Yearbook 2009
Panama. On May 3, businessman Ricardo Martinelli from center-right alliance Alianza por el Cambio won a landslide victory in the presidential election with 60 percent of the votes cast, against only 37 percent for the opponent, Balbina Herrera of the ruling party Partido Revolucionario Democrático (PRD). It was the first time a candidate won by an absolute majority of votes and also marked the weakening of Panama’s traditional two-party system, which Martinelli accused during the election campaign of being responsible for the notorious corruption in the country. The defeat of the ruling party was, however, a bit surprising as former President Martín Torrijos enjoyed a high degree of popularity during his term. According to countryaah, Herrera, on the other hand, has been accused of conspiring with the former dictator Manuel Noriega. Martinelli swore president on July 1. At the same time, Martinelli’s alliance won 37 of the new congressional’s 71 seats, and his own party, Cambio Democrático, quadrupled its seats to twelve. At the same time, the government coalition Un País para Todo’s mandate was halved in Congress. See ABBREVIATIONFINDER for abbreviation PM which stands for the nation of Panama.
The only bright spot for the government coalition’s most important party PRD was that in the local elections held at the same time, more than half of 623 seats in municipal councils around the country succeeded, and no less than 62 of 75 mayoral positions. The election of Bosco Vallarino from one of Martinelli’s alliance parties to mayor of Panama City, the country’s most important post-presidential office, became controversial when it emerged that he had American citizenship and therefore should not have been allowed to run.
Economically, high hopes are tied to the redevelopment of the Panama Canal, budgeted at $ 5.2 billion and approved in 2007, which will largely end during Martinelli’s term in office.
Flora and vegetation. – The whole territory of this region is covered with rich vegetation with a distinctly tropical character. The virgin forests are very dense and made even more impenetrable by the lianas: their trees bear numerous epiphytes, among these many Orchids, including the Peristeria elata Hook. with white waxy perfumed flowers, called in the country “flower of the Holy Spirit” for the gynostemium perfectly similar to a small white dove. Palm trees are abundantly represented: Phytelephas jnacrocarpa, Cocos butyracea, C. nucifera and the Ciclantacea Carludovica palmatawhich, with the young leaves, provides the material for making the well-known Panamá hats. The Euphorbiacea Siphonia elastica or Hevea guyanensis, whose latex contains rubber, once had a lot of importance, but today it is no longer of interest because it has been replaced by cultivated Hevea.
There are many useful plants that supply timber for construction and cabinet making (Visinia latifolia, V. Panamensis, star apple, Rheedia, Myrica parviflora, Achras sapota, Swiethenia mahagoni, Tecoma pentaphylla, etc.), The dyeing plants (Ribes glandulosum, Weinmannia glabra, Coulteria tinctoria, Pterocarpus draco, Opuntia thuna, Ruellia tuberosa, Bixa orellana, Guaiacum arboreum,Rhizophora mangle, Condaminea tinctoria, etc.), medicinal plants (Cassia fistula, sarsaparilla, vainilla, contraierva, elderberry, Peruvian mallow, etc.), fruit plants as indigenous as they are introduced and those from resins and gums.
Fauna. – The fauna of Panama, given the geographical position of the region, includes elements of Central American and South American fauna. Among the Mammals we will notice, among the Primates, monkeys of the genera Ateles and Nyctipithecus. Of the Chiroptera we will mention the group of Phyllostomatidae among which the red vampire is characteristic. Ozelot, Uudi, some Raccoons and Martens among Carnivores. The Peccary among the Artiodactyls and among the Gnawing various Guinea pigs, Paca, Porcupines and Mice. The Toothless are also represented by the Lesser Anteater, the Tatusia and the Tamandua. Opossum and Chironectes among the Marsupials.
The avifauna is affected by the common character of the Neogean ornithological fauna. Generally these are forms common to the sonoran region since the species of the Neogea are widespread in South America. Discretely represented in Panama are the Reptiles with various species of Ophidî, Sauri and Chelonî and also the Amphibî with the characteristic forms of Anuri, such as the Nototrema in which the eggs complete their development in a dorsal pouch of the female. The invertebrate fauna is interesting, rich in species and various forms.