ominated by General Omar Torrijos Herrera, Their form of government is Executive under provisions of their 1972 Constitution, as amended in 1978 and 1983. The chief executive is president of the republic, he is assisted by two vice presidents, all elected by popular vote for five-year terms. The unit of currency is the Balboa which is equal to the United States dollar. Balboas are available only in coins. Almost 500 rivers intertwine through Panama's landscape. Many of these rivers originated as swift highland streams. The Ro Chepo and the Ro Chagres are sources of hydroelectric power. The Ro Chagres is one of the longest and most vital of the 150 rivers that flow into the Caribbean. A part of this river was dammed to create Gatun Lake, which forms a major part of the transit route between the locks near each end of the canal. Panama has a tropical climate with high temperatures and humidity year round. Seasons determined by rainfall rather than by changes in temperature. The country is divided into nine provinces, plus the Comarca de San Blas, which is treated as part of Coln Province. The provincial borders have not changed since they were determined at independence in 1903. The provinces are divided into districts, which in turn are subdivided into sections called corregimientos. The country claims the seabed of the continental shelf, which has been defined by Panama. In addition, a 1958 law asserts jurisdiction over 12 nautical miles from the coastlines, and in 1968the government announced a claim to a 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone. The major port on the Pacific coastline is Balboa. The principal islands are Archipilago de las Perlas in the middle of the Gulf of Panama, the penal colony, and the island of Taboga, a tourist attraction that can be seen from Panama City. In all, there are some 1,000 islands off the Pacific coast. The Pacific coastal waters are extraordinarily shallow. Depths of 180 meters are reac...
