sustain the work. Sending is mission too.
Start with your church: introduce this nation, adopt it in ongoing prayer, and walk alongside those God is raising up to go.