Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country located at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. Its capital and largest city is Panama City, whose metropolitan area is home to nearly half of the country's over 4 million inhabitants.
Ricardo Adolfo de la Guardia Arango was the 11th President of Panama from 9 October 1941 to 15 June 1945, during World War II. He also served as governor of Panamá Province from 1936 to 1938. His government was the first Latin American government to declare war on the Axis Powers following the attack on Pearl Harbor, and he allowed the United States to lease military bases across the country.