The Caribbean Sea, which forms part of the Atlantic Ocean, is located north of Panama. Panama is the only place in the world where you can watch the sun rise in the Pacific Ocean and set in the Atlantic Ocean from the same place. At the narrowest point in the country, only 80 kilometers (50 miles) separate the two oceans. Panama, a Central American country located on the Isthmus of Panama, the narrow land bridge that connects North America and the South.
Spanning the isthmus and more than 1600 islands off its Atlantic and Pacific coasts, the tropical nation is known for being the headquarters of the Panama Canal, which crosses its middle section. It is also known for its natural beauty, for its varied plant and animal life, including hundreds of species of birds and trees, and for its vibrant music and culture. The country is very diverse, with mountains, rainforests, beautiful white sand beaches and 1500 islands. The Darién Gap, from Panama City to Colombia, has about 12 million acres of rainforest, but few Panamanians or tourists visit the area, which can only be accessed by boat.
