Exceptionally strategic interoceanic capital tied to the Panama Canal and global maritime chokepoint logistics

Large and growing urban concentration shaped by migration, logistics employment, and capital-city services

Global logistics, canal-linked trade, banking, shipping services, and regional finance drive the city's influence

Limited conventional military role but high strategic relevance through canal security, maritime monitoring, and national infrastructure protection

Seat of Panama's executive and national institutions, with outsized geopolitical relevance because of the canal

Strong Catholic heritage alongside broader urban religious pluralism

Historic transoceanic capital shaped by Spanish colonial rule, canal construction, and global trade history