Panama? Perfect! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bocas del Toro

Called the Canal de Soropta, this 12 kilometer long (sometimes called Changuinola Canal) was built in 1903 (11 years BEFORE its more famous cousin opened) by Michael Snyder for transporting banana barges. It is located near Bocas del Toro and is still used for tourist cruises.

Answer: Fire ants, vampire bats, scorpions

While all of these animals do exist in Panama, sighting are rare. Most people will never see any of these dangerous animals, and are more likely to get bitten by no-see-um's, fire ants and possibly, it they are on the Caribbean side, by mosquitoes. The most common medical problems treated in Panama are sunburns and hangovers.

Answer: False

While Panama has used US currency for its paper money since 1903 (they call it a Balboa), Panama does mint its own coins. They are identical in size and weight to US coins, and are used interchangeably. For a few short years Panama did print its own paper money as well, but they soon returned to using only the greenback.

Answer: False

Despite being a Latino and a tropical country, siestas are not part of Panamanian culture. Panamanians usually work a six day work week, getting off at noon on Saturdays. This "no siesta" custom is due to working side-by-side for over a hundred years with Americans on the Panama Canal and being such an international crossroads.

Answer: boxing

Roberto Duran won the world welterweight championships against Sugar Ray Leonard in June 1980. His nickname was "Hands of Stone". Another famous Panamanian is Hall of Fame legend Rod Carew, a baseball player.

Answer: almost 3 million

Migration includes broad-winged hawks, turkey vultures and Swainson hawks. They make the migration south from Oct to mid-Nov, and return from May to early April. Panama has more different species of birds than all of Canada and United States combined.

Answer: False

The French failed and over 20,000 workers died trying to dig a sea level canal, but the reason was not water levels. Both oceans are at the same level- sea level. The locks were needed to lift ships over the central mountains of Panama. The Caribbean or Atlantic side has a one foot tide while the Pacific has an eighteen foot tide.

The record number of transits in one day was 65. The average cost of a transit is $240,000, however positions in the canal are sold at auction and cruise ships often pay over $600,000 for the right to go through the canal first.

Answer: bananas, shrimp, sugar, melons

Panama has all of these exports in abundance. Add to these exports: the second largest Free Trade Zone in the world, over 80 international banks and the largest ship's registry in the world, PLUS the Panama Canal and you see why Panama - with only 3.2 million people, is such a fast-growing nation.

Answer: golden frog

The Wounaan Indians dipped their arrows in the poison made from these tiny frogs' skin, and repelled the Spanish invasion into Antigua (which is now part of Colombia). The frog's skin is one of the most toxic poisons in the world.
They are threatened with extinction due to a fungus on trees. The El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center together with The Houston Zoo have just discovered a way to save them.

Answer: plenty of fish

Some historians claim Panama actually means "Plenty of Fish and Butterflies". The Monagrillo, a pre-Colombian society (2500 BC - 1700 BC) first settled Panama. The Spanish were the first Europeans to settle in Panama. Rodrigo de Bastidas sailed from Venezuela in 1501 in search of gold.

His first mate was Vasco Nunez de Balboa who would go on to discover "The South Sea", later renamed The Pacific Ocean by Magellan.