Panama has a population of roughly 4.4 million. The majority are mestizo — mixed indigenous and European ancestry — though the country is more ethnically diverse than most of its Central American neighbours.
Afro-Panamanians form a significant community, particularly along the Caribbean coast and in urban areas. Their roots go back both to colonial-era slavery and to the tens of thousands of workers from the Caribbean (mainly Jamaica and Barbados) who built the Panama Canal in the early 20th century. Their cultural influence is strongest in Colón and Bocas del Toro.
Around 17% of the population is indigenous, belonging to eight distinct peoples. The largest group is the Ngäbe, who live mainly in the highlands of Chiriquí, Bocas del Toro and Veraguas. The Guna (also written Kuna) inhabit the Caribbean islands of Guna Yala (San Blas) and have one of the most organised and self-governing indigenous communities in Latin America. The Emberá and Wounaan live mostly in Darién. Most indigenous peoples maintain significant cultural autonomy within their own comarcas (autonomous territories).
There's also a sizable community of Chinese descent, descended from workers who helped build the railroad in the 1850s, and a small but economically influential community of European and North American expats — particularly concentrated in Panama City and around Boquete in Chiriquí.
Spanish is the official language. English is understood in tourist areas and is increasingly taught in public schools. English is still the mother tongue in some Afro-Caribbean communities on the Caribbean coast. The Guna, Ngäbe and other indigenous peoples maintain their own languages.
Panamanians tend to be sociable and take civic pride in their country's position at the crossroads of the world. The question of national identity — something distinct from both North and South America, shaped by the Canal, the US presence, and enormous ethnic variety — is a recurring theme in Panamanian culture.