The Panamá Canal

• The Panamá Canal is a 48 mile long canal that connects the Atlantic Ocean (via the Caribbean Sea) to the Pacific Ocean.

• 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.

Building the Canal

The first attempt to build the Panamá Canal began in 1880 by a French company. The designer, Count de Lesseps, had already built the Suez Canal connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. He thought that the Panamá Canal would be a similar project. Unfortunately, the workers he brought from France were unable to fight the native diseases. The mosquitoes of the area carried yellow fever that killed many in the French workforce. Before de Lesseps quit, more than 25,000 people had died.

The United States Takes Over

In 1904, the United States, under President Theodore Roosevelt, picked up where the French left off. During the next 10 years, workers cut the canal, built the locks and Gatun Lake, the main source of water for the canal. The Panamá Canal was completed August 15, 1914. Workers finished the giant project early and under budget.

Giving Away the Panamá Canal

The United States governed the Panamá Canal and surrounding areas from 1904 to 1977. In 1977, the U.S. Congress voted to give the Panamá Canal back to the country of Panamá. The United States slowly turned over control, finally pulling out completely in 1999.

Brief Videos of the Panamá Canal:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoQ7RHyG-EA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ff7i76DUNU