Not until living in Panama did I realize the importance of the Panama Canal. Seeing massive ships line up in the Amador Causeway to pass through the canal is certainly a sight to behold.

The Panama Canal splits the country of Panama and unites the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Before the Panama Canal ships traveling from each side of the U.S. would have had to circumnavigate the entire continent of South America. Today, that trip has been cut in more than half, taking 6,000 miles.

The French first tried to build the canal in the 1880’s, but failed and consequently the lives of over 22,000 men were taken. The United States bought rights in 1903 to the Canal Zone and began construction. They finished in 1914 after many more lives lost. Today, the Canal is run by the Panamanian government, as The United States relinquished control in 1999.

The Panama Canal is 48 miles in length which takes a ship nine hours to pass through.

An average of 14,000 ships pass through each year with 200 million tons of cargo.

The largest type of ship that passes through the canal is deemed a “Panamax.” Larger ships exist, and so the Panama Canal is currently under construction to accommodate the future of naval shipping. The Panamanian government’s constrution plan is said to cost upwards of 5.3 billion dollars.

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Filed under: History on February 28th, 2008