Moving to Panama and the Panama Railroad
Moving to Panama with IntlMOVE will be a great way to introduce your family to a new culture and a new experience.
International moves to Panama are a great way to start a new life in a country with abundant opportunities.
Panama is home to great food, great experiences and a wonderful way of living.
When you move to Panama with IntlMOVE, you will see the Panama Railroad.
The Panama Railroad, along with the Panama Canal, changed history!
The Panama Railroad was quite an engineering feat when it was being constructed.
It took almost five years to build and cost over $8 million to construct.
One interesting fact is that hollow rails were used to build the 47 ½ miles of track.
One sad fact is that over 12,000 people died while building the Panama Railroad.
It was also the most expensive railroad per mile to travel on when it was first built.
In 1855, a ticket from Colon to Panama City was $25.
Today, which is over 150 years later, you can purchase the same ticket for $20.
It was very expensive to travel by this train when the Panama Rail was first built.
The construction of the Panama Railroad began in 1851 and was completed in 1855.
The railroad was originally built to help people travel from the East Coast of the United States to the West Coast.
Many Americans were afraid to cross the Western part of the United States, so they chose to cross in Panama.
People wanted to cross the isthmus without dying, so construction of the world’s most expensive railroad began.
The Panama Railroad connects the Atlantic Panamanian city of Colon with the Pacific-based Panama City.
It was the world’s first transcontinental railway.
At one time, the Panama Railroad stock was priced at $295 per share.
This was the highest priced stock on the New York Stock Exchange at the time.
The American engineers for the railroad were Law and Aspinwell.
Colon was originally named Aspinwall after the engineer, but was later changed to Colon.
The city of Colon was built because of the Panama Railroad, so the area was not set-up for the needs of the trains and the people.
Clean water and food had to be shipped in day and night by train to meet the needs.
When the railroad was complete, the job opportunities were abundant.
There were new superintendants, dispatchers, trainmasters, yardmasters, mechanics, engineers, conductors and many more jobs.
The Panama Railroad charged ¼ of a percent on all shipments of gold dust, nuggets and gold and silver coins.
In its first 12 years of operations, the Panama Railroad carried over $750 million of these precious metals.
Needless to say, the Panama Railroad was very profitable.
The Panama Railroad was integral in the construction of the Panama Canal, which facilitated the increase of international trade.
People saw that there was another way to cross the Americas, rather than traveling by boat around South America.
The train also transported the needed goods to Panama to help build the canal.
When the Panama Canal was complete, international trading was changed forever.
When you move to Panama with IntlMOVE, don’t miss your opportunity to take a ride on the Panama Railroad.
IntlMOVE and Cultural Differences of Panama
IntlMOVE has helped many families and individuals relocate to Panama for a new job, retirement or for a new experience.
Shipping your household goods and personal effects to Panama is easy when you hire well-respected internationals movers.
The coordination of international moves requires the experience and knowledge of a company that specializes in international moves.
Look no further, IntlMOVE is the right company for you!
When you move to Panama, you will notice many cultural differences from the United States.
IntlMOVE has put together a brief summary of cultural differences that will help you adjust to your new home in Panama.
Nightlife
If you enjoy going to clubs and dancing the night away, you will find that music is different from what you will find in the United States.
You might get to hear a little reggae, reggaeton or plena, which is a version of reggae and reggaeton combined that was developed in Panama.
You will also get to hear salsa, meringue, Bachata or a number of other types of music developed in Latin American countries.
Measurements
Although Panama has its own currency, Panama uses the US dollar as its official currency.
The people in Panama use a combination of the United States measurement system and the metric system.
If you are shopping for meat or other delicatessens, you will order these products in pounds.
If you are shopping for soda, these are sold in milliliters and liters.
Gasoline is sold in gallons and distances are measured in kilometers.
The people in Panama will tell you how much they weigh in pounds, but will give you their height in meters and centimeters.
Customs in Panama
Most people in Panama are Roman Catholic and each town has its own Patron Saint.
The day of the Patron Saint is observed with colorful celebrations, called “Partronales”, which are usually family friendly.
The biggest celebrations to take place in Panama are Carnival, Easter and Christmas.
Panama is very diverse, so you will see that there are other celebrations for other cultures that take place in Panama.
There are some celebrations for Chinese New Year and other holidays popular in other countries.
Family
Family is extremely important to the people of Panama.
Children will often live with their parents until they are married.
Even college students live with their parents or other family members.
Parents are very supportive of their children and there is a lot of respect given to parents and grandparents.
Children will usually call their friends’ parents “tio” and “tia”, which translates to uncle and aunt.
This shows a sign of respect for adults.
Greetings and Social Interactions
When men meet, they will shake hands.
When members of the opposite sex or two women meet, they will exchange one kiss on the cheek.
Business in Panama
Panamanians place a lot of emphasis on relationships, so don’t expect to do business until you get to know people.
Meetings are not direct, so you will spend some time making small talk before getting down to business.
Make eye contact during meetings to show that you are paying attention and as a sign of respect.
Never use first names, unless you are invited to do so by your colleagues or business associates.
If you are exchanging business cards, make sure that they are translated to Spanish.
Although people are not as punctual in Panama as they are in the United States, business meetings are expected to start on time.
IntlMOVE specializes in international moves, so you know your household goods and personal effects will be safe when they are shipped to Panama.