Assessment
Criteria
Discussion
No
Shipping Timber to Area with No Timber
All areas north of the narrow neck are forested. There is no area where timber was scarce.
Yes
No Cold or Snow
Average highs range from 82 to 88 degrees F (28 to 31 degrees C) and lows range from 64 to 79 degrees F (18 to 26 degrees C).
No
East Wind of Destruction
Only one hurricane has made landfall near Panama in over 120 years.
Yes
Narrow Neck
Isthmus of Darien
Yes
North-Flowing River
Rio Balsas, Rio Atrato, Rio Leon, Magdalena, and Rio Sunu.
Yes
Elevated Area West and South
Yes
Elevated Area East
Sierra Nevada (Columbia, 5,800 m)
No
Large Bodies of Water
Lago de Nicaragua is the closest large lake. It has a surface area of 8,624 km2.
Some
Significant Natural Forces
For Panama, earthquake hazard maps indicate peak ground acceleration to range from 1.6 to >4.8 m/s2 (large). There are several volcanoes in the area. Storm surges from hurricanes and tsunamis occur on the east coast.
Narrow Neck Location 
