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Panama is not the most diverse place on earth. Brazil, Colombia,
and Venezuela are each more biodiverse. However, Panama's biodiversity
is unique because of its complex distribution and intensity at
every scale. The vitality of this unique biodiversity is important
to the future economic and cultural wealth of the country.
The rise of the Isthmus of Panama has brought about an entirely
unique environment into being. Speciation, extinction, delicately
balanced ecologies, and uncontrollable overgrowth collide wildly.
In Panama, the intersections of geology, climate, evolution, and
human action have created the wealthiest nation in the world,
with influence far beyond its borders.
Some facts...
- The Isthmus of Panama is part of the main center of plant
diversity in the planet. Panama's density of plant life is higher
than China's, Brazil's, or Colombia's.
- Panama's abundant flora is used as a source of food and medicine,
and its trees are used as construction materials for homes,
canoes, tools, and crafts.
- Panama is a bird watcher's paradise. The country's birds represent
approximately 10% of the world's varieties—930 species
out of a total of 9,672. The Isthmus is the biologic bridge
for 120 species of migratory birds.
- The oceans that surround Panama are rich in marine resources.
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