Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (Spanish: República de Panamá; Spanish pronunciation: [re̞ˈpuβ̞lika ð̞e̞ panaˈma]), is the southernmost country of Central America and, in turn, North America. Situated on an isthmus connecting North and South America, some categorize it as a transcontinental nation. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the north-west, Colombia to the south-east, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. It is an international business center and is also a transit country. Although Panama is the third largest economy in Central America, after Guatemala and Costa Rica, it is the largest consumer in Central America.^[3]

Panama currently enjoys a rich Pre-Columbian heritage of native populations whose presence stretched back over 11,000 years. The earliest traces of these indigenous peoples include fluted projectile points. This changed into significant populations that are best known through the spectacular burials of the Conte site (dating to c. AD 500–900) and the polychrome pottery of the Coclé style. The monumental monolithic sculptures at the Barriles (Chiriqui) site were another important clue of the ancient isthmian cultures. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, Panama was widely settled by Chibchan, Chocoan, and Cueva peoples, among whom the largest group were the Cueva. There is no accurate knowledge of size of the indigenous population of the isthmus at the time of the European conquest. Estimates range as high as two million people, but more recent studies place that number closer to 200,000.^{[citation needed]}