The Pnama Canal

THE PANAMA CANAL

The Panama Canal is considered one of the seven wonder of the world, We find this important place in our beautiful Country, Panama.

The Panama Canal is an international waterway that links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. After France unsuccessfully attempted to build a canal through the Isthmus of Panama in the 1800s, the United States began building the canal in 1904, but it was completed in 1914.

Today, the canal continues to be not only a viable commercial venture, but also a vital link in world shipping.

Panama is going to celebrate the 100th Canal Anniversary by different events throughout the year. The events will highlight the aspects that have made the Panama Canal an international symbol.

The Panama Canal is important because it is a viable commercial venture and it has a vital link in wold shipping, save time and money by transporting more quickly.

Commercial Importance

The Panama Canal was built to shorten the distance that ships had to travel to pass between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The canal permits shippers of commercial goods, ranging from automobiles to grain, to save time and money by transporting cargo more quickly. Prior to the completion of the canal, a ship sailing between ports in New York and San Francisco had to sail around Cape Horn, the southernmost point of South America. This 12,000-mile trip took 67 days. After the canal was completed, approximately 8,000 miles were eliminated from the trip. Nearly 14,000 ships and other watercraft, some as long as three football fields, carry 280 million tons of cargo through the canal every day, states Popular Mechanics magazine.

The Panama Canal (Spanish: Canal de Panamá) is a 77.1-kilometre (48 mi) ship canal in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean (via the Caribbean Sea) to the Pacific Ocean. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. There are locks at each end to lift ships up to Gatun Lake, an artificial lake created to reduce the amount of excavation work required for the canal, 26 metres (85 ft) above sea level. The current locks are 33.5 metres (110 ft) wide. A third, wider lane of locks is currently under construction and is due to open in 2015.

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