Panama



> Panama's Physical Features > > Panama is located in South America. > **Panama's Capital:** is called Panama City. > **Major cities:** Colon, David and Santiago. > **Population:** Almost 3 million people live in Panama. > > **Borders:** Panama is borderd by Colombia from the East, Costa Rica from the West, The Caribbean Sea from the North, and The Pacific Ocean from the South. > **Flora:** Orchids and cashew trees,Sugarcane,Mangoes and Plantains grow in Panama's Tropical forest. Plantains are the favorite fruits in Panama. > > Fona: Capybaras live in Panama,they are the largest rodents. Many fish swim near Panama two types are called Anchovy and Herring. There are Anteaters,Armadillos and > Sloths live in the rain forest. There are many birds in Panama's parks like eagles,parrots,parakeets and toucans. > > Baby capybara > **Food:** Panamanians eat rice with almost every meal,beans and corn are common foods. Gaucho is rice soup with beans. Bollo is a boiled corn dish. Tortillas are popular in Panama. Sanocho is Panama's national dish,Sanocho is a stew with spicy vegetables and chicken. Guisado is a stew with meat and tomatoes. > **How to make Flour Tortillas** > Turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with flour and knead vigorously for about 2 minutes (fold and press, fold and press). The kneading will take care of the stickiness. Return the dough to the bowl, cover it with a damp cloth, and let it rest for 15 minutes. (This dough will not //rise//, but it needs a rest.) > Divide your dough into 8 balls of equal size, cover them, and let them rest again for about 20 minutes. Avoid letting them touch, if you don't want them to stick together. > Dust your work surface with flour. Working one at a time, remove each piece of dough and pat it into a 5-inch circle. With a rolling pin, roll out the tortilla, working from the center out, until you have a 7- or 8-inch tortilla a little less than 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the tortilla to a hot, dry skillet or griddle. It will begin to blister. Let it cook for 30 seconds, turn it, and let the other side cook for 30 seconds. Remove the tortilla, place it in a napkin-lined basket and cover with aluminum foil. Repeat for the remaining tortillas. > > **Panama's Holidays:** Panamanians celebrate many holidays and fiestas. Woman wear a Pollera,and men wear a Montuno. A Pollera is a colorful shirt and a wide skirt. A Montuno is a white shirt and short pants. Panamanians celebrate Independence day on November the third. Carnival lasts 4 days. Panamanians celebrate Christmas on December 25,they decorate homes,eat large meals and exchange gifts on Christmas Day. > **Currency:** Th e currency in Panama is the balboa. 100 centesimos equal one balboa. Panama uses U.S dollars and balboa. > **Language:** The main languages are Spanish and English. > **Daily Life**: More than half of Panama's population lives in urban areas. The rest live in rural areas. People work at the canal, other people work stores or businesses. People who do not live near the canal are farmers. People with small farms grow rice and corn for their families. Some people with large farms grow sugarcane and coffee to sell to other countries. Native tribes live in Panama's rural areas. These tribes include the Choco, Guaymi sometimes are called San Blas Indians. The tribes have lived in Panama for hundreds of years. Many Panamanians wear the same style of clothes as North Americans.
 * 2 cups all-purpose flour
 * 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
 * 1 teaspoon salt
 * 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
 * 3/4 cup lukewarm milk (2% is fine)
 * Stir together the flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and vegetable oil to the lukewarm milk and whisk briefly to incorporate. Gradually add the milk to the flour, and work the mixture into a dough. It will be sticky.