Panama, republic, situated on the isthmus linking South America with Central and North America. The nation, which is bisected by the Panama Canal, is bounded on the north by the Caribbean Sea, on the east by Colombia, on the south by the Pacific Ocean, and on the west by Costa Rica. Panama's coastline is about 685 km (425 mi) long on the Caribbean and about 1,230 km (765 mi) long on the Pacific; the nation's total area is 75,517 sq km (29,157 sq mi), including the canal region. The capital is Panama City.