By Jack S. Waverly
The Panama Canal was first conceived two centuries before the French tried to built it in the late 1800s. With the death of near 21,000 people and an unfinished canal, the French considered the canal a failure. The
United States took over the project and upgraded the equipment and conditions for building the canal. After completion, the United States ran the canal until the end of the 20th century. It is now run by Panama.
Identification
The Panama Canal is a man made waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This is the largest man made canal in the world.
History
The Panama Canal opened in 1914 with the first ship, Ancon, to pass through. The canal was started by the French, finished by the United States, and is owned by Panama.
Function
It functions as a short direct route for shipping between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The canal was built to improve the movement of cargo and resources from the West to the East.
Significance
The canal saves boats 7,872 miles in travel from New York to San Francisco. This trip cuts the time of travel between the two oceans by half.
Size
The Panama Canal spans over 50 miles long. It can take a ship up to 10 hours to travel from end to end using the four channels and multiple locks along the route.
Fun Fact
The smallest toll paid was $0.36 by a swimmer passing through the canal in 1928. The largest toll was $141,349.97 by the Crown Princess in 1993. The largest ship to pass was the San Juan Prospector at 751' long.
Resources
About the Author:
Jack S. Waverly is a New York-based freelance writer who writes articles relating to business, personal finance, gardening, sustainable living and business management. Waverly is published on Pluck, Happy News and many other websites.
