Panama Canal

 

The Panama canal was successfully completed in 1914 after numerous previous failed attempts.

  The canal is an artificial waterway made up of artificial lakes with locks (like closed bridges serving as checkpoints) to provide transit for ships and other maritime travelling eitherway from the Atlantic ocean to the Pacific ocean. 

  Panama canal is of strategic and economic importance as it serves as transport means for goods across the Earth's two largest oceans and therefore across continents. 

  Stretching from the port of Colón (an Atlantic coastal city in Panama) to the Bridge of the Americas (on the Pacific side at the gulf of Panama), it measures 82km in length and takes 11.38 hours to cross. 

 The Bridge of the Americas with Pacific entrance to the West.

  Right from the 16th century, the idea of a canal was born in Europe with the interest of colonizing the South American continent. This canal was planned to be in Panama to reduce the danger and distance travelled with the route at the southernmost tip of the continent and Panama had the added advantage of geographical location and narrow land size.

   The first major attempt by the British and French failed. Later the United States took interest because of the gold rush in (San Fransico) California in the early 19th century which required transport from the East to the West coast ( New York). USA finally started the canal in 1904 and because of their involvement politics came into play where Panama received her independence from Columbia.

During construction. 

  The construction of the canal was challenging to first set of workers because of the terrain, diseases like malaria... Its size and length contributed to the difficult task but the engineering feat was finally achieved. It has been ranked by American civil engineers as one of the seven wonders of the modern world. 

  The canal's lakes serve other functions like drinking and fishing, its islands are used for scientific studies and the rainforest create a natural habitat for marine species.

   Panal canal still faces challenges in present times from future competition from canals being planned for construction in other Carribrean countries. 

   Today the canal is fully managed by the Panamanian government and gives passage to thousands of maritime vessels with their contents (goods or humans 😁) every year.

 A cruise ship in the canal.